First lines are difficult no matter the genre, and although fantasy allows for a wider range of topics to start off the book, the variety of choices can make it harder to pick which one is best. I’ve taken some of the fantasy books off of my shelf, a mix of urban fantasy, YA fantasy, … More The Craft of Bookish First Lines
I’m maybe over halfway done with my plotting at this point, and it’s honestly such a good thing that I’m getting a feel for my characters in the process. I don’t think I’d otherwise have had much time to sit down and get to know them all personally before November strikes. We’re already halfway through … More NaNoWriMo 2019: Characters
It’s that time of year again! October is officially here, which means if you intend on doing NaNoWriMo, it’s time to settle down on a story idea an do some brainstorming to get prepared. I’ll be doing a special series of posts this month to help prep. But first, why do NaNoWriMo at all? If, … More A Case For NaNoWriMo
Perhaps one of the most high-stakes aspect of drafting your novel is the creation of the plot. It draws together all the hard work you’ve put into making the characters and setting up the world, creating enough conflict to make it all worthwhile for you and your future readers. Theoretically, strong characters can hold a … More Know Your Archetypes
Stage 1: Catch the spark. This is the most thrilling part that any to-be-author is going to see for quite some time. Where the ideas come from is a bit of a mystery. It begins, I suppose, with an impression or an image that sparks the novelist’s mind in the form of a creative what … More The Process of Writing a Novel: An Unpublished Author’s Edition
I’m a hypocrite, okay? I fully acknowledge that. I, a dedicated writer, am not participating in NaNoWriMo2018 and yet I still have the gall to write about how to get unstuck when knee-deep in first-draft Plot. If it makes you feel any better, I’ve attempted NaNoWriMo before. This is not exactly new territory for me. … More Plot: 4 Ways to Get Unstuck in NaNoWriMo
When I first started revising Dire Fate, I began with a printed manuscript that I read and marked up diligently… until I got about halfway through and realized it wasn’t editing that the manuscript needed but one final revision. Granted, I still pulled from my original draft. In some places, I copied and pasted a … More A Mess of an Editing Process
People in general tend to find themselves more productive during a certain time. Some are vampires and work throughout the night. Some are normal people and work throughout the day. I am a writer, and have left any claims to “normal” far behind me. Are you an early bird or night owl when it comes … More Birds and Owls and Me
We all know what comes with the new year: the dreaded Resolutions, promises we make ourselves until we find how difficult they are to keep. A new favorite author of mine, Leigh Bardugo, suggested that we Begin As We Mean To Go On. That’s exactly what I did on January 1st. But, before getting into … More Welcome 2018!
