2019 NaNoWriMo Winner!
YES! I won!
Writing
NaNoWriMo Snippet: Strange Meetings
More snippets! More Notte! I hadn’t really planned for him to be in this scene, but here it is, anyway!
The City of Az’Kabek
It sounds like exaggeration, does it not? I was there, and it is still difficult to credit.
The Pratchett Principle
Sir Pratchette wrote 400 words a day to create Discworld. Imagine what you can do with yours.
How to Be Happy as a Writer
This week, let’s make ourselves a pact. I’ll stop comparing myself to other writers – and so will you.
Playing The “Too Many Drafts” Game (in which Everyone is a Winner)
Do you know this game? If you’re a writer, you do: It’s where you write a draft, but it’s not right, so you put it aside and try again. And again.
If this describes you, congratulations! You’re a writer. And there’s hope for your draft.
WIP: Boy, Is She Persistent
She guided me – taught me, which by design should not have been possible – to never kill children, to avoid the unwisdom of well-armed cities. She
taught me, friend, to stop before my prey would die.
WIP: Notte Finds Peace
I had discovered a state of existence other than hunger, and I wanted more. Tranquility spins a siren-song of its own.
Notte Snippet: where the Dream have Gone
Tiny yearning tugged at me. What would I find, if I could find my way there?
WIP: For Daws to Peck At
They did not grow old. They never knew illness. They could be injured, but they healed, and they never simply lingered. All this was why Jonathan made no sense.
WIP: For Daws to Peck At
Just a sample from a new story I’m working on. (Context? What’s that?)
This was amazing food.
Regaining Momentum
Writing after a dry period is really hard, but there’s no secret to getting back into it. There are only a few simple steps.
The Two Most Important Things I Know About Writing
These two things seem contradictory. Spoiler alert: they’re not.
Learning From Those Who Came Before
We write our stories, and we do the best we can. For many of us, that means we write from perspective born of backgrounds we didn’t control, educations we weren’t aware were cheap, and information we didn’t know was dated.
Why Neil Gaiman?
I’m going to tell you precisely why I love Neil Gaiman’s work, and I’ll do it by breaking down one of my favorite short stories.
Stop Thinking About Marketing
The reason we feel the need to hold baby creations up to some 30-year pro’s for comparison is because our culture teaches us to judge all art according to salability – but salability is not the point of art.
Just Keep Writing (even when it hurts)
So I wrote today for the first time since my dad died. It was not, shall we say, a *good* experience.
Unnamed Story With Gray: Snippet
That power. Lips could lie but power could not.
I was in a van with Robin Goodfellow
and some Shadow’s Breath rando, and I had no idea where we were headed.
Notte Snippet: The Word of a Friend
We carried stories from town to town, transmitting parables like pathogens, connecting people via the thin threads of empathy and imagination who would otherwise never meet.
The Sundered: Audio Sample!
Behold: a four-minute sample of this excellent, excellent audiobook. Enjoy!
THE SUNDERED is Now an Audiobook!
The voice actor, Kain Foster, is an unbelievably talented artist, and embodies Harry in a way that gives me chills.
NaNoWriMo: The Salted Road
So many things seem eternal, seem, in the moment, to be without end and culturally permanent scars. The great flood; the memory of dragons; the knowledge that there are demons in the dark.
NaNoWriMo Snippet: Heroes
I now present an unedited snippet from Notte, the dramatic hero of my WIP. SO dramatic. Oh my.
Writing Fatigue (and what to do about it)
This month is not about producing something publishable. It’s about teaching yourself to just keep writing, to ignore the inner editor, and to let yourself just spill words onto the page.
Notte Snippet
The tower was filled with breaking. Breaking wills, breaking minds, breaking cries. At every turn, every landing, even every stairwell, Saqalu draped and twisted, wings out, faces stretched, and if they were aware of me at all, they told me to run.
Snippet for August (and a personal update)
Flames dance thanks to exothermic reactions, a process that releases energy to its surroundings in the form of heat and light.
So did she.
Notte Snippet for May, 2018
She sort of… skipped, boots barely touching the treacherous ground, keeping on her feet even as I slipped and staggered and relied solely on her grip to keep me on mine.
