I was talking with my brother a couple of months ago about the fantasy book I’m writing when he asked me a loaded question: “Does it have dragons?” He didn’t know it was a loaded question, but the truth is that I had thought long and hard about what kind of creatures I was going […]
Evolution of a Beat Sheet
July 29, 2011 by
Author and writing coach Larry Brooks introduced me to a writing tool called a “beat sheet.” It has become my favorite story planning tool. Put simply, a beat sheet is an ordered list of the scenes in your book; an outline, more or less. The name comes from a drumming analogy, where the story milestones […]
Seeking Beta Readers for Vaetra Unveiled
July 26, 2011 by
I surprised myself this week by finishing the first draft of my first fantasy novel, Vaetra Unveiled, right on schedule. My project plan for the novel had me finishing the first draft by the end of July, and it actually happened. The next step in the plan is to start on the second draft, which […]
Overcoming Project Completion Resistance Syndrome
July 22, 2011 by
Big news! I finished the first draft of Vaetra Unveiled. My writing really slowed down in the past two weeks. Life events played a role, but partly it was what I’m calling “Project Completion Resistance Syndrome” or “PCRS.” I don’t think I’m the only person who suffers from PCRS. Check out the symptoms and see […]
Politics in Fantasy
July 12, 2011 by
I recently saw a question come up regarding politics in the fantasy fiction genre. The question was this: what kind of stories do you like to read; stories rich in political intrigue, or more action-based? Taking a look at that question from a writer’s perspective, I can easily see how my preferences as a reader […]
Sex and Sexism in Science Fiction and Fantasy
June 25, 2011 by
Over the past week or so, the subjects of sex and sexism came up on Magical Words, one of the blogs I follow. As is often the case with MW, both articles were thought-provoking, and the blog readers poured many of their own thoughts into the comments. Twice as Many Male Authors Science Fiction and […]
Genre Confusion
June 11, 2011 by
An interesting side-effect of self publishing is that authors are free to step out of the traditional genre boundaries. More to the point, you see more genre blending going on. When an author is asked what kind of book she’s writing, she might say its a cross between YA, Urban Fantasy, and Romance. While I […]
Fiction Writing is License to Explore
June 5, 2011 by
One of the most exciting aspects of writing fiction is that it gives you license to explore subjects that interest you, regardless of how practical the information may be in your “real life.” I’ve always had an interest in the theory, legend, and history relating to magic, mythical creatures, and a variety of crafts and […]
Got Personality?
June 4, 2011 by
This past week has been about characters. The blogs I follow have had posts relating to developing character, and the fiction writing book I’m currently reading, Plot versus Character by Jeff Gerke, is covering character development as well. One of the tools for developing character is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), based on the works […]
She Likes It! Hey Mikey!
May 30, 2011 by
I printed out the first 16,000 words of Vaetra Unveiled for my wife to read last week. I know, she’s not exactly an unbiased reader, but she’s an experienced writer, editor, and reader, so her feedback is important to me. She’s also not much of a fantasy reader, but she has enjoyed many of the […]
