Rani Divine's Blog, page 31

Move it

Happy Wednesday, everyone. Thank you all so much for allowing me to share some of my personal life with you on Monday.
Today, I wanted to really get back into the swing of things—and what better way to do that than to continue in our series?
Why do we need…
Movement?
Now, there are two different types of movement, when it comes to writing. There’s movements, or acts, within a story, but those aren’t what we’re talking about today. I literally mean movement, as in a character physically moving from point A to point B, or a car driving across the landscape of the story. It’s one of those things that we often take for granted, which is why I thought it would make a very welcome addition to our series.
From the point of view of a reader…
A story can get a little bland, to me, if nothing is happening. There are a lot of stories that require a couple characters to be in a room, talking, monologuing even, but it can get really boring really fast if a writer doesn’t at least add some movement into the scene. For instance, a boring scene is where two characters are standing in a room talking. An interesting one, to me, is the same scene with the movement of the characters’ hands and feet. Perhaps one is shifting back and forth, uncomfortably. Another might be playing with their hair, or might be unable to keep their eyes on one thing for any length of time. Even these little movements add a ton of detail and interest into any scene, and make me not get bored in reading it. Because sometimes, let’s face it, we readers can have short attention spans.
From the point of view of a writer…
I’m actually going to say practically the same thing. Don’t let your readers get bored. But don’t be repetitive, either. Find new ways to say the same thing. Grab your thesaurus if you’re out of words to describe the way a woman’s fingers are moving through her hair while she’s trying to pull it back into a bun. For that matter, find a different word for bun. But really, try to maintain interest in your readers by varying your word use in this way. Don’t just have your characters walk. Have some of them saunter, jog, skip, even hop if it makes sense for them to do so. They shouldn’t just blink, they should close their eyes for half an instant and open them again with a fury. Make your readers really feel like they’re in the story, by highlighting even the smallest of movements. It’s a lot of fun, once you really get into it.
From the point of view of an editor…
A lot of editors are going to tell you that these little movement details get to be convoluting and annoying after a while. They’re right, in some ways. As an editor, I want to see that you know when to use these strong movement details, when to key in on what the characters are actually doing, and when to skip it altogether. For instance, if a character is driving, I don’t need to know that their hands are on the wheel, unless it’s important for the storyline. Of course their hands are on the wheel. Otherwise, how would they be driving? So, I want to see that you know what you’re doing when it comes to movement. Don’t make your characters do things that don’t make any sense, and don’t tell me about ones that I don’t need to know. Which ones are which, you ask? Well, that’s honestly up to the story. If you need help figuring it out though, feel free to send me a message or email with a sample of your work. I’d be more than happy to help you out!

Movement is something we can’t ignore, in any story. We just can’t. It adds a much needed detail into your work, as long as it’s done well.
[love]
{Rani D.}
p.s. As promised, next week we’ll have some really fun giveaways going on! I’d intended to tell you all about it on Monday, but obviously that didn’t happen… So, check back in next week Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for chances to win autographed copies of my books!
More details to come. Promise.

