R.M. Archer's Blog, page 38

Character Interview: Era Selene

If you read Casabree’s interview from two weeks ago, you’ve already heard of Era. She’s Casabree’s adoptive mother, the town apothecary in Laemar (the capital city of Mandoria), she’s strangely empathetic, and she almost always has a bit of wisdom for Coraline. Also, she’s the only person around who’s not the tiniest bit scared of Ammadeus. Enjoy her interview!

Era: *comes in and takes a seat, smiling at the interviewer* Hello.

Interviewer: Hello. How are you?

Era: I’m doing well. How are you? *has a twinkle in her eye*

Interviewer: I’m doing quite well. Are you ready to begin?

Era: *nods once*

Interviewer: What is your name?

Era: Era Lornea Selene.

Interviewer: Lornea is an interesting name.

Era: *nods* It was Mandoria’s name before the war between the faeries and humans.

Interviewer: Why did your parents choose it for you?

Era: *smirks faintly* That story is too long for this interview.

Interviewer: All right. How old are you?

Era: Thirty-four.

Interviewer: Do you have any siblings?

Era: Two sisters.

Interviewer: Are they older? Younger?

Era: Younger. Amara and Alethea.

Interviewer: Do you have a job?

Era: *nods* I’m the apothecary in Laemar.

Interviewer: Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

Era: Introvert.

Interviewer: What is your favorite food?

Era: Mint.

Interviewer: Favorite color?

Era: Moss green.

Interviewer: Do you like to read?

Era: *laughs* Of course.

Interviewer: Do you have a favorite book?

Era: I have a collection of folktales from Roenor that I quite enjoy.

Interviewer: Really? What sorts of stories are in it?

Era: Stories of faeries and shapeshifters, mostly. They were told as bedtime stories to children, but I find it fascinating to compare them to the history of Mandoria.

Interviewer: There were shapeshifters in Mandoria?

Era: *nods* They’re a variety of faerie. They’re almost all gone, but I suspect a few sought refuge in Roenor when the Lornean War took place and there are almost certainly a few still living there.

Interviewer: What kind of shapeshifters?

Era: They shapeshift into animals. There were families of them that had a set animal they could shift into. Wolves, panthers, limul, ravens…

Interviewer: That’s interesting. If you were one of these shapeshifters, what animal would you like to be able to shift into?

Era: An eagle.

Interviewer: Any particular reason?

Era: *shrugs* I just feel it would be a good fit.

Interviewer: What are your hobbies?

Era: Studying faerie history and doing my job are the main things. And going to the market with my daughter.

Interviewer: Which of these is most important to you: kindness, intelligence, or bravery?

Era: Intelligence.

Interviewer: And honesty or selflessness?

Era: Selflessnes.

Interviewer: What’s something you can’t leave home without?

Era: My herb bag.

Interviewer: That was the last question. Thank you so much for your time. *smiles*

Era: *smiles* Thank you for having me. *leaves*

Dear Younger Me…

A friend of mine started a survey a while ago asking “If you could give your younger self one piece of writing advice, what would it be?” (You can still find it here, if you’re interested in contributing.)

It got me thinking, and the only thing I could honestly say I wish my younger self knew was how to format dialogue. That sounds like a really silly thing, doesn’t it? But the thing is, many of the mistakes I made contributed to how I write today and what I’ve accomplished as a writer. A lesson I’ve learned through trial and error that I now share with other people, for instance, is to stick with one project at a time. How? By writing down ideas and allowing yourself a few days to focus on them before returning to your main project so it gets finished. (Which is something I recommend to authors who have trouble finishing things, not authors for whom it works to write a dozen stories at a time. Whatever works, works.) If I’d heard that advice when I was seven I may have finished more drafts, sure, but I doubt I’d have the expansive story universe I do now. So many of the pieces that have been cobbled together to make my vast story universe have come about because I explored stories for several weeks or months at a time and plugged them into the universe I already had.

I could tell myself not to steal characters from other writers and thus avoid my entire first short story from when I was six (which was really awful), but I wouldn’t have learned not to write in the mystery genre and I wouldn’t have started my expansive universe (which started out as Legend of Zelda fanfiction and developed into something original and much more amazing than I would have thought).

So much of writing is trial and error and learning what works from what doesn’t. You can’t form an individual writing process without trial and error. You can’t learn what genres you enjoy or don’t enjoy writing without trial and error. To take away the error from my childhood writing would be to remove the foundation of my writing now.

So I’d just teach myself how to format dialogue. Because it’s a tiny thing, but darn would it make it easier for me to read over my old writing. XD

What are some of the errors in your early writing that contributed to how you write now? What would you teach your younger self about writing if you could? I’d love to hear your thoughts down in the comments. :)

After Draft 1: What’s the Next Step? – Guest Post by Kellyn Roth

Like on Wednesday, today’s article is a guest post! Kellyn Roth just launched her organization Reveries Co., which is a place for indie authors to find cover design, editing, blog tour hosting, interior formatting, web design, etc. There’s more information after the post, so be sure to stick around and check it out!

