R.M. Archer's Blog, page 52

B: 5 Best Writing Exercises

I don’t have any stories whose titles begin with B (which was kind of surprising to me), so today we have a writing tip instead, and since it’s the beginning of Camp NaNoWriMo I thought writing exercises would be a good choice.

1. Find a Writing Prompt

Obviously this one’s pretty simple, but there are a couple of different ways it can be used. The first would be to simply freewrite based on a prompt and see what comes of it; the other would be to find a way to make it tie in with the story you’re writing. Both of these have their benefits. With freewriting, it gives you a chance to just write whatever comes to mind and get the words flowing, and it has the potential to give you a new plot bunny (just make sure you put that plot bunny in the cage of waiting plot bunnies instead of letting it lead you away from your current project). If you try to tie it in with your current project, this challenges you to think outside the box and think differently about your project than maybe you did before.

(Need some prompts? Check out my writing prompts board on Pinterest!)

2. Use Music

I adore music. I don’t know what I’d do without music. And music can also be helpful for writing. (I’ve actually written two different posts correlating the two, one on music and writing and one on music in writing.) While you can listen to it while writing or use it in your writing, you can also use it to inspire writing. For instance, take the song that was last playing in your head and use the lyrics or the title as a writing prompt (see option #1). Or start up a Spotify playlist and change tone with the music (This would probably work best with things like movie and game soundtracks. I have a playlist like this here).

3. Write a Bonus Scene

This can be a bonus scene that could plausibly happen in the story (I have several bonus scenes planned for The Dark War Trilogy that involve certain characters meeting each other, and I’ve placed the majority of them on a plausible timeline), or just putting your character into a strange scenario that would never happen canonically. For instance, describe what would happen if your character got an untrained puppy and had to train it not to claw up the furniture. If they’re a character who would never get a dog, or would make sure the dog was trained first, you have the added challenge of figuring out how they got into that situation in the first place.

4. Go Out

Out to your backyard, out to a coffee shop, out to the park… Go out. This can be great for getting your creative juices flowing whether it’s just because you’re in a new place and your brain shifts or because you decide to use the setting as inspiration. You could write about what you see, hear, feel, smell, taste; you could take the experience and save it for future reference (I did a lot of this when I went to the beach in November); you could find character inspiration from the people around you; there are a vast number of ways to get inspired by just getting out.

5. Write Outside of Your Comfort Zone

Write something different than what you usually do. If you write fantasy, write a scene of historical fiction. If you write novels, try your hand at a poem. If you generally write from a female POV, try a male MC. Do something different and point your brain in a different direction for a little while.

I’d love to hear which of these worked or didn’t for you, so feel free to leave a comment and let me know what was helpful to you. :)

Farewell to March

March’s Writing

I’ve only written a total of 19,891 this month, which is a lot less than I’d like. Things haven’t gone well this month with The Shadow Raven; I thought I finally had it sorted out about halfway through the month and was able to write another chapter, but then I got stuck again and now I’m not sure where I want it to go.

The smoothest writing I was able to do was a couple thousand on The Masked Captain over the course of a couple days. It was nice to just let the words flow. Unfortunately, I don’t know the world of that one well enough to comfortably continue writing. It’s on standby along with so many others.

March’s Reading

I did barely any reading last month. I read and reviewed Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes and read Skies of Dripping Gold by Hannah Heath and five chapters of Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne (which I’m rereading), but I didn’t read nearly as much as I would have liked and all of that was in the beginning of the month. I’m hoping to read more next month, but we’ll see how that goes.

Goals for April

My goals in writing for April are to finish and do the first round of edits on The Heart of the Baenor for Camp NaNoWriMo. I’d also like to work on The Shadow Raven here and there if I can, but I don’t know that that’ll happen.

As for reading, I’d like to read the books I planned to read this month (the last thirteen chapters of The Hobbit, the remainder of Midnight Thief, and all of Randoms by David Liss and The Dragon Within by Melody Jackson) and review two of them as I’d planned.