Grand

I had a blog theme all worked out for today. I did. I’d decided what topic I was going to write on, I’d planned on it, and then last weekend happened, and everything changed. And I don’t mean that figuratively. I literally mean that everything changed, in a day.
That day, was Friday.
I’d been holding my head up for the week before it, doing my best to keep my eyes up and not let anything get me down. But that didn’t really work, when the end of Friday came around.
Friday, you see… Friday, we said “see you later” to the woman who was basically me, two generations prior. Friday, my beloved grandmother went home to be with the Lord.
And so today, I want to take this time to talk about her. I hope you don’t mind.
My grandmother was the strongest woman I’ve ever met. In all my life, I don’t remember a time when she was ill. Even at the end, I had a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that something was wrong. Even if she was in pain, you’d never know it. She was one of those women who minimized everything like that. I admire her for that. She never let anyone pity her. She never let people see her as weak. She was also one of the strongest Christian women I’ve ever known, and I would not be surprised if she always remains on that list, to the end of my days here on Earth. She was that strong, that devoted to our Lord. I cherished her for that.
She was also, basically, me. Or maybe it would make more sense to say that I’m her.
I’m so much like her, you wouldn’t even believe it. I’ve worn chokers since I was in middle school, hardly go a day without wearing one. She did that, when she was younger. I very nearly always wear black, and I’m most comfortable in black. That’s like her, too. And those are only the little things, the things you can see with your eyes. I also act like her, in a lot of ways. And I'm truly honored to be able to say that.
The cool part, to me, was that I didn’t intentionally emulate her. I really didn’t even realize how deeply it went, until last Christmas when I was helping Mum pick out a present for Grandma, and I picked something out and said “I really like this, I would wear this, so she would wear it too.” She loved that. I think she also loved that I loved being like her.
She was my only grandmother. I never had another one, not really. I won’t go into details about that. But she was one of my favorite people, someone anyone could sit down with and talk to. She never made anyone feel like an outsider, no matter what. She treated my friends like they were her grandchildren, she laughed at my stupid jokes, and she… she is deeply missed.
There were thousands of things I’d wanted to do with her, things I’d wanted to experience alongside her, and never got to.
But you know what?
I know how cliché it is to say that she’s in a better place, that she’s smiling down on us right now, but I’m going to say it.
My grandmother is happy, right now. I know she is. She’s in heaven, with her daddy, and with the Lord our God, and she’s so happy. She’s not in any pain. She doesn’t have to struggle to be strong, to find the light in this world, because she’s surrounded by light. And she’s not smiling down on us, because she has so many better things to do. She gets to spend the rest of her days in worship of the Almighty.
And I’d bet you anything that she’s already experimenting with her hair, and she’s gotten her nails done.
That was Grandma. She always looked perfect. Always beautiful. She taught me to enjoy makeup, to know how to apply it without looking like I was caked in foundation. But more than that, she showed me what it was to be a wife, to be a mother, a grandmother, and to love the Lord with all one’s heart.
I pray that when the time comes, my marriage will be as beautiful as my grandparents’ – and that in my life, I will live like she did. For Christ. 
But it's not goodbye, for which I'm eternally grateful. It's see you later, Grandma. Save me a seat beside you. 
[love]
{Rani Divine}

Shades

The weekend is almost here, folks! That means you only have three more days before I’ll tell you about the cool things I’ll be doing right here in Too Many Books To Count for the release of Dwr: People in the Water! Do a little happy dance—you should be excited for this.
This week, we’ve talked about how important both detail and setting are, to story, through the lenses of my three hats: reader, writer, and editor. Each one has a unique and different perspective, as I’m sure you know, and it’s been great fun to talk about.
Today?
Why do we need…
Color?
Now, I want to explain this one. I’m not saying that you should make your text a color other than black. In fact, I really wish that you wouldn’t. It’s hard to read other colors, after a while, especially on a screen of any sort. There’s a reason why we put black ink on white paper, and why the text on most websites is dark on light. The eyes like it.
No, what I’m talking about today is the importance of evoking actual color within your writing. Talk about the different shades of the leaves on the trees, the refraction of light upon the green lake waters, things like that. Not colored ink, but colorful words.
From the point of view of a reader…
I really, really enjoy when writers use a ton of coloration in their stories. It helps us to be able to really see their world, to watch the light bouncing off this object and that, to allow our mind’s eye to fully develop this fictitious world and have it flourish behind our closed eyes. It’s a really good book, when I can see all the colors, when my mind can take its paintbrush of a million shades and brush it over the trees, across the stone paths, and through the doorways of this new world. Whether that world be fantasy or just plain fiction, it doesn’t matter. Readers like to see what you’re creating—and it’s a lot more fun when there’s a mass of color to play with.
From the point of view of a writer…
I’m not amazing at this. I’ll be honest with you. Adding color is something that I’m working on, something that I aspire toward. I’ve read only a few books that evoke a great image through use of color (among them, Narnia), but I would really like to be one of those writers. As it is, I like color. I like to paint, to draw, to create art—and I always want it to be colorful. As a writer, I’m always looking for new ways to get my idea across to a reader, and I think color is an awesome way to do that, as well as a way that most writers don’t even consider doing. That, in and of itself, is enough reason to at least try it out, eh?
From the point of view of an editor…
As an editor, I have never read a story of this caliber—but I’m always on the lookout for them. If you’re a writer who works with color a lot through your words, I would be excited to work with you. It’s something I don’t have a mass of experience with, but something that I would love to see. I don’t see it enough, I’ll tell you. I’ve read it as a reader, I’m trying to write it, but as an editor, I’ve yet to touch a story like this. Yours might be my first. I want to get my hands on it. If you’re good with color imagery, I don’t think I’d even change most of those details, only enhance them and make them stronger.
We need more color in our writing. That’s all there is to it, if I’m being honest.
If you’ve read a story that uses a lot of color imagery, and you think I should check it out, please let me know! I’m always on the lookout—not even joking.
[love]
{Rani D.}