Many thanks to Kellyn for this post!

Finishing the first draft of your novel is exhilarating! Oftentimes when I finish my first drafts, I don’t want to put them down. I just want to keep working on them.

However, as you’ve no doubt heard, most professionals recommend taking a break after you finish draft one before diving into rewrites or revisions.

Now, this may seem like a bad idea. When you’re excited about the story, shouldn’t you keep working on it? What if you fervor dies? What if you can’t remember what all was going on when you return to it?

These are all valid concerns. However, it is vital for writers to take at least a brief break.

How long should this break be? At least two weeks is the recommended length; most say a month or two. On my bigger projects, I sometimes need to take four or five months before I can return to it with any clarity, but that’s just me.

So, really, the length of the break is entirely up to you—and entirely individualistic. But the need for the break exists in every writer’s heart.

Why is this?

Writing a novel is a lengthy endeavor. I know authors who can finish a full-length novels in two weeks (and I can do it in four if I really push myself), but whether it takes you fourteen days or three hundred, it’s exhausting.

Your brain is dead.

Your fingers are exhausted from all that typing.

You’ve forgotten what sunshine looks like.

And, of course, you’re tired of your novel.

But wait! say you. I’m not tired of my novel! I love my novel. I want to keep working on it!

I love my novel when I finish it about 80% of the time, too. Which is the second reason one should always take a break.

You see, revisions (and all editing, really) takes a certain amount of harshness on the author’s part. You’ve heard the phrase “kill your darlings.” This must be true of every successful writer.

Though it hurts not a thing to skim-read through your novel and pick out typos or simply remember fondly every fun twist of phrase and death scene you wrote, starting your revisions before you’ve given yourself some time to step back and see beyond that beautiful piece of writing you just finished will do you no good whatsoever.

So wait. Start your revisions about a suitable break. You won’t regret it.

But what should you do while you’re on break?

Find motivation, and bottle it up for later, of course!

Inhale fiction (movies and books alike, but especially books).

Gather even more ideas or tiny details you might wanna twist or tweak and add in your draft later. Let yourself make notes—but don’t you touch that draft!

Don’t let the flame die out, exactly. You don’t want to lose your work ethic or your inspiration. You’re taking a rest, but you can choose whether this should be a complete rest (which you totally deserve) or a rest punctuated by other writing projects.

Sometimes I find that editing a former novel is the perfect way to take a break from the first draft of the one you just finished.

Remember, no matter how talented you are or how much you enjoy writing, you will eventually get burn-out. Sometimes it’s good to set aside all thoughts of writing. Whatever works for you is the right way; there is no hard and fast rule. But definitely experiment before you get yourself set on one course.

In the end, we writers often push too hard. But what matters is we are dedicated to the craft—and a few weeks of rest aren’t going to kill us. In fact, it’s proven that rest helps us work better.

What if I lose my edge?

You have inspiration right now, and you’re deathly afraid of losing it. What do you do?

Well, the answer is simple. Don’t turn off the heat. Just put it on simmer.

But simmer I mean no more writing, no launching into revisions or rewrites—but just because you’re not boiling doesn’t mean the story isn’t still cooking in your head!

Let yourself think about your story, let it roll over in your mind, without actually looking at it. The “simmer method” won’t let your inspiration die, but neither will it exhaust you.

If you’re brave enough, try alpha readers!

Alpha readers are, simply, the first people who get to take a look at your book, oftentimes in the first or second draft. I personally do a bit of a polish first, but a lot of people don’t.

Find some people who are willing to offer some very gentle, constructive criticism. That means they won’t be picking apart all your awful, awkward sentences or whining over your typos. No, alphas are for big-picture edits—and, most of all, for encouragement.

So, ask a few trusted writerly friends to take a peek at your first draft. Ask them not to pay attention to the writing—explain that it’s very much a first draft. Ask them to be kind and gentle. You don’t want them tearing down your confidence!

But you will get some needed thoughts on plot, characters, and other big-picture elements of your book. Ask for them to let you know, for instance, who their favorite character was or what plot twist really surprised them!

Not only will it get you excited about your story—and let’s be honest, we’re not always excited after the grueling work of writing the first draft!—but it’ll also give you the knowledge you need to move forward into draft 2!

Don’t edit draft 1, though!

This probably sounds insane, but I never edit draft 1!

*everyone in the room gasps*

No, I’m serious. I don’t.

You see, draft 1 is the outpouring of my creative mind. So I just … leave it be. I don’t even fix typos. Those are part of my creativity, after all, aren’t they?

