One of my friends/readers (@FaeraLane on Wattpad) made this for me. I love it and am so touched!
Writing
Rejection
Got my first rejection this week! Woot! that is all.
On Giants and Editing
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 […]
The Fool
This is a short story I wrote for fun. It isn’t fantasy but it’s a hoot. I hope you enjoy it. The lemon meringue pie at Patti’s in Grand Rivers, Kentucky boasts a height of 4 feet, six inches. It takes two men four days to eat one, and a slice tastes better than ambrosia. […]
Escapism and writing
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 […]
An AHA moment.
So, all I have read led me to believe I had to give my manuscript, AKA Baby, over to my longsuffering editrix® in order to make edits. She reads. I get feedback. I edit. Not so. Though I have been cautioned with balefire about making structural edits without her, I am able to edit. Pitchwars […]
Welcome to #PitchWars
You know, sometimes you just gotta go for it. I know I finished my first draft literally seven days ago. I know I’ve been in the throes of self-hatred. And you know what we do when stuck in a funk? We jump into a new challenge! So I submitted to Pitchwars like an hour before […]
About that Ledge, Part III
Blast it all, writers write. My book is likely terrible. I shall love it anyhow and finish my story. I am finished with the wallowing, thank you very much. I am resigned that even if no one likes it or gets it, I’m finishing what I started. I’m off to write the sequel to Sorrowfish. […]
About that Ledge, Part II
I got three ideas today. The first was about time. Which wouldn’t be super pertinent, except that my expectations about the future shifted, a lot. So that was nice, and makes me feel like I won’t be so rushed on my writing. I’ll have the time to get better, and can take it. The second […]
About that Ledge
So, I’ve finished my first draft. It already horrifies me and it’s only been in the drawer for a few days. I wobble between “That’s the worst piece of tripe ever written by anyone, ever. There is no saving it. Back to the ranks of voracious readership/hobbyist with you!” and “It has potential to not […]
Writing Helps and Book Buzz
So yesterday was a down day for me on writing. I spent a long time discussing plot with Rod and decided my pacing was off and I needed a break. Took it but read some helpful things. So the first resource I found was from reading Alec Hutson’s thread on Wattpad. If you’re self-publishing, it’s […]
First Draft Hatred
Apparently this isn’t new, but this week as I got to the last of my chapters (I have about 3 left to write) I was hit with full-blown hatred for my story. I am certain its the worst piece of fiction ever penned and should be burned and never see the light of day. It’s […]
Being a Pantser
I just now understand my villains and know what happened to Darmon and Doran and the Cyntae. I have six chapters left. Liz Gilbert has a theory about all of us having a genius that I embrace with all of my heart. She says they are like Dobby the house elf, these geniuses and if […]
The Usurping of Dr Who
There is only one 60-year-old character on television. He’s been a staple to British culture and generations of children have looked up to him. I’ve been a Whovian since the reboot with Christopher Eccleston. My gamertag is R1verS0ng. I drive a Mini Cooper CARDIS. It’s bigger on the inside. I carry a sonic screwdriver in […]
Crucibles
I wanna cuss. A lot. I try actively not to cuss, so this is a problem. I’m gonna sort through my big issue here. I’ve been broiling, stewing over it for 5 days. Wasting time. Okay so there are different elements I need to make sure are in my story. And looking at it, I […]
Flash Fiction for the Thorn Guy
I dashed off an entry for That Thorn Guy’s contest. Here it is. It’s called “Baptism” Day broke when he stabbed my heart. Ritual sin cleansed by pain, my life leaked from that wound. I suddenly believed in ancient medicine. You could be bled to health. He vomited. It splattered on my black duster and […]
Inspiration
I do a lot of research and looking at photos to write description. I got to read a lot of fun tweets during #CampNanoAdvice today and discovered that I’m not alone there. I’m also a developer and designer so I thought I might share tools you other writers would enjoy using. DuckDuckGo is actually my […]
Worldbuilding: Governments
I’m trying to sort through the different methods I’ve seen of dealing with political structures in epic fantasy. A big part of me is tempted to shirk my duty to develop this thoroughly, making up what I need and leaving the rest. I have four books to write. That’s a stupid-cop out that will cost […]
Telling not showing
Stuff from Twitter I need to refer to. Struggle with Show & Tell? Here's when you should "TELL" https://t.co/NTfCtzWzIu #writing #writetip pic.twitter.com/flDeuqWXUD — Angela Ackerman (@AngelaAckerman) June 29, 2017 https://twitter.com/beccapuglisi/status/877916781029052421 Show Not Tell (1) https://t.co/yv4p88B5hd pic.twitter.com/8RIGbtKCyu — Manaiakalani Cluster (@clusternz) June 2, 2017 THIS. Been reading/reviewing books for YEARS, and the most fundamental writing […]
Fantasy World Map Making Resources
So I’m just going to do a mini round-up of fantasy map resources. I researched this quite a bit when I was making my map, pictured here. My map still isn’t geographically correct. It might change a little or become more detailed, but for now, it suits me. I need to add in scale. Deserts […]
End of the first draft
I started my first draft about two and a half years ago, maybe three. I joined a crit site and put up my initial chapters and was soundly berated for my use of adverbs. I quit, shoved it aside for months. Then I came back to it. I decided to enter the Fantasy/SciFi contest put […]
Medieval doors, Scowles, Badgers and Nero
So occasionally I hit snags in writing. I won’t know how to describe things. It’s a fantasy world. I can do what I want. But what I want is to remain mostly consistent on the level of tech. This world doesn’t have tech because it has magic. It never needed it. But then the magic […]
Twitter pitches and CampNano Prep
Listening to this: and the other 4 of them. Then I’m working with the Snowflake Method too. Camp Nano is in a week and I’m trying to lay the groundwork. I did okay last time. I wrote like 49.96k words out of my 50k, but I did it in a week because I had a […]
Oooooo. Scribophile.
One of the numerous reasons I love Camp Nano is that they give us resources and wonderful discounts on things that cost money. Scribophile is free, but has a premium option. For my friends who are familiar, it works much like #NBR*. You have a spotlight, get critiques and earn more spotlighting by giving thoughtful […]
In Defense of the Soft Magic System
So I’ve recently dealt with my magic system, working out some kinks. Brandon Sanderson has this famous set of teachings on magic systems. He refers to them as hard and soft. So basically, if you have rules and explain your magic system then it’s a hard magic system. If you don’t explain anything and stuff […]