Set it up

It’s Wednesday! We’ve made it to the middle of the week! Woo-hoo! … I think. This week has been really long, hasn’t it? Oh, aren’t they always?
Well. Monday we talked about detail, and why it’s an important thing to include, no matter what perspective we’re looking from. So today, I wanted to talk about something along the same vein, something equally as important, but something I felt would be better understood if we look at it through our three hats (reader, writer, and editor).
Why do we need…
Setting?
Maybe it seems obvious to you, but for some people, it’s not. I’ve actually read a ton of novels where I couldn’t figure out where anything was taking place, because the writer never fully described the setting, or never used cues to explain where any given character was at any given moment within the story. Thus, we’re discussing it today.
From the point of view of a reader…
Like I mentioned before, I have read things where I struggled to understand where anything was taking place, simply because the writer didn’t include enough setting. That alone should be a clue that setting is very important. Readers really want to be able to see what’s going on, the way that writers intended for it to be seen. Your readers are looking for something to ground them to the location, whether that be the bow of a ship or a tree beneath which your characters are lounging. Without that, it’s just people floating in the middle of nowhere, and it really makes it difficult to follow the story as a whole.
From the point of view of a writer…
For me personally, setting is something I have a lot of fun with. My main problem is that I do occasionally give too much setting in any given scene. I’ll explain too many things, and end up having to cut them out of the final rendition of the story. Thing is though, by adding a mass of setting details while you’re writing, it’s less likely that you, the writer, will forget precisely where everyone is at any given time. It’ll help you to keep things straight, so that even if you do end up cutting out those setting notes, your readers will still be more likely to see things the way you intended.
From the point of view of an editor…
I want to know that you know your stuff. As an editor, I’m looking for writers, authors, who know enough about their setting that they’re not throwing out random words at any given time. I want to see similar words used to describe one thing, and different words used for another. I’m looking for use of setting as a character, or as a backdrop. I’m reading the setting, looking for clues as to what type of writer you are. And if there isn’t enough setting there to work with, then that means we’ll have a lot more work to do before the story can be published.
Setting, as we all know, is important! It’s not something we can cut out, not something that we can avoid. We need to embrace it, learn to use it to our advantage, and understand how to use it to the benefit of our story and our readers.
Don’t worry, your editor can help with that if you’re not sure where to go from here.
[love]
{Rani Divine}