In all seriousness, I don’t edit draft 1 … but I do edit draft 2! The first thing I do when I commit to revisions/rewrites is make a copy of my draft 1 document and rename it “Title, Draft 2.”

This way I still have a copy of my horrid, creative draft 1 … and I have a fresh start. The fresh start is the most important thing.

I don’t know about you, but personally, I feel it gives me a new perspective. New document, new draft, new story! It’s a mental trick, sort of like how 2019 is no different than 2018, but we still think that something magical has changed between December 31st and January 1st.

How do you know when you are ready?

This is a personal decision you’ll need to make. There’s no rule here! Do some soul-searching.

Are you still exhausted?

Are you excited for the book again?

Do you want to? What are your instincts telling you?

Is it self-doubt or legitimate concern for your mental health that’s keeping you from moving into draft 2?

In the end, only you can decide when you’re ready to begin the revisions.

About Reveries Co.

On September 8th 2018, Kellyn Roth was designing a site for her cover design business. As she drag-and-dropped the elements around, she realized she needed a shiny, flashy tagline. So she started thinking about her goals as a service provider.

As she puts it:

“I wanted to help authors like me succeed! I wanted to make sure that every writer got the best services, personalized to their needs, at the best prices.”

Unfortunately, she didn’t have the expertise she needed to offer a one-stop-shop for authors, bloggers, and other entrepreneurs who needed those services but couldn’t afford them, couldn’t find the right providers, or even struggled to know what they needed.

So Kellyn began planning, and…

Reveries Co. Was Born!

Partnering with her friend, Angela R. Watts, she came up with a business plan, an application form, and a website.

Now over fifteen service providers have joined Reveries Co.’s forces, from seasoned professionals like Savannah Jezowski, Jessica Greyson, and Abigayle Claire, to up-and-coming entrepreneurs like Charis Rae, Jessie Bingham, and Michaela Bush.

Reveries Co. is dedicated to providing quality, personalized services for affordable prices. Their #1 goal is seeing you succeed in your writing endeavors. They even offer services such as consulting to give you the knowledge you need to move forward!

To quote Kellyn again:

I firmly believe that with hard work and a little elbow grease, anyone can develop a career and business in the writing field. However, I acknowledge that we all need some help from time to time. We’re here to offer that help quickly and easily.”

The Reveries team is a carefully selected team of experienced designers, editors, proofreaders, etc., several of whom are authors themselves. Most of them have multiple years of experience and all have proven themselves to be consistent and trustworthy workers who offer quality services.

All service providers are held to a consistent standard of operation and output. They’re a team, and they function as one, helping each other succeed just as they do the authors they serve.

Website // Instagram // Facebook // Twitter

Now for information about the tour, discounts, etc.!

The Giveaway

First off, the giveaway! This giant book bundle includes books by Kellyn herself, as well as by Savannah Jezowski, Jessica Greyson, Rebekah Morris, Kendra E. Ardnek, and others.

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY NOW!

Facebook Party

The official Facebook launch party is TODAY from 12 PM to 3 PM PST.

Kellyn will be hosting a live video and taking our questions, assuming the internet cooperates, and there will be several giveaways, service provider spotlights, and other fun features.

CLICK TO JOIN!

During this party, they’ll also be offering a bunch of exclusive discounts and giveaways, so be sure to check in then!

Discounts

Throughout the tour, Reveries Co. is offering exclusive discounts. Everything from editing to book cover design to consulting has an extreme cut taken out of the price… but they only have a limited number of spaces available.

These discounts include anything from 15% to 30% off a number of services – from editing, to interior formatting, to book cover design, to website design! They even offer specialized coaching packages!

Book Now!

Be sure to check out the other amazing posts from this week’s blog tour!