I’m also participating in a blog challenge this month, both here on Scribes & Archers and also on a group blog I’m part of called Our Mind Palace. I’ll be posting one post each day (except Sundays) for the remainder of April, each post for a letter of the alphabet. On here I’ll be posting excerpts from novels and on Our Mind Palace I’ll be posting on a little bit of everything including music, history, movies, and baking. (And also writing, because I can’t not write about writing if I try.) Tuesday’s writing tips and Wednesday’s character interviews will continue as scheduled, so you’ll be getting two posts on each of those days.

Are you participating in Camp NaNoWriMo? What project will you be working on?

A: The Alchemist

This is my first post for the alphabet blogging challenge: a scene from my novel The Alchemist. For each of these excerpts I’ll be picking a scene from the novel and writing or rewriting it to share with you. I wish I had an excerpt for every day, but unfortunately I don’t have novels with titles for every letter of the alphabet. (Someday.) Anyway, I hope you enjoy the scene. :)

Kellaena stepped into the ballroom, smoothing down her green silk skirt. The room was full of strangers and she cast her gaze around to find a familiar face. There was Claudia, talking with a group of nobles. The king and queen, occupied with foreign nobles. Her gaze froze. And Timothy, coming straight toward her.

She turned around and immediately bumped into someone. She backed up, jabbering apologies, and looked up at who she’d hit. She recognized him immediately. “Oh. Jason. Hi.” She chuckled and looked at the floor, smoothing her skirt again.

“Hi.” He glanced past her a moment, then back at her. “Running from someone.”

She nodded. “Timothy.”

“Mm. Would you like to dance?”

“Sure. Thanks.”

Jason offered her his hand and led her onto the dance floor, starting into a waltz. Kellaena looked around, making sure Timothy wasn’t still in pursuit, dancing on autopilot. Timothy was standing at the edge of the room, scowling right at her. She quickly looked away, focusing instead on her feet moving in time with Jason’s.

After several minutes Auberon and Teresa stepped to the front of the room and the music ceased. Everyone in the room turned toward them, some talking softly to one another.

“Good evening, ladies and lords,” Auberon said. Mutterings fell silent. “As you all know, this ball is to commemorate the birth of our great former king, Laik Alary. He brought this country up from ruin with Queen Zelda at his side, and together they broke apart the divisions between man, elf, and faerie. Now we commemorate his birth, and his life.” Auberon raised a glass of white wine. “To King Laik!”

Everyone present echoed the cheer.

“Now, we have some guests that we’d like to introduce, if you don’t mind, visiting from Remera.” Auberon gestured for a small group to come forward, all wearing the maroon and brown of Remera and standing out from the green-garbed Hylanders like a sore thumb. “Please welcome Malindroe, Tierney, and Clarisse Arun.”

Kellaena knew of the Aruns, of course – the royal family of Remera was related by marriage to the royal family of The Hylands – and thus easily recognized the prince and princess and their daughter. There was someone else in the crowd, however, wearing Remeran garb. Kellaena glanced over at the tall man, probably in his mid-twenties. He returned the look with dark green eyes, smiling at her momentarily before turning his attention back to the nobles at the front of the room.

After the Aruns had said hello to everyone and activity had resumed, Kellaena headed to a couch at the edge of the room and sat down. The other green-eyed Remeran walked over and smiled when Kellaena looked up at him.

“Is this seat taken?” He gestured to the seat next to her.

“No.” Kellaena slid over to allow him a bit more room and swept her skirt closer to her.

He sat down and offered her a hand. “Dorian Greycastle.”

Kellaena placed her palm on top of his in the customary Hylander greeting. “Kellaena Ravenwall.”

