So I’m in a Facebook group for indie authors. I posted the cover I’ve been working on to get feedback. I was actually on version 10 but posted version 9 by mistake. It had a couple issues but I left it, because after 18 years of design, I know you have to give groups obvious […]

We have looked at colors and their symbolism in the stages of alchemy, how these relate to story. We’ve looked at ring structure. The next thing to look at in our study of literary alchemy is duality. Duality pops up in ring structure. If you have a plot that looks like this: ABCBA or AABBBCCCCBBBAA […]

I walked into an actual bookstore. An independent bookstore, yesterday. It’s one of my favorites. Carmichael’s Books in the Crescent Hill neighborhood of Louisville. And I bought a hardback volume of How to Stop Time. I haven’t bought a hardback at full price in a while. Not from a bookstore, where I’m standing at the […]

My daughter read several chapters of my book and complained loud and long. She knows I’m an advocate for lightjoy. I don’t like grimdark. But she said my book is dark, so dark. I think she’s right. It is dark in many places, many of them very unpleasant. But it made me think about what I mean by lightjoy. I’m […]

One of the wonderful things about writing is the ability to create worlds, a fact Tolkien noted when he wrote his mythology. He referenced this obliquely when speaking of his Valar and their role in creation. But the idea was that this creation was a “concreation” or a “creating with.” And it allows us as […]

A goodie for my Wattpad fans and beta readers. If you remember the scene with Sara and Scott in a cemetery? Well. These are photos of the actual place, St Louis Cemetery. I’ll add more in a bit but I need to edit them. There are many mausoleums like ones pictured, but my favorites are […]

UPDATE: Stephen Pressfield has a new War of Art mini course and a new site for the War of Art. Check it out here.  It’s kind of funny that I started to write this post when I did. I was going to describe how Resistance, when unable to distract you, derail you or discourage you, […]

So, after getting several resources I’ve already discussed (which I’m still using) I also obtained the Story Grid book and am deep into it. It’s perfect. I understand it and it is exactly what I needed. The genre bit was difficult for me at first, I thought they meant sales genre. But no. Click above […]

So we watched Kingsman 2 last night. Aaaaaaand their counterparts are in Kentucky. Making alcohol. So here in no particular order, are my reactions to their use of Kentucky as a locale. 1. It’s bourbon, not whiskey. Jack and coke is from TN, not KY. 2. We don’t wear cowboy hats unless there’s a rodeo […]

We don’t have Fells in Kentucky. We have knobs. I think they’re likely not that different. I love this guy’s blog and pictures of the fells. Good article about the knobs region of Kentucky here. The knobs are forested and that to me is the biggest difference. The lakes and hills I’m seeing in the […]

I’m actually quite sad to see 2017 go. This is the year I wrote my first draft. I shall always remember it fondly.  How did I do it? I used tools and toys. I have mixed feelings about them. Paying for these things kind of feels like buying exercise equipment. I have good intentions and […]

I wrote about 15k words and got about 10k in notes done before holiday projects for the day job struck me down like an avalanche. It certainly felt like an avalanche. Note to self: people who do online retailer support for a living can’t do much else in November. So yeah, I don’t think I’ll […]

The first time I was published was in 2006, in an anthology by Roy H Williams. You can see and download it here: People Stories It’s an actual book. I have it on my bookshelf. My essay is on page 178 __________________________________________________ Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 01:53:50 -0800 (PST) To: Corrine@WizardAcademy.com Subject: the challenge […]

I kind of think I can’t write anymore until I do what I said I would. I gotta spend about 3 days critting and leaving some reviews. There’s a simple principle. If you want to receive you must give. It’s selfish and manipulative to give because you  want to receive. I admit that. But I […]

So yesterday in the midst of my research, I discovered a few amazing things about Stonehenge First thing? It sings. Yes if you google “Sonic stonehenge” (and thrill a bit over the Whovian search parameter)  you find quite a bit about it. You can hear some of it here. Untitled from Landscape Perception on Vimeo. […]

Sue Monk Kidd wrote a book called When the Heart Waits that speaks to my soul more with each passing year. I read it in my 30s. In it, she introduced the concept of “remaining in my questions.” As an impetuous Type A who thinks too much, I have lots of questions. John Eldredge talks […]

I’ve been dealing with my second draft and I knew it needed something. I knew it was missing the weight I wanted and I knew I needed massive changes. Overhaul. The Longsuffering Editrix® tried in her ever so subtle way to explain what it was. I didn’t get it. I’m obtuse sometimes. Then I read […]

So I whittled my 135k word book down to 17k for a contest. And to see if I could. It took me three days and I learned much about myself and about my story. Here’s why it helped me. Editing this book is really daunting. It gave me a manageable goal. I have a lot […]

I posted a book quote today that excerpts the chapter wherein the title of the book is explained. It appears in the Lorica as well. I’m still wrestling with this idea, and whether or not it has been adequately explained and demonstrated. So I want to sort through it a bit here, if you’ll bear […]

One of my friends/readers (@FaeraLane on Wattpad) made this for me. I love it and am so touched!  

Sorting through an idea. I am editing my book. Actually I am waiting on a last round of feedback before I rewrite it. I’ve realized I’m basically going to rewrite it at least four times. So yes, I’m going to read it out loud to myself and all but I know there is a fundamental […]

I think there’s a little escapist in every writer. What other kind of person willingly dreams while conscious and records it? Then we spend hours refining our thoughts so others can more easily join us in our dreams. A theme of scifi recently has been the problems inherent in “Second Life” type gaming or VR […]