Schedule

Tuesday, January 1st

Interview with Founder // Kendra E. Ardnek @ Knitted by God’s Plan

Spotlight // Abigail Harder @ Books, Life, and Christ

Announcement from Founder // Lila Diller @ Creating Romance

Wednesday, January 2nd

Announcement // Kellyn Roth @ Reveries

Spotlight // Mukta A @ Born Free

Interview with the Co-Manager // Jo A @ The Lens & the Hard Drive

Announcement from Founder // A. Kaylee @ Kaylee’s Kind of Writes

Guest Post from Founder // Emily Yager

Interview with Founder // Dawn Dagger

Announcement from Founder // Eva-Joy @ Coffee, Classics, and Craziness

Thursday, January 3rd

Interview with Co-Manager // Michaela Bush @ Tangled Up In Writing

Spotlight // Jessica Greyson

Interview with Founder // Parker Hankins @ Pencils and Pianos

Guest Post by Founder // Merie Shen @ Imperial Scribis

Announcement from Founder // Jana T. @ Reveries From the Stacks

Announcement from Founder // Hanne T. @ Losing The Busyness

Friday, January 4th

Announcement from Founder // Deborah @ Reading on the Edge

Announcement from Founder // Katherine Brown Books

Guest Post from Founder // Julia Witmer

Announcement from Founder // Jessie Bingham

Spotlight // Loretta @ Just Writing

Interview with Co-Manager // Isabel Olivetti @ Chasing Fantasia

Saturday, January 5th

Spotlight // Abigayle Claire @ The Left-Handed Typist

Spotlight // Gracelyn Buckner @ Literatura

Announcement from Founder // Faith Blum @ Writings, Ramblings, and Reflections

Guest Post from Founder // R.M. Archer @ Scribes & Archers

Wrapup // Kellyn Roth @ Reveries

 

Forging the Fellowship Tag

The Rules:

Include the tag banner in your post
Link back to the creator of the tag   ( LITAFLAME.BLOG )
Thank and link back to the person who tagged you
Forge your Fellowship Out of BOOK CHARACTERS by answering the given questions!
Tag three bloggers to pass the ring to.

(Side note: I’m going to be difficult and answer these questions three different ways. #1 will be book characters, according to the rules. #2 will be MCU characters. #3 will be my own characters. Julia, I hope you didn’t mind me totally bending the rules. XD)

The Questions:

1. [The Ring Bearer]: If you could choose, which of the four races would you be: Elf, Dwarf, Human, or Hobbit?

Elf.

2. [Gandalf the Grey]: A wise/powerful elder/mentor character

Either Halt from The Ranger’s Apprentice or Brom from The Inheritance Cycle. They’re close.
Nick Fury.
Kelss Niarryn from Studded.

3. [Aragorn]: A character with good survival skills

Jessica Samuels from The Fire Rain Chronicles by Miranda Marie.
Steve Rogers/Captain America.
Ammadeus Maste from The King’s Paladin.

4. [Boromir]: A character who makes mistakes, but has a good heart

Nathan Barrow from The Fire Rain Chronicles by Miranda Marie. OR, OOH! Ishtaka from Vengeance Hunter by Hannah Heath. (I’m not sure if I should be worried about myself, since all of the PFW authors said she was the antihero they’d least like to meet out of that bunch…)
Loki. #sorrynotsorry
Catessa Regan from The Dark War Trilogy.

5. [Gimli]: A stubborn character

Brom can have the mentor spot, ’cause Halt is going here.
Spiderman. He’s not super stubborn, I guess, but he’s pretty insistent on helping when he’s told not to. XD
Gosh, I have so many stubborn characters… I guess Rynn Aryan from The Masked Captain.

6. [Legolas]: A character who is talented

Darn, I want Jessica Samuels again. Um… Jayel from The Terebinth Tree Chronicles by Hannah Heath.
Peggy Carter.
Braedyn Carter from The Shades and the Elect. (That kid has soooo many talents, man.)

7. [Peregrin Took]: A character who at first seems useless, but ends up surprising you

The best answer I can come up with is Peter Peter’s wife from Heartless by Marissa Meyer. I tend to know when a character is going to be important or just isn’t, so it’s rare that an author is able to surprise me.
See above. Maybe Everett Ross?
Parr. Renate. Came out of nowhere just because I needed a character to play the captain of King Shordin’s guard, but made himself right at home with a full relationship arc. (From The King’s Paladin.)

8. [Meriadoc Brandybuck]: A character who is small/not very strong, but has great courage

Leeli Igiby from The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson.
Steve Rogers before the serum.
Prynn Nemea from The Shadow Raven.

9. [Samwise Gamgee]: A character who is extremely loyal and doesn’t give up

Natan Silverman from Echoes by Miranda Marie.
Shuri.
Detren Everlind from The Shadow Raven.

The Nominees:

S.M. Metzler at Tea With Tumnus
Hallie Jenkins at Hallie Jenkins
Julian at Saver of Memories

Book Spotlight: Retrieve by Sarah Addison-Fox

What if the job you took to stay alive might be what kills you?

Kade knows what it is to suffer. He knows what it’s like to lose everything and everyone around him.

His job in a Stormer Unit guarantees not just his survival in the decimated country of Azetaria, but his sister Meg’s. Even if it means facing the Numachi warriors baying for his blood, he’ll do what it takes to keep her safe.

Hadley is alone and surviving the only way she knows how. By hiding where predators won’t find her and scavenging enough just to keep her alive.

When desperation drives Hadley to search for her missing brother, she mistakenly accepts the offer of recruitment into the Stormer’s camp, only to be partnered with Kade and sent as a scout into Numachi territory.

The intimidating young Stormer may just know where her brother has gone. But can they stay alive long enough to find him?

Kade moved so he was crouching alongside her, his eyes still watching the entrance to the alley. “I’ll give you a minute to rest, then we need to move, we’ll only get one chance at this.”

