Mirriam Neal's Blog, page 7

Snart v. Mahone: Battle of the Redemption Arcs

If you’ve known me for longer than two minutes, you know I love a good antagonist-turned-protagonist. You need look no further than my list of Favorite Fictional Characters to see said list is probably 93% full of them. If you’ve known me longer than three minutes, you know my two favorite TV character of all-time… Continue reading Snart v. Mahone: Battle of the Redemption Arcs →

Books that Created an Awesome Monstrosity, Namely Me

We all have that stack of books that shaped us, the ones we stayed up late reading and re-reading, the ones we took with us on car trips, the ones we were loathed to lend out to anyone, no matter how trustworthy. (Granted, I even hate lending books I don’t particularly like, but that’s a…

All Good* Things Come in Threes

‘Villains are just the heroes of their own stories,’ saith 19, 783 pins on Pinterest, pinned lovingly to novel WIP boards. To that phrase I say — get thee to a nunnery. Or a villainy school. Somewhere with lessons in Evil or Badness in general. It’s a current trend, particularly in the Young Adult genre,… Continue reading All Good* Things Come in Threes →

The Dramatic Villain*

*Plus tips for writing villains in general. Enough about heroes and ensemble casts – it’s time we take a break and talk about another fun subject: the villain. Specifically, the dramatic villain. You know the one – he swirls around in maroon capes with gold embroidering, probably laughs maniacally at everything he does, and says… Continue reading The Dramatic Villain* →

Ensemble Essentials: The Dissenter and the Mouthpiece

Remember when I said I posted on a schedule? HA. Currently, I laugh. You’re all going to have to live with some off-schedule posts until I get a schedule back again. Today I want to talk about two types of characters  – characters who, in my opinion, add a great deal to any ensemble cast.… Continue reading Ensemble Essentials: The Dissenter and the Mouthpiece →

Coincidence? I think not!

If there’s one Latin phrase an author is likely to know, it’s the dreaded Deus Ex Machina, or ‘god from the machine.’ (Although let’s face it, writers are more likely to know Latin than anyone short of a Latin professor.) If you’re someone who hasn’t heard this phrase before, never fear – you’ve probably seen… Continue reading Coincidence? I think not! →

The Eagle Has Landed

I’m back, world! The past month has been an adventure in every sense of the word – exhausting and exciting, and it isn’t over. Our darling (old, quirky, weird, etc.) town house is still full of unpacked boxes, and although we downsized our belongings by half (almost exactly, measured by the moving truck required), we’re… Continue reading The Eagle Has Landed →

Further Up & Further In

There’s no way to say this with flourishes (or there are, but they aren’t coming to me before coffee) — my family is moving as a package out to Omaha, Nebraska! As someone born + raised in the Pacific Northwest/has lived half her life in the South, the Midwest is something totally new and I’m… Continue reading Further Up & Further In →

Dark is the Night: Snippets from the First Half

Revising a novel is like giving something a fresh coat of paint – you loved the original, but now it looks even better. It looks different, it looks fresh, and there’s a wonderful feeling of old/newness to it. I wrote Dark is the Night several years ago, inspired by the lack of good Christian vampire… Continue reading Dark is the Night: Snippets from the First Half →

Good Guy Week — Fitzwilliam Darcy: The Gentleman

Ah, Fitzwilliam Darcy. Widely regarded as one of the swooniest fictional heroes in literary history, he’s often overlooked as someone who fits in the category of Straight-Up Good Guy. When people think of Darcy, it’s usually in context of his dark, intense, broody personality and rarely for the warm qualities that shine through his actions.… Continue reading Good Guy Week — Fitzwilliam Darcy: The Gentleman →