Kate Willis's Blog, page 113
November 23, 2016
Book Review: Lady Dragon, Tela Du
“Two girls with one face
Two girls with twisted fate
One in purple, one in red
One shall speak the other’s death
Who shall win their final war?
Lady Dragon or Tela Du?
Amber, the Lady Dragon, has been promised a fifty-year reign over Rizkaland and nothing can stop her from claiming it. But when you’ve lived six thousand years, fifty is such a pitiful number. Only one person can keep her from making this reign permanent – the Tela Du, a girl who shall share Amber’s face.
The last thing Petra w...
November 21, 2016
Bookish Happenings
Hello, I’m Shot Out of a Cannon. What’s your name?
Last week was one of the longest, coolest weeks of my life. (I got to celebrate a family birthday, participate in a Jesse Tree ornament exchange, help with a wedding reception, make new friends, and babysit the world’s sweetest kids.) And somehow during all of that, a ton of great bookish things still managed to happen. (Although, I didn’t get to read at all over the weekend.)
I wrote 5,000 hopefully useful-to-the-story words. I dreamed up Ea...
November 18, 2016
Think Twice Before Writing Seven
Should you write a seven book series? Why not? Jack Lewis did!
Two big reasons it worked for him: character and setting change.
In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, we have four Pevensies and classic Narnia. Next is The Horse and His Boy with Shasta who barely visits Narnia and only meets the four original kidsas adults. Quite the change-up! Next Peter, Sue, Ed, and Lu with Prince Caspian (in the book named after him
November 16, 2016
Book Review: 5 Secrets of Story Structure
“Want to take your writing to the next level? Discover the “secrets” of story structure other authors are overlooking!
If you’ve read all the books on story structure and concluded there has to be more to it than just three acts and a couple of plot points, then you’re absolutely right! It’s time to notch up your writing education from “basic” to “black belt.” Internationally published author K.M. Weiland shares five “secret” techniques of advanced story structure.
In the multi-award-winnin...
November 14, 2016
Thank You, All
I came home from working at the polls with my sisterto find that I had received a very sweet note in the mail. Last month I shipped out a prize from the Five Fall Favorites blog party and didn’t expect to hear anything back.
The note, something to the effect that she loved the packaging and was enjoying the writing prompts, blew me away and made my day.
November 11, 2016
Fall Writing Contest!
Want a little writing motivation, but don’t have the time for NaNoWriMo? Noble Novels is hosting a fall writing contest! You can find more about rules and theme requirementshere.
If I can get my act together today, I’m hoping to work on my entry. The only clues I’ll give you are “coffee shop”, and “flooding”.
November 10, 2016
God in the Everyday
Since I’m a Christian author, I want to include my Savior in my stories. I do have my characters share the Gospel, listen to a short sermon in church, or seek advice; but one of my favorite ways to accomplish this is modeling a relationship with Christ in their everyday lives.
When we first watched the Jimmy Stewart movie You Can’t Take It With You, we were struck by theway the father of the family prayed. He talked to God as His friend.
Sometimes I think we can tend to move along in our sto...
November 9, 2016
Book Review: The Destiny of One
“Destiny – it’s a word that plagues Maria Morris. What does God want her to do with her life? Should she go to college or does God have other plans for her? When her parents go missing during a business trip, Maria embarks on a quest that will change her life forever. Trying to fight against an overbearing Milky Way Government, Maria travels to earth in search of a lost prince and some crown jewels. Her faith is tested, however, when a new law is passed. Will Maria be able to find her parents...
November 8, 2016
Happy Election Day!
No review today, because I’m at the polls with my sister and some friends from church working as an elections clerk. I hope to be back on here tomorrow with one though.
November 7, 2016
Slip of the Key
I’m encouraged by the typos I read. (When my inner grammar police is done, of course.) It reminds me that all authors are human; and no matter how much we work, slips of the key are normal.
We can edit and revise, point out and advise; but grace towards each other (I’m talking to reviewers here!) and good stories are what matter most in the end.
My Dad read me a G.K. Chesterton essay the other night. The subject was writing and mistakes in it. I found it both hilarious and encouraging. You ca...