White hot fear flowed through her as she gaped at him. “We’re still going to get the princess?”

Kade angled his head so she could see the hint of blood dripping from his nose. “We have a job to do. We have to adapt. No matter what happens, Stormers get the job done.”

*****

He glanced at his forearm and grimaced as he made out the ink beneath the smear of green he’d forgotten to reapply. The snake coiled around the blade visible should anyone get close enough to look. And they would look. They always looked.

Sarah Addison-Fox is a New Zealand-born misfit who writes action-packed fantasy with a smattering of punch ups, mega amounts of romance and a dash of family values. She has an astonishing amount of nail polish, has all her creative writing credentials shoved in a drawer somewhere, and has a husband who, after 28 years, can still make her blush. When she’s not working on her YA fantasy romance series’ she can be found binge watching Mission Impossible movies, drinking lager and eating curry.

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Twitter: @saddisonfox

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Retrieve is the first book in Sarah Addison-Fox’s new YA trilogy. You can order it here or add it on Goodreads here!

 

Why God is a Critical Part of the Writing Process

Today’s article is a guest post by Beloved, who’s releasing her new YA contemporary novel The Daily Life of Hailey Grace.

For Hailey Grace, birthdays suck! She hopes with all her heart that her big day passes without gifts, or even a birthday wish. But with loving parents and two witty best friends who keep her on her toes, there’s no telling what adventure Hailey Grace will be forced to explore this time. Unexpectedly, her best friend Alex challenges her to do something she’s never done before. With that comes a whole new set of rules, and another life Hailey isn’t sure she’s quite ready for. Now questioning all that she has ever believed, she takes Alex up on the dare by asking for something that no one but God can give her. Her request also comes with a twenty-four-hour deadline. As the minutes slowly but surely tick by, Hailey’s life shifts into overdrive and she wonders if she has asked for too much too soon.

Her post is short, but sweet. Enjoy!

My advice for aspiring writers who seek publication is to first seek God. Seek God wholeheartedly and trust Him every step of the way. Only He knows what is best for you, and how you should go about accomplishing any dream that He has placed in your heart. If we let God order our steps and direct our path, we will find what I’ve heard be referred to as a “holy ease”. Everything sort of just flows and you have peace in knowing that you’re right where you’re suppose to be. Doing exactly what you’ve been created to do. With that being said, I must take it back to Matthew 6:33:

​“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)

When seeking God becomes our priority, you can bet everything is going to fall in its place. Perhaps people think what I’m saying has little to no relevance with writing and publication, but it has absolutely everything to do with it. Before anyone sets out to write, one must know why they’re writing. What motivates you to write will sustain you during those moments that you may feel like giving up. When you are attacked with writer’s block. When you must meet a deadline that you’re not quite ready to meet. If book sales aren’t what you expected. If you didn’t quite make the bestseller list just yet. I mean the list goes on and on. But that is life for whatever you decide to do or not do. It has its challenges and we must push through them through Jesus Christ and allow Him to be our reason. Our motivation. Our passion. Our everything. Once that has been established, I would invite you to pray. PRAY, PRAY, & PRAY SOME MORE!

​Prayer is an author’s must-have. In prayer you will find your story, and nobody will ever be able to tell it quite like you. In prayer (the secret place of the Most High), you will discover your characters. Quite unforgettable! Your imagination will be the stage that they make their appearance. There you will come to know them. Come to love them. The more time you spend visiting your imagination, the more authentic your story will become, and the more genuine your characters will be. In the end, the heart of your story will bleed over to the pages of your life. Then, the real story begins.

-Beloved

Beloved is a ministry leader and Christian Romance Author born and raised in Miami, FL. She spends much of her time studying the scriptures and has a gift for sharing the Gospel. Through her debut novel, Beloved hopes to inspire youth to seek God wholeheartedly, knowing there is nothing impossible with Him on their side!

 

 

Want to check out her novel? You can order it here!

You can also enter the giveaway below for an autographed copy and a $10 Amazon gift card!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal: Shadowkeeper by Hope Ann

It’s time for another cover reveal! Hope Ann is releasing another fantasy novella, this one a retelling of Hades and Persephone mixed with the story of Castor and Pollux. (GREEK MYTHOLOGY, Y’ALL. *fangirls*)

Here, have a blurb:

 

Death can die as easily as any other man.

Cedra has kept her sister safe for years. None of that changes just because Pethra got herself kidnapped by Death himself.

Claiming the questionable aid of Death’s weary older brother, the Shadowkeeper, Cedra forces her way through mist and shadows in pursuit of her hapless sister. But Death wants much more than he has revealed.

A wish that will splinter her and Pethra’s world no matter what she chooses: death, or a chain.