Detailed

It’s May! And I’m (mostly) moved into my new home and RAD’s new office. All this means it’s time for a new series, something really fun for the month of May. Since Dwr will be out this month, I actually have some really exciting stuff coming up in a couple weeks, but we’ll talk more about that next week.
Right now, I’m thinking about writing. I’ve nearly taken two weeks off from writing, and I swear my brain feels like it’s about to explode. I need to get some writing in. But I would prefer to get some good writing in, to get some words on a page that will actually be decent enough to (mostly) keep. And to that end, I thought we’d do a series on the elements of writing, and why they’re so important—from the point of view of a reader, a writer, and an editor. I am all three of those things, after all. ;-)
Why do we need…
Detail?
You know that whole “show, don’t tell” thing? That’s where I got the idea for this one. Detail is one of those things that either eludes a writer or is far too prevalent. But it’s so important, so key, that I wanted to make it the first thing we discussed.
From the point of view of a reader…
Detail is what hooks us, it’s what gets us excited for the story, what really allows us to see the characters and setting and to fully understand what’s going on. Detail is what makes the story come alive, what connects us to this fictional realm, and what prevents us from getting confused between this world and the real one. So for readers, we need detail. We like to understand: we don’t like being left in the dark, unable to see, to make sense of the story itself. We want to see it like the writer saw it, and for that, we need detail.
From the point of view of a writer…
Detail is the fun part! Okay, at least for me it is. Detail is what I enjoy writing the most, what I come back to over and over again if I don’t quite know where I’m going yet. I just start describing everything, and I’ll cut it down to the right amount later. But writing detail is what allows me to see what’s going on, and to get a better idea of what this world is like, what these characters might see or feel based on their surroundings, or even what the characters themselves act and look like. Without that, well, it’s just boring.
From the point of view of an editor…
I want to know that my writer knows what they’re doing when it comes to detail. I want to see that you, the writer, know how to describe any given situation from any given angle. If I read a scene and need you to put it into a different character’s POV, I want to know that you can do it with the same vivid detail, from a separate set of eyes. If you can’t do that, if I don’t see that the first time I read through your work, you might not be someone I can easily work with when it comes to detail, which ends up being more work for me. Long story short, get better at writing detail, and your editor will like you a lot more.
No matter what angle you come at it from, detail is one of those things that we need—no matter what. So don’t skimp on it. If it needs to be cut down later, that’s not a big deal. It’s harder if you need to add it during the editing process. Trust me on that. My older work was seriously lacking in detail… you should be glad you’ll never read it. So are my editors.
[love]
{Rani D.}

Vid

So I’m sitting here, wondering what I can possibly share with you about Dwr, that will be even more exciting than what I’ve released thus far. And I had no ideas.
I’ve already talked about writing the book.
I’ve shared an excerpt.
Okay, so there’s really only one other thing that I could do.
So I will.
You’re now the first to see the new Dwr promo video! Enjoy, my friends. Enjoy.


And while we're at it, how about a new video to promote me? 



Feel free to share everywhere. Actually, yeah. Please share. ;-)

[love]
{Rani D}

Fantasize

Happy Wednesday!
How are your weeks going? Mine is still chaotic, but I’m hoping that tomorrow it’ll start to calm down, and hey, I’m actually posting closer to the right time today! I won’t have internet on Friday, but don’t worry—that won’t stop me from posting. I’ll figure something out.
For now, let’s talk about today’s genre, and the genre most of you know me for. It’s the last in our series, before we move on to something new in May. But it’s also one that I’ve been itching to write, all month long.
Fantasy
Like I said on Monday, fantasy is a subgenre of science-fiction. So though all fantasy does fit into the science-fiction category, it is a completely unique subgenre. It’s where the Druid Novels fit in, and the genre I’ve spent the majority of my writing time in at this point, if I’m being honest.
Why do we enjoy it?
Similar to what we talked about for science-fiction, it’s an escape from the world as we know it. It’s a chance to explore mythologies, really, which many people are utterly fascinated by. We talk about elves and dwarves and trolls and dragons, monsters and knights, castles and dungeons. It tends to be in that era as well, yes, of castles—and for many people, I don’t even know why, but castles are enough to get them to like anything. Looking at you, Mum.
Fantasy is a way that we make sense of the weird mythoi that surround us. There are millions of them, you know. Every culture has its own mythos, and fantasy is a really fun way to explore its meaning, or add details to the little stories that never got much attention before. It’s like modifying fairytales, which is really weirdly fun.
What do we gain from it?
We gain a story! And one that sticks with us for a really long time. Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, these are fantasy stories that have stayed with their readers long after the series’ ending. I mean really, I even have an LOTR tattoo now. 
They’re stories that we relate to, that we connect to, through the modifying of something that we knew very well from when we were children. And let’s face it, we all want to remember what it was like to be a little kid. It was a lot of fun.
So in some ways, we gain an adultified version of our childhood stories—and for a lot of us, that’s a really, really cool thing to gain.
[love]
{Rani Divine}