Pearl’s Bottom
Yet another snippet from Notte! Unedited, messy, etc. Enjoy!
Horse’s instructions seemed simple: I was to find the city of Mercy; to locate the inn called Pearl’s Bottom; to rent a bed, yet not use it, and instead wait in the public room below for a week and a day.
Your Trajectory Is Not Fixed
Here’s a lie I’ll bet you’ve been told: “You have to figure out what you want to do before it’s too late.”
An Uncomfortable Truth (About Writing)
Fellow writer, this will not feel good to read, but it is VERY IMPORTANT.
Keep Going (Just Like Pixar)
Two of my favorite go-to videos when I’m feeling down about writing. Take a few minutes and watch. Your heart will thank you.
Lose the Guilt: You Don’t Have to Write Every Day
For those of us who need to write, there’s good news: you can still be a writer even if you can’t write every day.
You Can Do This
Bad Crap is happening. No matter where any of us fall on the political spectrum, we can see that. It’s frightening. It hijacks imagination and energy, leaving only fear. So what’s a creator to do?
It’s okay if someone doesn’t like your book
Fellow writer, this is an important fact: It’s okay if someone doesn’t like your book.
Finding Time to Write
Bad news: you will never FIND time to write. Good news: there is still hope for you, struggling writer.
“Don’t Waste Your Talent” and Other Lies
Are there times when you’re unwilling to say you’re a writer?
The Importance of Creativity When the World Goes Dim
Write. Paint. Create. Don’t let the darkness of this world stop you. Every time you pick up the pen, you’re pushing it back by inches.
Your Muse is a Liar, And This is a GOOD THING.
When your muse to you, it’s giving you the tools to become a great writer. Let me show you how.
How to Kick 2017 in the Ass: WRITE.
This year, you need to write. The power you hold as a storyteller is without measure.
Everybody Hurts: How Forgiveness Applies to Your Character
Pain changes your character. It’s important you know how that character handles it.
When Writers Freeze
Writer’s freeze: when you know where you need to go, and maybe how to get there, but when you sit down to write it, your brain just stalls.
Making Your Villain 3D: What’s His Favorite Food?
Weird question, isn’t it? But if you don’t know the answer, your characters might not be 3D.
Location As a Character
Your location affects your other characters and plot every bit as much as your protagonist, antagonist, awesome sidekicks, eponymous heroes, or sarcastic love-interests.
A Better Way to Think About “Show, Don’t Tell”
This is a really simple, helpful way to understand “show, don’t tell.”
How to Figure Out Who Raised Your Hero (and Why You Need to Know)
Your characters didn’t appear the moment you write the first page. Just like in your own life, they were influenced by someone else—for good or ill. Understanding why your characters respond the way they do is crucial to character development, and knowing who influenced them is a key part of that.
(And Yet More) Beating Writer’s Block
Writer’s block can be summed up in two ways: Being afraid to write because we think it sucks, and not knowing what to write next.
Arm Yourself: You’re Allowed to Be a Beginner
Bear with me. As I write this post, I’m more than a little mad. And I don’t mean “crazy,” either. I encountered a fellow the other day who spoke things so poisonous, so deadly to the creative mind, that I suspect he’s already left a battalion of writer-corpses in his wake.
And I’m not staying silent about it anymore.
No One Can Tell Your Story But You
Writing is a strange thing, filled with emotional roller-coasters and storms and deserts. Who would ever put themselves willingly through this? Well, you (and me). Why? Because you have something to say. The only person who can tell your story is you.
Why You Need to Write What Scares You
What would you write if you knew you couldn’t fail? I promise I’m not setting you up for failure. There is a very good reason I’m asking this question.
Let’s Talk About Fear, Part Two
Practice your tools to fight fear now, while the sun still shines, or you’ll be fumbling to find them in the dark.
Let’s Talk About Fear
According to last week‘s responses, failure is the number one fear that writers face. Maybe we should start by defining it.
How Did They Justify THAT?
Why does this matter? Because if you’re not writing your villains with the awareness that in their head, they’re not the villain, you may be writing a flat, 2D character.
Award: Top 50 Writing Blogs For 2016
Thank you, Bryan Hutchinson! I’m so glad my post inspired you.