Worldbuilding Resource Round-Up

Today I have the resource round-up for you guys that I’d intended to post last month and ended up replacing with a post on infodumping. Hopefully these resources are helpful. :)

General Worldbuilding

10 Points to Think About When Worldbuilding by Hannah Heath at Hannah Heath

The Art of Worldbuilding by Rhianne at Little Novelist

How to Use Multiple Tiers to Worldbuild Effectively by Hope Ann at Kingdom Pen

Worldbuilding Bible Template by Ellen at Ellen Brock

5 Details that Will Bring Your Fantasy World to Life by Melissa at Project Canvas

Questions to Ask When Worldbuilding by Annmarie at Project Canvas

5 Common Worldbuilding Mistakes and How to Correct Them by Naomi at Kingdom Pen

The Outlining Process: A Bullet Worldbuilding Checklist for Your Novel by Evie at Evie Driver

5 Ways to Worldbuild by Vicki at NaNoWriMo

Creating and Characterizing Fantasy Races by Kaylie (guest poster) at Write for the King

Worldweaving (this is a whole website that has information on several aspects of worldbuilding)

20 Questions for Worldbuilding by Alyssa at Alyssa Hollingsworth

Creating Science Fiction Worlds – 10 Important Questions (It says sci-fi, but the questions can apply to any kind of worldbuilding. I also dion’t know for certain who wrote it, so I’m going to leave that blank.)

Creating Science Fiction Worlds Part II – 10 More Questions (See above.)

Questions to Ask When You’re Worldbuilding by Jennifer at Jennifer Ellision

Worldbuilding: Animals (And Monsters) by J.S. Morin at J.S. Morin

Worldbuilding: Government by J.S. Morin at J.S. Morin

9 Tips to Start World-Building by Thorn at Creative Writing Guild

Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions by Patricia at Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America

Worldbuilding 101 by Ruthanne at The Write Practice

The 5 Keys to Seamless Worldbuilding by J.S. Morin at J.S. Morin

7 Worldbuilding Tropes Science Fiction and Fantasy Need to Stop Using by James at Gizmodo

3 Steps for Creating Realistic Fantasy Races and Creatures by Kaitlin at Ink and Quills

An Introduction to Worldbuilding by Kristen at Well-Storied

Developing Fantasy Cultures by Hannah at Dan Koboldt (This whole site is a great worldbuilding resource, so you should have a look around.)

Questions to Ask When Creating a Fantasy Religion by Melissa at Quill Pen Writer

 

Culture

Creating Culture in Fiction: 15 Things to Consider by Clara at The Invisible Author

Questions to Ask When Creating Fictional Ethnicities by Melissa at Quill Pen Writer

Worldbuilding: Festivals & Holidays by Yours Truly

Tips for Building a Fictional Society (a #StorySocial recap) by Kristen at Well-Storied

World Building: Having a Cultural Focus by Gabrielle at Write for the King

World Building: Using a Base Culture by Gabrielle at Write for the King

The 5-Minute Shortcut to Creating Cultures by J.S. Morin at J.S. Morin

Creating a Fantasy Culture by Athelas at Red Lettering

 

Magic

Creating a Fantasy Magic System by Jason at Write Good Books

Questions to Ask When Creating Magical Worlds by Melissa at Quill Pen Writer

Storyworld Building: Types of Magic by Jill at Go Teen Writers

Know How Your Magic Works by Jessica at Mythcreants

Worldbuilding: Magic at The Writersaurus

How to Create a Believable Magic System by Atsiko at Atsiko’s Chimney

Designing Realistic Magic Academies by Hannah at Dan Koboldt

How to Create a Rational Magic System by Chris at Mythcreants

 

Maps

Practical Steps to a Rewarding Fantasy Map by Tineke at One Year Adventure Novel

Worldbuilding Tips: Mapmaking by Gabrielle at Write For the King

Worldbuilding By Map by Jonathan at Fantastic Maps

Worldbuilding Considerations: Maps at Reference for Writers

Map-Making 201: Naming Things by Jill at Go Teen Writers

To Create a World: Part 1: The Map by Hannah at Ink Blots and Coffee Stains

 

My “Deep Worldbuild Project”

(I’ve learned a lot since last year and have tentative plans to do another series like this based on my more recent worldbuilding endeavors, but there’s still some good info in here.)