Sci to the Fi

It’s Monday! And I'm utterly late in posting this... sorry guys!
This week marks the beginning of something a little fun, for me, but more chaotic than anything else at the moment. See, RAD Writing is moving offices. And that’s where I work. So while I’m also moving houses this week, I’m moving my office to a new building as well. (so we here at RAD and Mavguard might be a little quieter than usual this week, but we're not gone—I promise!).
But! I still want to talk about genre! Of course I do! We’re finally to the week that we’ll be discussing the genres I write all the time!
Today?
Science-Fiction
Okay, so I know I haven’t released anything from this genre in a while, but while the Druid Novels have been coming out, I’ve finished writing my first continuous series, Earth-Space. It’s entirely science-fiction, and was a ton of fun to write, I’ll tell you.
So, why do we enjoy this genre?
To me, it seems as though people really enjoy science-fiction because it’s a great escape from the rest of the world. It’s actually become one of the most popular genres out there, if I’m not mistaken. People might not read it all the time, but a lot of us do watch a plethora of science-fiction. (Remember: all fantasy is science-fiction, but not all science-fiction is fantasy)
We like this genre because it’s a fun and unique way to talk about the real world, to show what people might be like in a different world, or a different form. And really, we all want to know more about humanity. We just do. We want to understand life in general, and science-fiction is a really cool way to do that.
But then, what do we gain from it?
I would say that we gain a certain level of understanding from sci-fi, honestly, that we can’t always get by just reading fiction or thrillers. We really see what the world is like, by putting this unique spin on it. For example, we can see what life would be like if perfect peace was had on Earth, by seeing how it was in Star Trek. Or, we can see how chaos could reign, through shows like The Expanse (which I don’t happen to like). Books like Old Man’s War are also really good examples of war in a non-human-exclusive way. That one is actually a really interesting study on age, as well.
There’s a lot we can learn or gain from science-fiction, and a lot that mirrors reality. For me, that’s enough to really enjoy it, and to never stop reading, writing, and watching it. 
What do you guys think?
[love]
{Rani Divine}