Why I Left Smashwords
I’ve made a scary Indie-pub decision: I’m leaving Smashwords. Let me break down precisely why.
Buried in Writing Notte
I’m alive! Really!
I’m Now a Regular Contributor at The Write Practice!
I just HAD to share this news.
Notte Snippet: We Were Not Fast Enough
That Moment When
There came a funny moment today when I realized that Notte’s voice is very much like Tolkien’s. I don’t mean the world Tolkien created. I mean the actual man.
Short Stories For the New Year
Good news! I’ve joined a writing club, and that means you get free stories.
Nanowrimo 2014: WON.
I did it. Somehow, I did it, in between moving to a different state, crazy flu-illness, and family obligations. Holy wow.
Kill Your Filter Words (And make your writing more powerful)
This one simple tip can add zest and power to your writing.
YA to MG: Young Adult Vs. Middle Grade
The key difference between YA and MG is the scope of focus for the antagonist and protagonist.
Ten Steps to Perfect Cover Design
Follow these ten steps, and your cover will look professional. Whether your cover looks good depends on the photos and fonts you choose, but if you follow these steps, your readers will thank you!
Sneak-Peak: Notte Grows a Conscience
“Do those you drink from die?”
“Yes,” I said. “But sometimes, they live.”
6 Ways to Manage Your Writing (and lots more ways NOT to)
It’s a lot simpler than you think.
3 Steps to Creating With a Broken Brain
I can’t see the word “oxygen.” Wanna know why?
New Wiki Entry: Bardsey Island
Island of 20,000 saints; home to Merlin’s Apples; supposed resting place of Merlin himself: this island has a hell of a history.
I Wrote a Haiku!
Seriously. I’ve never done this before.
Notte Snippet: Shared Life Experience
This is a work in progress. 🙂 Typos, verb tense problems, and more issues abound, but it’s still pretty fun.
A Million Discarded Words
It strikes me that today is a day for encouragement. May this post speed you on your way.
A Million Discarded Words
It strikes me that today is a day for encouragement. May this post speed you on your way.
Winners and Cover Reveal!
I couldn’t help it: there were so many entries that I chose more than three winners. 🙂
I Freak Myself Out
I assumed I must be crazy, which I think is the default for any of us who go through something and keep it to ourselves.
Time Out
I know what comes next. I just don’t have the brain-space to write it.
Another Lovely Blog Hop!
Blog hop! (I.e., I am asked questions… and I ANSWER.)
My Writing Process Blog Tour
I’ve been tagged to answer questions on my writing process. A cat-gif is included to keep your attention.
The First War: The First Mention
So here’s this thing that I’ve know about forever, but have had no opportunity to talk about yet. It’s called the First War, and was probably one of the most culturally significant things to ever happen among the Mythos.
Notte Snippet: No, Don’t Do it
Notte’s having a really bad day. I won’t give more context for the moment.
Three Weeks and Counting!
You may have noticed my absence. Never fear! It is due to Writing Focus, which tends to produce good things. By the way, I will be offering The Christmas Dragon free via the newsletter, and it will also be briefly free on Kindle.
Nice Long Snippet from The Christmas Dragon
Funny story – this snippet doesn’t end up in the finished product. I guess that means it’s on the cutting-room floor?
Writing Prompt for the Holidays
I just received a fabulous email from SnoValley Writes, my old writing group before I moved to Seattle.
Near the End of Nanowrimo: Notte Snippet
A slightly longer snippet this time, and one I rather like.
Nano 2013, Here We Go!
Somehow, I am actually up to date on my wordcount. Today’s suggested goal is 13,333, and I am up to 12,650, which means by the end of the day, I will be right.
So that happened.
Will my laptop be repaired in time for Nanowrimo?
No idea! I intend to write anyway, so this stands to be an interesting month.
Catching Up/ Notte’s Grief
Hey, all! It’s been a while since I posted. I actually have a good reason: homework.
Notte Snippet: Yes, That’s Elf-TV.
It was some kind of fey soap opera. Falling somewhere between clownish tragedy and romantic comedy, it shone with vibrancy and humor in this dark, underground world.