Deep Worldbuild Project Part 1: Map Outlines

Deep Worldbuild Project Part 2: Landscape and How it Affects Culture

Deep Worldbuild Project Part 3: Wildlife

Deep Worldbuild Project Part 4: Technology and Magic

Deep Worldbuild Project Part 5: Religion

Deep Worldbuild Project Part 6: History

Deep Worldbuild Project Part 7: Culture

 

Additional Resources

In addition to blog posts, there are some other things I’d like to mention.

Storyworld First* by Jill Williamson of Go Teen Writers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a super helpful book; my copy has sticky notes on multiple pages in almost every chapter. A couple of the posts I linked to above from Go Teen Writers are drawn from this book, so if you like those you should consider getting the book. (*The above link is an Amazon affiliate link, which means I get a percentage of the price at no extra cost to you.)

Aeon Timeline

This is helpful if you want a timeline of your world’s history, and later you can expand it to include your main story timeline. It’s a really useful tool.

Scrivener

This is helpful for organizing your world’s information and solves the problem of having to jump between a dozen files by keeping all of your story documents in one handy “binder.” You can jump between them via an interface on the left, and there’s even an option to view two files side-by-side. (Handy if you’re editing or, in this case, if you’re in the middle of a scene and have to look up what that animal is called that they just ran across; have the scene in one panel and keep your place while opening your fauna info in the second.)

You can find even more worldbuilding posts on my Writing Tips: Worldbuilding board on Pinterest (there were a lot on there that I thought were too specific to include in this collection, but they’re on there if you want to see them) and map-drawing references on my Maps board, and stay tuned for a couple of worldbuilding posts next month.

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Snippet Sunday – Meeting Elashor (from The Shadow Raven)

I actually wrote some of The Shadow Raven this week! Hooray! For a couple of days I even thought I was unstuck. (Spoiler alert: I was not entirely unstuck. I was only unstuck enough to write one chapter, and now I’m stuck again and don’t like how things are going.) Whether or not I’m unstuck now, you finally get a TSR excerpt today. Enjoy. :)

Nissa flew over the city as fast as her wings would take her. She didn’t know where she was going, only that she needed to get away. Away from Detren, away from the castle, away from her new life.

Her wings tired as she flew a mile out to sea, and she turned back. When she arrived back at the harbor, she set down at the opening to the castle tunnel and shifted, panting and leaning back against the wall of an old abandoned tavern. Her hair was a mess, as if she’d flown as a human and the wind had tossed it.

“Were you running?”

Nissa looked up at the unfamiliar voice and brushed her hair out of her face with a shaking hand. A dark-haired man with a scar across his neck looked at her from curious black-brown eyes. “I don’t see what it matters to you.”

He shrugged. “I have an interest in runners.” He extended a hand and the edge of a tattoo peeked from below his sleeve. “Elashor Theberos.”

Nissa shook it, though her mind told her not to trust him. Someone who could survive an attempted murder, as his scar attested, wasn’t someone to trust. “Nissa Quail.”

Something flashed in Elashor’s eyes, but Nissa wasn’t quick enough to identify it before it was gone. “Nice to meet you. If you’re worn out like that, you must be hungry. Can I buy you lunch?”

“What do you want with me?”

Elashor laughed. “A girl who doesn’t trust too easily, eh? Who says I want anything with you? Maybe I just want to help out a girl who needs a meal and doesn’t appear to be carrying any money.”

“You don’t seem like the type to help someone without an agenda.”

“Just have lunch with me.”

“I’m not really a fan of pushy people.” Nissa moved to step around Elashor, but he moved into her way.

“I’m interested in hiring you.”

Nissa looked up at him, meeting his gaze. “For what?”

“We can discuss it over lunch.”

Nissa rolled her eyes. “Insistent, aren’t we?”

Elashor’s response was a slight smirk.

