Lily Hammer's Blog, page 2

Work-In-Progress Questions Answered.

The one thing I can 100% say benefited from this lockdown was my ability to speak to people in the writing community online. I never used to comment or engage with people on social media, which is ironic because it is actually my day job to do that. Maybe after doing it all day for one brand, I was just unknowingly too burnt out to do it on my own free time for my own brand.

I digress. The point is, I found the time, of which I had plenty since I was and still am home all the time! Because of...

What You Give Up To Be A Writer

Writing has always been my end game. I never wanted children or my day job to be my legacy. I don’t see myself making something lasting out of working in social media marketing. What I want out of life is to create a world of stories that lives on after me. I want someone to pick up my book on a shelf (or pull it up on whatever tablet we are using in the future) and read my words, maybe even become inspired by them, or just lose themselves in it. I want someone to feel about my world how I feel ...

Dark Fantasy Short Story “The Price” is out now!

I am so excited to announce that my first short story is now available on Amazon for $.99! It is a 6,000 word, roughly 15-20 minute fantasy read that will have two more stories in the series.

It’s a really proud moment for me, to finally say I published something. I haven’t been working on this short story series for long, but I have been working on the novels that take place in the same world for years. I knew that it would be a while before the novels were finished, so publishing this in t...

“The Price” Set To Release Wed. July 15th!

I am so incredibly excited to announce that The Price will be available on Amazon Kindle this Wednesday, July 15th, for only $.99!

Hagador has made a deadly mistake in the pursuit of knowledge. In a country that has outlawed the study of The Few, an ancient, lost civilization that disappeared 7,000 years ago, there are some still searching for answers and paying heavy prices for them. Now labeled a heretic for his pursuit, Hagador must leave his entire life behind and travel across a co...

How I Always Stay “In the Zone” as a Fantasy/Sci-Fi Writer

As a writer, I make my best work when I am absolutely saturated in content. I need to be in a mood, in a feeling, in the right state of mind. If I am consistently in that place, I can always come up with ideas! I am not one of those writers who can sit down for just a few minutes before going out and write a little, by any means. So here are a few things I do that help me stay “in the zone” as a writer!

Create or find a writing playlist.

Nothing puts me in the right mood to write like musi...

Houses for Fairies

I had never written anything short before so I decided to dive in and do a 500-word contest based on a prompt. I finished it, I was so excited to submit, and then it turns out the contest is only twice a year and they didn’t update the website! So here it is, my first piece of flash fiction, which I also published it on Wattpad if you’d like to comment on it there.

Of the many things Marie’s mother taught her, making houses for fairies was her favorite.

Yes, she knew how to tell how fa...

5 Things I Learned Writing a Short Story

I finished the first draft of my short story! I am extremely excited and I am sending it to my dear friend who is a brilliant editor this week. Since it’s done, and I’m taking a breather before I dive back into it, and working on some things like building out my Patreon! Here are some things I learned during this first draft.

Your story develops as you go.

I am a notorious planner. George RR Martin can have his garden and he can do his “pantsing” to his heart’s delight. I, on the other han...

An intro to my books.

So what is this world I’m building?

I love being held in suspense. I love cliffhangers, I love ambiguity, and boy howdy, do I love foreshadowing. It’s why I love still not knowing what goes on in Asshai in A Song of Ice and Fire. It’s why I cried my eyes out (I’m not kidding, I cried excited, elated tears) at John Snow’s parents reveal. The slow burn, long con stories that give you small hints, so small you might miss them, all along the way, are the stories that pull me in and keep me beggin...

Quarantine, Outlines, Short Stories, Oh My!

Hello!

Quarantine, am I right? It’s a very strange thing. I haven’t left my house for anything other than something absolutely necessary in almost three months. I honestly don’t remember what day it was! I started a new job from home. I haven’t met any of my coworkers in person yet! However, there is a bright side, at least on my end.

I have been making time for learning and practice. I read, write, and play music constantly. They are the only things keeping me sane and preventing me from...