Mira

It's Friday! And you know what Friday means!! It's time to talk about Dŵr! 
Today, I've picked out a short excerpt for you, a little teaser of the novel that comes out in less than a month. Oh yeah, and preorders are available now. (link below) 
Enjoy, and have a wonderful weekend! 
~~
Excerpt from Dŵr: People in the Waterby Rani Divine
Mira swam silently through the dark waters, searching for the man she called her master. In truth, she did not know how it had begun. Defnin had once been nothing but a friend to her, and suddenly she’d found herself calling him master and enacting everything he wished. A part of her felt ashamed of her actions, of all the times she’d gone to her sister in anger when she’d only needed to approach Arneia in peace to achieve the desired outcome. She knew well that her sister did not respond well to threats. She would not listen to them as long as they threatened her life or the lives of the humans. 
Arneia knew no Dewin had ever turned their backs on their witch before, and she counted on her sister not to break the trend.
But Mira had already spoken her hatred in the darkness of the night, in the ears of the man she called her master, and nothing had happened. They still lived, retaining the right to speak whatever words they wished. Perhaps it was that the Vartes sided with Mira—or perhaps it was that the Vartes had turned against all of them, now that the humans had entered their lands. They would not be needed much longer.
Her anger swelled as she swam farther and farther away from the ship, searching for Defnin. Her sister’s words rang in her mind, reminding her of the blasphemy Mira had spoken against the creator. “Maddeuwch i mi, Vartes,” she said. “Forgive me, Vartes.”
Finally, she reached the cave which Defnin called his home. It was little more than a tiny opening in the coral, but it was more than enough room for the both of them to fit inside in a lover’s embrace—something else that should never have happened. Wanderers were to remain celibate unless called upon by a high witch. Defnin had broken more than the highest of rules: he’d also broken the lowest, and he’d dragged Mira along for the ride. She should never have been touched by a male, unless she’d been called upon as witch. Only then could she seek a mate. Otherwise, her seed was only given to the coral mothers.
“Beth fyddwn ni'n ei wneud?” Defnin asked as he swam from the cave, his eyes looking straight into hers. “What do we do?”
It wasn’t safe for them both to be out here in the dark of night. Sharks roamed these waters now, having come in from the depths of the ocean to prey on the smaller animals that lived in these parts. They would settle for a Dŵr, if no other option presented itself.
“Beth allwn ni ei wneud? Mae'r Vartes dal i ffafrio hi,” she asked, swimming closer to his home. “What can we do? The Vartes still favors her.”
“Pwy sy'n nesaf yn unol?” he questioned. “Who is next in line?”
“Fi fy hun, neu Eira.” She shrugged. “Myself, or Eira.” “Nid wyf yn gwybod.” “I do not know.”
“Mae llawer o gwrachod yn marw yn ystod eu blynyddoedd cyntaf. Ni fyddai'n cael ei siarad yn erbyn y Dŵr,” he replied, a wicked smile on his face as he swam between her and the opening to his home, preventing her from going inside where she would be safe. “Many witches die in their first years. It would not be spoken against for the Dŵr.”He placed his hands on her shoulders, his eyes looking straight into hers. “Arneia yn ifanc, ac nad yw'n gwybod beth mae'n ei wneud,” he said. “Arneia is young, and she does not know what she is doing.”
Mira shook her head and slipped out from his hold, again moving closer to the shelter. “Bydd y pwyllgor yn gwybod,” she replied. “The tribune will know.” All Dewin witches were sisters, and they spoke to each other often. There would be no way to hide it, if Mira ended Arneia’s life.
“Sut y gall y maent? Ni fydd neb yn gwybod beth a ddigwyddodd mewn gwirionedd.” Defnin laughed, swimming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. “How can they? No one will know what truly happened.”
“Sut?” she whispered, trying to ignore the feel of his skin against hers. “How?”
“Bydd y bobl lladd hi,” he answered before pressing his lips against her neck. “The humans will kill her.”

©Copyright RAD Writing, 2017 

Don't Scream

Okay, for the first time in the series, we’re discussing a genre that I don’t read, that I actually don’t like to read, and that I only watch with my best friend because we can somehow make ourselves laugh through the experience. We’re a little weird like that.
Today’s genre is, however, one that I’ve tried to get into. I’ve picked up books in this genre, only to end up putting them back down after a few pages because I just can’t take it.
If you hadn’t figured it out already, today’s genre is…
Horror
Now, you’re probably wondering why I even picked this genre if I can’t stand it. Well, that’s one of the reasons why I picked it. I did this series to really make us think about genres in general (which is something a lot of us don’t do at all). That means I wanted to really look into genres that I don’t read much of, as well as those I deal with all the time. Thus, horror.
Okay, now that’s out of the way, why on earth do we enjoy it?
*muses*
*thinks*
*starts to say something, then stops*
*thinks some more*
Okay, I think I have something. People (see what I did there?) enjoy horror because, similar to thrillers, they like to get their hearts pounding. They like to feel that sensation of something startling them, something sneaking past their periphery and getting them before they knew what was coming. In all honesty, many people have a fascination with darkness and dark arts as well, which could also play into it.
What do we gain from it?
I honestly don’t know how to answer this question, but I’m going to try. Again, I don’t read this genre. I don’t understand it… so maybe I’ll go at it from that perspective.
I would guess that people gain a sense of accomplishment, that they made it through something so terrifying. I would also pose that some people learn what not to do in any given situation, based on mistakes the characters have made within the story. It might also be that people learn a little bit about themselves, what makes them tick, and what really makes them afraid. In that sense, it could also help people find a way to push past those fears. That would be a great thing to gain from it.
For me, horror isn’t a genre I’ll be picking up again anytime soon. But please, don’t let that dissuade you from writing it! It’s a very popular genre, and a lot of people very much enjoy it. And look, we did find something that people can gain from it, so it’s really not thatbad after all.
*wink*
[love]
{Rani D.}