Why I Write About Family Dynamics
As a storyteller, I find myself drawn to the interplay of characters bound by blood. Their nuanced, complicated relationships are universally relatable, and a never-ending source of content.
Writing Tip: The Power of Subtext
As writers, we can trust our readers to pick up on what’s left unsaid. And in fact, it will make the reading experience far more engaging, immersive, and satisfying.
Book Review: The Fifth Season
The end of the world, earth-based magic, and a woman trying to make a place for herself, even as she must hide who she is. Sounds cool in theory, but is even better in execution!
Help Find My Genre! (Giveaway)
Everything I write is within the larger speculative fiction umbrella, namely fantasy. But from there it gets… complicated.
Writing Tip: Write Dynamic Antagonists
In order to write truly dynamic antagonists, we must be willing to go deeper. They should have their own stakes, and we should understand them, even if we don’t like them.
Nobody Said It Was Easy
I may be querying an entirely different project, come the new year… My science fantasy manuscript is ready for its chance.
AI Podcast Clip of Seen & Unseen (TMC Book 1)
NotebookLM by Google is a research tool, but it can also turn your content into a podcast-style discussion between two people (AI), which is what I decided to do with the first 3 chapters of my manuscript.
Writing Tip: Develop Your Voice
Beyonce still sounds like Beyonce, even when she puts out a country album. As writers, we can do the same with our voice!
Just a Quick Life Update
COVID hit our house hard earlier this month, and after nearly 3 weeks of acute symptoms, I’m finally coming out of it. As it’s literally the last day of September, it feels like I lost a month, but such is life.
Writing Tip: Balance Action and Reflection
Great stories must balance action and reflection. Action drives excitement, while reflection adds depth, and both are essential.
Writing Tip: Research… Even For Fiction!
Research is a key to authenticity. It allows us to create worlds that feel real, characters that feel like people we could know, and plots that make sense.
Feedback is Essential
While writing might start as a solitary pursuit, it’s the input, critique, and support from others that help shape our work into something truly remarkable.
Writing Update: Getting Feedback
While writing is primarily a solitary endeavor, preparing work for publication is not.
Writing Tip: Symbolism
Whether you choose to make it something overt and explicitly stated, or you opt for a subtler approach, symbolism might be what takes your writing to the next level.
Book Review: The Measure
What if you knew exactly how long you had to live? Would it change how you live today, tomorrow, and the next day? This is the question at the heart of Nikki Erlick’s The Measure.
Moments of Self-Connection
When are some times you’ve been the most self-connected? What were you doing? Where were you? How did it feel ?
Writing Tip: Build Tension and Suspense
When readers are on the edge of their seats, emotionally invested in the outcome, they won’t want to stop turning pages. Tension does that.
When Death Approaches
Even when it’s inevitable, death hurts. Initial thoughts about putting my grandma on hospice.
Changes to the Blog
I’ll still continue to provide general topic posts for people to enjoy, but I want the flexibility to write about whatever I’m thinking about or working on at the moment, rather than feeling like I have to stick to the rigid structure I set up for this past year…
Writing Tip: Polish Prose Like a Pro
We can always improve our craft, and prose is one of those areas where this improvement can be seen most clearly when we’ve been working on it consistently.