“Lunch it is,” Nissa said.

Elashor turned and led her through the streets to a small, yet still elegant, restaurant near The Silent Sail Tavern. They were taken to a small table near the middle of the dining room and given their menus. Nissa scanned hers quickly, deciding on her meal and spending the rest of her time trying to figure out Elashor as he took far longer than was normal to select his own order. The tattoo on his arm intrigued her, but she couldn’t see nearly enough of it to ascertain what it was, and she didn’t think he’d just answer her if she asked.

Character Interview: Alastair Caverly

At the beginning of The Shadow Raven, Alastair is Nissa‘s boss. I’m trying to make him the main antagonist of that particular book, but so far I’m having trouble figuring out how to figure him into Nissa’s new life, so… we’ll see how that ends up working whenever I figure it out. I hope you enjoy his interview.

Alastair: *comes in and sits across from the interviewer*

Interviewer: Hello. How are you today?

Alastair: As fine as can be expected.

Interviewer: Shall we get started?

Alastair: Please.

Interviewer: What is your name?

Alastair: Alastair Caverly.

Interviewer: How old are you?

Alastair: Thirty-seven.

Interviewer: Do you have any siblings?

Alastair: No.

Interviewer: Do you have a job?

Alastair: Not one that most people would approve of.

Interviewer: Would you care to expand on that?

Alastair: No.

Interviewer: Right. Then… Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

Alastair: *arches an eyebrow*

Interviewer: Of course. Do you have a favorite food?

Alastair: Beef.

Interviewer: Favorite color?

Alastair: Black.

Interviewer: Favorite book?

Alastair: I don’t have the time or the interest to read.

Interviewer: Do you have a favorite animal?

Alastair: Anything but a raven, a cat, or a dog.

Interviewer: That’s oddly specific.

Alastair: Cats shed everywhere, dogs are too dependent, and ravens are… unreliable.

Interviewer: Interesting… Do you have any hobbies?

Alastair: Only sparring.

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

Alastair: Intelligence.

Interviewer: And honesty or selflessness?

Alastair: Neither. Honesty gets you killed and selflessness gets you killed faster.

Interviewer: One more question? Um… What can you never leave the house without?

Alastair: A long knife.

Interviewer: I’m, uh, glad we had this talk.

Alastair: *gets up and leaves without a word*

Top 5 Tips for Sharing Your Writing

Last week I talked about whether or not you should share first drafts. This week I’m going to expand on that, in a way, and give you some tips for how to effectively share your work in a way that’s beneficial to you and easy for the readers you’re sharing with. And this applies to any stage of the writing process (until you’re published, of course), not just first drafts.

0.5. Know Why You’re Sharing

This is the first step. Are you sharing so you can see what people think of your writing? Are you looking for feedback? If so, how specific? Figure out why you’re sharing and that will help you figure out how best to approach someone to read your work.

1. Be Clear About What You’re Looking For

I learned this lesson the hard way. Always communicate with your reader. When I got an editor for House of Mages, I was looking for a developmental editor, but when my friend’s aunt volunteered I took it without talking about what kind of editing I was looking for or what kind of editing she was offering, and I ended up with a line editor instead of a developmental editor. (Someone who fixes grammar, spelling, etc. instead of someone who fixes plot and characters.) Line editors are great, and she caught some really embarrassing typos I’d managed to miss, but it wasn’t what I was looking for at that point in the process.

Be clear with whoever you’re getting to read (or edit) your work about what you want them to do. If you just want someone to read and let you know what they think like a mini-fandom (Hi Allegra and Siberia!), tell them that so they don’t give you a ton of unsolicited critique. (But don’t get mad if they do point things out here and there. It’s actually really helpful to get feedback from someone who’s just looking at it as a reader. They can, for instance, point out inconsistencies like the fact that your character who can only sit still as a raven for a few minutes before her wings start to itch and burn couldn’t sit with another character for a whole hour.) If you’re looking for someone to critique the characters or the plot or the worldbuilding or the pacing, tell them that’s what you’re looking for. Again, if they comment on a few things outside of what you asked them for, take it as another chance to improve your writing. I’d only say that if they start to do that regularly you might have the wrong person or you might want to get someone (the current reader or someone else) to look over the aspects they keep commenting on.