A retelling of Hades and Persephone, mixed loosely with the story of Castor and Pollux, Shadowkeeper will sweep you into a world of wavering mists, shadowy passages, and the love of two siblings fastening them with ties stronger than Death himself.

 

Sounds awesome, right?

It gets betterrrrrrrr…

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You only have to wait 25 days for it to release! That’s not even a month! But you can go ahead and add it on Goodreads now.

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Just a couple more scrolls…

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Isn’t it beautiful? ^-^ AND the book is available for pre-order NOW! So you can get it as soon as it comes out! If you enjoy awesome fantasy worldbuilding and mythology retellings, this is the book for you.

About Hope Ann

Hope Ann likes to think herself a dragon-riding, griffin-taming founder of worlds and explorer of legends. Using chocolate, she bribes a wide ring of spies, from the realm leapers of Aslaria to the double agents of Elkbend, for their stories. She thrives on frost, steel, and the tears of her readers which she secretly mixes into iced coffee. Deep in her hobbit hole, her actual life involves staying up too late writing, reading, researching stab wounds, and struggling to remember the difference between ‘effect’ and ‘affect’. Based in Indiana, she is the self-published author of the Legends of Light series. Hope Ann helps other writers as a personal writing coach and is the Communications Coordinator at Story Embers. You can find out more about her at authorhopeann.com or claim a free copy of her first novelette here.

Farewell to December

This wrap-up should be interesting, since I have no notation whatsoever to go off of. (My bullet journaling fell apart in October so I haven’t kept track of word count, and my regular journaling fell apart sometime in November.) But I’m going to try to wrap up my December anyway.

December’s Writing

I wrote somewhere around 6.5k this month. I wrote a short story for a Secret Santa swap, began another short story also for the Secret Santa swap (but stopped and went back to the first one after a) #2 didn’t work and b) #2 didn’t use prompts I was supposed to use), and also began a new apocalyptic novel. Both short stories are set in Kersir (my desert fantasy world), and it was really cool to get out of my worldbuilding and into the world, if that makes any sense. XD I’m not quite ready to start writing any of the novellas I have planned for Kersir, but we’re getting there. ;)

December’s Reading

The only book I’ve finished this month is Incarceron by Catherine Fisher, which I gave four stars on Goodreads. I’m also in the midst of Dracula by Bram Stoker (thank you to whoever left a stack of books in my dad’s office at work for me to explore in my down time between tasks. XD) and I’m reading Retrieve by Sarah Addison-Fox to review on Thursday, so keep an eye out!

I’ve acquired so many books this month, however, that they no longer all fit on my bookcase. The books I got this month include:

The Dressmaker’s Secret by Kellyn Roth
Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnely
Firewing by Kenneth Oppal
Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend by Cheryl Carpinello
Lunadar by Donna L. Martin (most of the books I got this month were thanks to her Twelve Weeks of Lunadar giveaway)
Race to the End of the World by A.L. Tait
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux (this is the first book we’ve gotten to that was a Christmas present)
A Sending of Dragons by Jane Yolen
Project Canvas by Caroline Meek (I was super excited to get this paperback for Christmas!)

There were a couple more, too, that aren’t listed here. I also ordered The Traveler by E.B. Dawson and The Raventree Society: Season One by J.E. Purrazzi while they were on sale a few days ago, and they’re set to arrive today. I’m super excited for those, and they’re part of my reading challenge for the year to read 23 PFW books! The Raventree Society will also be my first foray into horror, so I’m looking forward to that as well. ^-^

AND I ordered my friend Melody Jackson’s Dragons’ Bane trilogy book box, which I’m excited to get! It’ll have all three books in the trilogy (which have beautiful covers, and since they’re paperback my excitement should transfer over into actually reading them unlike with ebooks) as well as awesome dragon-y goodies. ^-^ If that sounds AWESOME (which it is), you can get one of your own here!

December’s Life

This month was surprisingly calm as far as family visits go, so the most hectic part of the month was the first two weeks with a bunch of choir concerts. Nothing especially interesting has happened this month at all, actually, that I can remember. I went to work with my dad two days this month, which was a lot of fun. “Going to work was fun?” Well, one of those days was just for a Christmas dinner, and the other I had mostly physical busywork (which I actually enjoy) and downtime (in which I read Dracula), and I really enjoy hanging out with the people my dad works with. But mostly this month has been quiet and I’ve enjoyed time hanging out with my immediate family. :)

How was your December? Was it hectic? Laid-back? A mix? What books did you get for Christmas? I’d love to chat with you down in the comments!

2018 Wrap-Up and 2019 Goals

Another year has come and gone, and it’s time to look back and reflect on the year past while we plan for the year to come. (Don’t ask why I’m being weirdly poetic. It’s probably because I’m starting this post at 1:30am and I already know it’s going to be lengthy.) Let’s start with that reflection part.

