Category: writing process

• 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 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 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…
• October 13, 2023

  What makes a soft magic system work

  A soft magic system is one in which the mechanics of magic and how it works are not explained. It’s a bit intuitive to say that a soft magic system works best when magic is not truly a main focus of the story. But that’s indeed the case. “The Lord of the Rings” is the…
• October 7, 2023

  What they don’t tell you when you start writing

  They don’t tell you, when you start writing fiction, that your own characters will almost certainly break your heart. That you might well cry revising your own story, overwhelmed by what is happening to your characters (especially if you let it sit as long as you should before going back to revise). They don’t tell…
• October 2, 2023

  What I love best about beta readers

  

  There are tons of reasons as an author to appreciate your beta readers. Here are some of the most important things my beta readers have contributed. Beta readers are wonderful! Have you ever been a beta reader?
• September 23, 2023

  Moving a scene in my prequel made all the difference

  

  As I write this, I had a great day improving the draft I have a prequel to the Herezoth trilogy. It’s a redemption story. I love it so much! I think I love it as much as any of my other stories. It’s the first novel I’ve written since The Crimson League: The Fight for…
• September 1, 2023

  Do you shoot for a daily word count? Try weekly, or even monthly, instead

  

  I enjoy listening to comedian Jen Fulwiler’s podcast from time to time, and she recently talked about how it can be useful to expand our goals, time-wise, for the sake of our own sanity. For instance, do you shoot for writing 1000 words a day? Do you feel frustrated, guilty, angry, or overwhelmed when life…
• August 30, 2023

  Quality versus quantity while writing a first draft

  

  I want to address the issue of quality versus quantity (word count) in first drafts today. I see SOOO many people on social media obsessing over word count, or on meeting daily word count goals. If you’re a full time writer with contract deadlines, maybe that makes sense. But I’m guessing that’s not the case.…