Learn from my mistakes. Communicate.

2. Know Your Work

This is mostly for those of you sharing for critiques (which I’d guess is likely the majority of you, though I could be wrong). Know your work so that you know what proposed edits would enhance it and what would change it to something it’s not. Be informed when you’re looking at critique suggestions.

Sometimes this is subconscious, too. For instance, when my mom was editing my short story While I Was Sleeping before I submitted it to the Brave New Girls anthology late last year, she noticed I’d described the broken stairs when the character went up but not when she came down (the second time she interacted with the stairs, but not the first time). When she pointed that out, I realized that that added to the sort of detached feel of the first scene, which I realized then was what I wanted. So the stairs remained un-described when she went down. When the main character was more awake in the second scene, the stairs were described.

So know your writing, and know what will add and what will detract from the feel you want in a certain scene or for the story as a whole.

3. Know Your Non-Negotiables

When you know your writing, as described above, you know what pieces are critical for it to be what it is and what you want it to be. These are your non-negotiables, the pieces you’re not going to change if people suggest you do. Which is not to say that you shouldn’t thoughtfully consider the feedback given regarding them – particularly if more than one person shows concern with them – but these are the pieces you’re going to want to most heavily consider before changing.

4. Understand That Everyone Won’t Love Your Book

Your book is not going to be for everyone, so don’t try to please everyone. If one person says they hate a character and four others say they love him, you’ll probably want to listen to the majority. The same is true of most critiques. It’s okay if someone doesn’t like someone you wrote, and there will always be something that’s not quite right for someone. That’s okay. You can’t please everyone, so don’t try. Just make the story as good as you can.

5. Be gracious

Perhaps the most important tip for sharing your writing is to be gracious. If someone suggests an edit, don’t get defensive about why you did what you did there and why they’re wrong to suggest you change it. Recognize that these proposed edits aren’t attacks on you or your writing, they’re suggestions for how you can make your writing better. You won’t grow and improve your writing by defending it to your last breath and insisting it’s perfect just the way it is. Spoiler alert: It’s not.

Consider proposed edits thoughtfully and decide whether or not they fit your story. Thank the people who proposed them. If you decide to explain why you didn’t take an edit (which I personally wouldn’t recommend, but it’s up to you), be gracious about it and make clear that it’s because it’s not a good fit for the story, not because of the person who proposed it or because you’re being defensive of your writing.

Snippet Sunday – Clandestine Reading (from The Masked Captain)

I’m sorry you haven’t gotten snippets lately. My writing has been really awful (as in, I haven’t been writing) and I wasn’t sure how interesting it would be to give you snippets of worldbuilding (which is mostly what I’ve been working on). But then I ended up started on a rewrite of my novel The Masked Captain, which I’d only written about a chapter and a half of to begin with, so here’s the beginning of that. Enjoy. (And I’ll try to write more in the coming weeks.)

Rynn’s eyes bolted open and she glanced around her dark quarters. All was still. She crept from under the blankets and grabbed her book and dagger from the nightstand, the latter of which she tucked into her belt.

She unlatched and opened her window, climbing onto the ivy that grew all the way from her window to the ground of the courtyard below. It was several minutes before her feet met the ground.

She looked up into the beautiful night with a smile. Stars glittered throughout the sky, like the sequins and sparkles that adorned her dresses.

Rynn walked a few feet away from the wall before lying on the grass and cracking open her book.

*********

Two hours later, when Rynn had finished the book and the sun was barely creeping over the distant mountains, she climbed back up to her room to find her bodyguard in her chair, staring into a crackling fire in the hearth.

“How was your clandestine meeting?” He turned to look at her, a frown showing through his storm blue eyes as much as from his mouth.

