Writing Relevance
Recently I began reading a new book from one of my favorite authors. I had been looking forward to this book because it was revisiting 1800's London and the author had done a beautiful job describing that time period. I also love the fantastical elements of the world she created. Urban fantasy is fascinating to … Continue reading Casting the Book
A while back I finished my 3rd and I'd hoped final revision of Song of Bones/Melody of Bones/that dragon story I always wanted to write but kept putting off. My stubborn brain insisted it was complete, that I had told the story the best way I knew how, and that it was time to set … Continue reading Chagrin – Tempering the Writer
This month's round robin is open for a bit of interpretation. The main thrust of the question is how you maintain continuity from start to finish in a novel. Which brings me to the title of the post - The 3/4 Mark. Over the years, I've discovered that my personal writing process requires a break … Continue reading The 3/4 Mark – May Round Robin
A few years ago I would have said that editing was the hardest part of writing. Today, however, editing is one of my favorite parts of the process because I've learned how to accept that a rough draft is crappy no matter what. Accepting that fact has freed me to laugh at myself when I … Continue reading The Hardest Part of Writing…
My writing career started with Sedition, a fantasy novel about a pair of brothers trying to rescue their mother. The book went through several revisions - and so many titles it hurts my head to think about - but in January of 2011 its story line was set in stone. (Mostly because the publishing house … Continue reading Let’s Talk About Fantasy
I know, I know. I probably should have mentioned all the birthday shenanigans over the last week but ... Hey, I was busy doing fun things. Like visiting Craters of the Moon and going to the movies and eating steak and having pie. (I maintain that pie is better than cake.) But in the middle … Continue reading Birthday Shenanigans and Release Buzz
Persona is my first attempt at the historical fiction genre and while I love history, I found writing within the confines of known facts difficult. This isn't too surprising given all my other novels are fantasy or science fiction, but it was still an eye-opener for me. Take, for instance, the very first chapter of … Continue reading Fact vs. Fiction – Historical Novels
Alright, so I graduated in 2014 and the textbooks aren't that old. Still, I did graduate (cum laude, thank you very much) and I haven't touched them since. In fact, the whole school thing feels very distant to me now. Did I really manage to go to school for three straight years, no summer breaks, … Continue reading Old School Textbooks
Stories are not just about the characters on the page. True, they hold the bulk of our attention, but they would not exist outside of the world in which they live. We're taught as authors that in order to sell the books that we write, we have to have character and conflict. There are even … Continue reading A More Textured Story
Since beginning Usurper I have had one character in particular who troubles me; Evaliana Auliere Dyngannon. Nice long name, I know. She goes by Liana, for obvious reasons. Who wants that mouthful every time you're being spoken to? Liana and I constantly have issues, which I know makes me sound insane but I'm an author … Continue reading Problem Characters and How to Negotiate
