Creative Writing with the Crimson League

November 21, 2023

Tuesday Tunes: “You and Me” by Lifehouse, Vane and August, and “The Magic Council: The Fight for Home”

For some reason, Kora and Lanokas (introduced in book one of my trilogy) have a lot of songs from Matchbox 20/Rob Thomas that remind me of them and their evolving relationship throughout the Herezoth trilogy. But Vane and August, introduced in book two, might just be my favorite of all my couples. (I love how…

November 20, 2023

Long or short chapters?

Do you prefer long or short chapters? One change between the first and second edition of book II of the Herezoth trilogy right now is that I combined chapters to make them about double the length that they were. My beta reader for book two’s second edition didn’t mind it at all. She mentioned that…

November 19, 2023

Sunday Reflection: the great symphony of heaven

“For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” Yes, from those who have no divine life in them, who choose to cling to their sin, even the joys and pleasures of this life will…

November 18, 2023

I love melodrama

Hi, I’m Victoria, and I love melodrama (in fiction) perhaps a tad too much. Les Miserables is one of my favorite novels, if not THE favorite. If that explains it. I don’t watch soap operas, but that’s mainly because the melodrama that intrigues me is generally of a different kind than you find in a…

November 17, 2023

Why I title my chapters

There are two, pretty quick reasons why I title my chapters. First, I write fantasy, more or less young adult, and for that subgenre of fantasy, lots of writers title their chapters. Secondly, Tolkien and J.K. Rowling titled their chapters. They are responsible for my love of fantasy literature and for showing me how deep,…

November 16, 2023

Thankful Thursday: thankful for rain during this drought!

We’re in a bad drought down here in Louisiana. It’s so bad that saltwater from the Gulf is creeping up the Mississippi, and they’ve been worried about our drinking water for a few months now. Luckily, it hasn’t infiltrated the drinking water yet, and it still may not. We got some rain today and have…

November 15, 2023

Decisions to make . . .

I’ve recently been helping out with two programs at my local parish (Catholic Church), one on Mondays and one on Wednesdays. The one on Wednesdays has finished and has a hiatus until January, when a new course begins. The one on Monday has three sessions left. I feel tired and a bit burned out, and…

November 14, 2023

Editing update! Under 109,000 words!

I’m so stoked. The first edition of “The Magic Council” clocked it at 125,000 words roughly. Certainly, it was between 120 and 125k. Over the years, preparing the second edition, I’ve trimmed a lot of weight while fleshing out a limited number of things that needed more focus, like the king and queen and their…

November 13, 2023

The trouble with adverbs

As I’m editing book two of my trilogy right now for adverbs, trying to cut or rewrite a good number of those, I’m reflecting on the trouble with adverbs. They are absolutely fine in first drafts, and there is nothing wrong with them per se. So why does Stephen King say “the road to hell…

November 12, 2023

Sunday Reflection: Be ready

I love how, in the last weeks leading up to Advent, the Church prepares us for Advent and the new liturgical year by choosing readings for Sunday Mass from the end of either Matthew, Mark, or Luke with themes that transition directly into Advent: waiting, watching, the Second Coming, the Judgment. The Parable of the…