“Clandestine meeting? I think you mean clandestine reading.” She lifted her book for him to see.

“Do you know how dangerous it is out there at night?”

“I do, actually. You’ve drilled it into my head for years. There’s nothing like a good book, starlight, and fear of imminent death to ignite the imagination.” She grinned, turning toward her bookcase and searching for the book’s place.

“Princess, I do not think you understand the gravity of this situation.”

“I’m alive, aren’t I? I’m unscathed? Can’t a girl read under the starlight every now and again?”

“Not when she’s a princess and danger lurks just outside the palace walls.”

Character Interview: Terlon Screll

Terlon is the mentor of The Shadow Raven, high steward of Roenor, and honorary uncle of Detren. When he was younger he wanted to be a historian – the most prestigious occupation in Roenor – but he gave it up and because a history tutor, which is how he came to meet Detren.

Terlon: *enters and shakes the interviewer’s hand before sitting down* Hello.

Interviewer: Hello. How are you today?

Terlon: I’m well. How are you?

Interviewer: I’m doing all right. Shall we get started?

Terlon: Of course.

Interviewer: What is your name?

Terlon: Terlon Elias Screll.

Interviewer: And how old are you?

Terlon: I’m forty-three.

Interviewer: Do you have any siblings?

Terlon: I do not, but when I was younger I had a good friend whose siblings and I adopted each other.

Interviewer: Are you still close?

Terlon: No, unfortunately. My duties in the palace have kept me away, and they have their own lives as well.

Interviewer: What do you do in the palace?

Terlon: I’m the high steward and Prince Detren’s tutor.

Interviewer: That seems like a lot for one person.

Terlon: Sometimes it is.

Interviewer: Do you teach a particular subject or are you more all-purpose?

Terlon: I teach everything, but I specialize in history. That’s where my passion lies.

Interviewer: Historians are in high demand in Roenor, aren’t they?

Terlon: They’re honored, if that’s what you mean, but there are actually only a few at a time. I intended to become a historian when I was in school, but plans changed.

Interviewer: What happened?

Terlon: That good friend of mine needed the position more than I did. And I’m glad I gave it up; if I hadn’t, I never would have gotten where I am now and I wouldn’t have been able to help and tutor Prince Detren.

Interviewer: That’s a good mindset to have. *looks at script* Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

Terlon: I’m an extrovert, but most people would likely assume I’m an introvert. I spend a lot of time absorbed in books.

Interviewer: What is your favorite food?

Terlon: Probably papaya, but I haven’t had it since my trip to Adrelia. It doesn’t grow anywhere else.

Interviewer: Do you have a favorite color?

Terlon: The color of aged parchment.

Interviewer: Do you have a favorite book? That seems like a question you’d hate to answer, but…

Terlon: *laughs* It is hard. My answer will likely be completely different from anyone else’s. They all answered with the Kersir novellas? I tend to prefer history books, particularly those from Mandoria. The Faerie Codexes are quite fascinating.

Interviewer: Faeries play a large part in Mandoria’s history, then? I keep hearing bits and pieces of it.

Terlon: They do. They populated half of Mandoria prior to The Faerie War. It’s a long story, but I’m sure I could find you quite a few books if you were interested in learning more.

Interviewer: If it’s not too much trouble, that would be wonderful.

Terlon: I’ll make sure to do that, then.

Interviewer: What is your favorite animal?

Terlon: I like dogs. I enjoy playing with Prince Detren’s dog Devonly when I get the chance.

Interviewer: What kind of dog is… she?

Terlon: Yes, it’s a she. She’s a brown Labrador.

Interviewer: Labs are beautiful.

Terlon: *nods*

Interviewer: Aside from studying history and reading, what are your hobbies?

Terlon: Singing and drawing. Other than that I don’t have many hobbies.

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

Terlon: Bravery to use the intelligence and kindness wisely.

Interviewer: And honesty or selflessness?