2018: An overview

2018 has had its ups and downs, and it feels like it’s mostly had downs. I’m easily stressed anyway, but I feel like this year I was more stressed that usual. This is partially due to the friendship that fell apart over the course of the year. Long story. It was sad. I got over it. Mostly.

The two words I’d most use to describe what I’ve been like this year are rather depressing: cynical and isolated. The latter is not by conscious choice, but it’s starting to feel unavoidable. (I promise this post isn’t going to be entirely depressing.)

On the bright side, though, I published my first short story collection this year! (It already feels like ages ago.) I also got my first reviews, and all of them have been primarily positive so far. I even found out someone listed me as their favorite author! Which almost makes up for the fact that the publication of Slander & Steel has been postponed again due to lack of funds. I’m not giving up yet, though! I will publish this book eventually, and hopefully within the next year!

2018: Goals in review

1. Prepare The Dark War Trilogy for publication

*laughs hysterically* Not. even. close. The Last Assassin is at a word count of 74.5k and it’s just starting to get into open war. The Shadow Raven is at 95k (O-O) and still a month of story time away from open war. The King’s Paladin is only 15k-ish total. So… there’s still a looooooooong way to go before these books will be ready to publish. Particularly due to how slowly I’m able to write TSR and TKP.

2. Publish House of Mages

Another thing that feels like ages ago. The original plan as of the beginning of 2018 was to publish House of Mages on May 10th (the 2-year anniversary of the idea that started it). I think it was in February, after hiring an editor and going through much deliberation, that I decided not to publish it after all. The story was very much not ready to be published, with holes everywhere, a meandering plot, flat characters, incredibly little description… It was a mess, and I’m very thankful for the friend who helped me go through with the decision to stop my plans with it.

I wrote a post in April about the lessons I learned from this process.

3. Read a novel per week

Whether or not I achieved this goal is dependent on how you’re defining it. On the one hand, I didn’t read close to a novel a week for most of the year. On the other hand, I read close to 52 books total throughout the year. So I’m calling this one a win.

4. Study the Bible/pray for half an hour each day

I didn’t come close to achieving this goal, unfortunately. However, in the second half of the year I got better at reading my Bible consistently (a good section of it per day), and last month or the month before I started a prayer journal, which helped me keep consistent with prayer for a while. (Unfortunately, I haven’t prayed as much over the past few weeks.) I’m still not where I’d like to be, obviously, but I’m making progress.

5. Publish The Heart of the Baenor

Now known as Slander & Steel! No, it’s not published yet. But it’s provided some helpful practice in marketing, and I’m still working toward publishing it in 2019. I’m in the midst of the fourth draft, and after that we’ll see what I can do to move forward.

6. Get started on The Historian

Oh yeah. I actually forgot about this entirely. The Historian is a novella I was going to write as a prequel to the Dark War Trilogy, except I was going to write it in November after finishing all three full novels. *crickets* Yeah, that didn’t go so well.

7. Win all three NaNoWriMo events

April Camp NaNo: Win (72/72 “pages”)

July Camp NaNo: Win (32k/30k)

NaNoWriMo: Loss (20k/50k)

8. Write 2k every day

Nope.

9. Do some Kersir worldbuilding every day

Also nope, but I have done some significant worldbuilding over the course of the year, and I even wrote a short story set in the Kersir world this month for a Secret Santa short story swap! (If you’d like to read it, you should sign up to my new reader newsletter. The story is in this Saturday’s newsletter. ;) )

10. Focus on one drawing technique each month

Most of my drawing this year has been in my fashion design sketchbook. I’m really happy with some of it, but drawing isn’t something I focused on this year (and I’m mostly okay with that).

11. Start making an income

Unless two instances of babysitting and $0.30 royalties count (which they don’t), this hasn’t happened either. I tried getting an editing business up and running, but that didn’t work very well on a marketing front or a workload front. :P

2019: Concrete goals
Spiritual

1. Prayer journal daily

2. Do a devotion/read the Bible daily

3. Go to church regularly (after I get my driver’s license)

Emotional

1. Read daily

2. Get out of the house once a week (once I get my driver’s license)

3. Take a day away from electronics once a week

Physical

1. Dance every morning

2. Drink 3 glasses of water daily

3. Take vitamins daily

4. Get to bed at 10 and get up at 6 daily

Relational

1. Participate in conversation at every social event (choir, youth group, etc.)

Vocational

1. Publish Slander & Steel

2. Edit and publish The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles

3. Write one “easy” novel (so I have something to work on that’s not as time-consuming or emotionally draining as The Dark War Trilogy)