Terlon: Honesty.

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

Terlon: A small sketchbook for writing down thoughts or sketching something that catches my eye.

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

Terlon: Thank you for having me. *smiles and shakes the interviewer’s hand before leaving*

Sharing First Drafts: Yea or Nay?

First drafts are rough things. Sometimes they’re wonderful and you adore writing them, other times you nitpick over every word, and sometimes you start writing and realize they’re crap and don’t deserve to be written. (We’re not talking about that last kind at the moment.) The question is, should we share these with others or keep these special babies to ourselves until they’re polished?

For newer writers, I’d suggest keeping them to yourself so that other people aren’t influencing your early works and you can start developing a writing voice and all that good stuff. (I’m still not 100% clear on what a writing voice is, but I know it’s appropriate in that context and develops as you write.) Of course it’s up to you whether you think you’re going to have issues with others influencing your work, but I think it’s wiser to just keep them secret, keep them safe.

As for more experienced writers, it’s more up to you what you want to do. You could share them while you’re writing (as I’ve done several times now) and use your readers as motivation machines (plus they catch inconsistencies, which is lovely), you could share them after they’re complete (I would probably never share my writing if I didn’t share first drafts, at this point. I’ve only ever gotten two stories past a first draft, to date), or you could decide that either you don’t want the input or you just want to hoard your novel and not show them to anyone.

Sharing As You Write

This is the one I’m most familiar with and the one I do the most. My best friend read House of Mages as I was writing it (I gave her five cliffhanger chapter endings on her birthday. *maniacal laugh*), she and my sister have been reading The Last Assassin as I write it, and my sister’s reading The Shadow Raven as I write it. They’ve been just like a miniature fandom, shipping characters, theorizing about spies and overlap characters… It’s amazing. I love them so much and I love that they love my book as much as I do. (Seriously, I can’t wait to share this trilogy and see people enjoy it. ^-^)

This provides the added advantage of having someone who’s read the entirety of your story up to this point and can serve as a brainstorming buddy when you’re stuck. They don’t even necessarily have to do any brainstorming, they can just serve as a sounding board as you work out your issues in writing or out loud.

A possible downside to this would be ending up with a reader who’s a bit too vocal in sounding their opinions on what should happen next. They could end up derailing your plot if you’re not careful, and such readers should probably be avoided during the writing process.

Sharing Once the Draft is Done

I don’t think I’ve actually done this since I was about ten or eleven. I’m pretty sure the last first draft I shared (with my mom and Abuela) was The Half-Elves. I gave it to both of them with the purpose of editing.

The advantage to this would mostly be to your readers: They don’t have to wait for you to write the next chapter to keep reading because it’s already entirely finished.

The advantage for you would be that they can see the whole picture and give feedback based on that if that’s your purpose in sharing. (My next post will cover the purpose of sharing your writing.)

Keeping First Drafts to Yourself

*looks at the numerous first drafts – most unfinished – sitting forlornly in my computer files* I’ve done this a few times…

There could be several reasons to keep first drafts to yourself. 1) They’re too awful for words and you can’t believe they ever saw the light of day. 2) They’re simply too unpolished for outside eyes. 3) You don’t want any feedback this early in the process.

If it’s for the first reason, that story will probably go into some sort of archives folder in your writing files. (At least if you’re like me. If you’re not like me then it might be deleted altogether.) If it’s for the second reason, you’ll probably set the book aside, either to sit before you edit it or to wait while you write another book. If it’s for the third… Either outcome is a possibility.

The point is, it’s completely valid to not share your writing for any of the above reasons. (I know I’ve kept first drafts for all of those reasons on one occasion or another.)

To Share or Not To Share?

I advise you now to use the information above and your knowledge of your own writing process and experience to decide whether or not to share your writing. Oh, and if you decide to share, come back next week for my post on how to get the most out of sharing your writing. ;)

Do you share your writing? Do you wait until it’s nearly published to let people see it? Does it differ from project to project?