4. Win all three NaNoWriMo events

5. Write 2k every day

6. Find an accountability partner (anyone want to exchange word counts and writing with me?)

7. Outline Unstoppable with Allie (assuming that she has the time/interest)

8. Post once a month on Our Mind Palace

9. Write a short story each month

10. Finish and publish Short Story Collection Vol. 2

11. Finish and publish Memories & Photographs

12. Read the 23 books by the Phoenix Fiction Writers that I haven’t read and can get in paperback

2019: General hopes

2018 has been very stress-filled and tense for me. I’ve grown cynical of some big things. I’ve experienced heartbreak and I’ve felt really isolated. This year I want to change that. I want to find joy in Christ again and be more invested in my relationship with Him. I want to get out of my comfort zone and work at talking to people. I want to be a light to people and an encouragement and a good example to my siblings and the kids in the younger choir. When I was younger, I looked up to the girls in the older choir and I thought they were the coolest people ever; recently I’ve realized now I’m one of those girls in the older choir, and I want to be an encouragement to the choristers younger than me.

Since I’ll be getting my driver’s license in March (hopefully. if I can get in the hours) I want to get out more. I want to spend less time cooped up in the house scrolling aimlessly through Facebook and spend more time out in the sunshine, getting exercise, being social. I want to foster the relationships I have with in-person communication, and make new relationships. I want to find a way to get out of my shell and be a light to people, and instead of feeling hampered by the fact that everyone thinks I’m an introvert (I’ve realized over the past two years that I get energy from people, not solitude) I want to prove that I’m not.

Overall, I want to live more in 2019.

How has 2018 been for you? What are your goals for 2019? Are there any big changes you want to make?

Character Interview: Casabree Selene

Casabree is a stablehand in the castle, working under Gabel’s supervision, and the daughter of the capital’s empath healer, Era Selene. She’s a friend of Coraline’s, and she’s rather a tease when it comes to Coraline’s relationships with guys. Enjoy her interview!

Casabree: *comes in and takes a seat across from the interviewer with a bright smile* Hello!

Interviewer: Hello. How are you?

Casabree: I’m doing very well! How are you?

Interviewer: I’m not doing too poorly myself. Are you ready to get started?

Casabree: *nods*

Interviewer: What is your name?

Casabree: Casabree Lin Selene.

Interviewer: How old are you?

Casabree: Twelve.

Interviewer: Do you have any siblings?

Casabree: None that I know of. I was adopted, so it’s possible, but I don’t have any siblings I live with.

Interviewer: I hear you have a job.

Casabree: *nods and grins* Yes! I work with Master Gabel in the castle stables. I get to help take care of all the royal horses.

Interviewer: What’s your favorite part of the job?

Casabree: *takes a deep breath, smiling* Well, I love the horses. But I think my favorite thing is that I get to work with Gabel and Coraline. They’re wonderful. *grins*

Interviewer: Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

Casabree: *wrinkles brow* What does that mean?

Interviewer: Do you prefer being around people or spending time alone.

Casabree: Being around people, definitely! I like quiet time, I guess, but I much prefer getting to know people. *smiles*

Interviewer: What’s your favorite food?

Casabree: Carrots. Gabel teases they’re what gave me all my freckles. *rolls eyes* We both know better.

Interviewer: *chuckles* Do you have a favorite color?

Casabree: Blue, like the ocean. The castle stands right on the edge of Mandoria, and on the western side there’s a drop off into the ocean. It’s beautiful, especially during a storm. *her eyes sparkle with fascination*

Interviewer: That does sound beautiful. Is that your favorite spot at the castle?

Casabree: *nods* I go there almost anytime I have a free moment.

Interviewer: Do you have a favorite place in the city?

Casabree: The marketplace. Particularly the jeweler’s stall. The jeweler has twins a year older than me, Preya and Eisley, and we have a lot of fun together. *grins*

Interviewer: Do you like to read?

Casabree: Sometimes, but most of the time I’m too busy.

Interviewer: Do you have a favorite book?

Casabree: *shakes her head*

Interviewer: Do you have any particular hobbies?

Casabree: Sometimes I like to sew, but I have to be in a very specific mood for it otherwise I get bored and anxious. Mostly just spending time with people, either around the castle or in town. *shrugs*

Interviewer: Which of these is most important to you: kindness, intelligence, or bravery?

Casabree: Intelligence.

Interviewer: And honesty or selflessness?

Casabree: Honesty.

Interviewer: Last question. What’s something you can’t leave home without?

Casabree: *raises her wrist to show a woven bronze bracelet decorated with metallic leaves* Preya and Eisley gave this to me for my birthday two years ago. They made it themselves, and I’ve put it on first thing every morning ever since.

Interviewer: It’s beautiful.

Casabree: *smiles* Thank you.

Interviewer: Thank you for your time. *smiles* Have a good day.

Casabree: *stands up and offers a hand to the interviewer* You too. It was great to meet you.

Interviewer: *shakes her hand* It was wonderful to meet you, too.

Casabree: *smiles and leaves*