Authors eternally seek ways to engage potential readers — the umpteenth social media account, newsletters, artwork galore, podcasts, video, etc. Some writers do well with a relatively tight platform, while others utilize quite a few avenues. There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to platforming. And speaking from experience, it can be incredibly hardContinue reading “Platforming Dabbles: The Struggle For Eyes Never Ends”
Category Archives: Writing Articles
Once Upon A Time Writing Lesson: Right-Sizing Cast
Once Upon a Time is a case study for plotting out a series. It exhibits why it is important to have a game plan–no matter how rough–in place at the beginning of a creative endeavor. This helps writers avoid retreading past plot points or completely dropping the ball on others. Characters need to go hand in hand with this early plotting–their arcs, their backgrounds, etc.
The Struggles Of Platforming As An Introvert
To start off, this post isn’t going to offer any grand solutions to platform building — I have none. This remains one of my greatest struggles as an author in addition to being a point of frustration and bursts of depression. For every step forward, no visible progress seems to occur, and now that I’mContinue reading “The Struggles Of Platforming As An Introvert”
OUAT Writing Lessons: Concerning Plotting A Series
For a bit of fun, I thought it would be great to examine the TV series, Once Upon A Time, which, in my opinion, started strong before faltering in quality and becoming laden with oh-so-many plot holes, inconsistencies, disappearing characters, etc. Don’t get me wrong, I still love OUAT despite all its flaws. However, IContinue reading “OUAT Writing Lessons: Concerning Plotting A Series”
Self-publishing: What I’d Do Differently
I have previously written about my self-publishing journey: why I opted for this pathway and how I pursued it. Heritage Lost was my first full-length novel release, and as such, there was an immense learning curve that my short story releases couldn’t prepare me for. There are numerous things that I will do differently (asContinue reading “Self-publishing: What I’d Do Differently”
Of Francis de Sales, Chaos, Insanity, And Series Bibles
Full disclosure: I’m not Catholic, but I could really use the divine intervention of saint Francis de Sales, the patron saint of writers and journalists — I am both — to sort out the mess my series notes have become for the Heritage Verse, thus saving me from a madness of my own making. WhenContinue reading “Of Francis de Sales, Chaos, Insanity, And Series Bibles”
Fictional death: Should it come for all?
On a forum that I frequent, one poster launched a discussion in regards to death in fiction, asking why the majority of authors feel the need to resurrect characters or never kill them all along. This, in turn, got me thinking about fictional deaths both in the books I read and the ones I write.Continue reading “Fictional death: Should it come for all?”
Let’s Research: Filling In The Gaps
You’ve done your research, like really, copious amounts of it. There are a piles of books scattered around your house and don’t even mention the hoard of URLs and downloaded journal articles clogging up your computer or other devices. What’s this?! There’s a loose end, there’s another one, and no, are they multiplying? Don’t fret.Continue reading “Let’s Research: Filling In The Gaps”
Let’s Research: Great Resources
Resources for writers are bountiful, especially in the digital age. You can find all sorts of obscure bits of trivia online. You can also access digitized journals or books that you might not be able to access outside of a college town. There is so much that can be discovered, and it is exciting! InContinue reading “Let’s Research: Great Resources”
Let’s Research: Finding Experts
Experts are everywhere, and they’re in every field, no matter how obscure or niche. Most, if approached respectfully, are more than willing to help writers with their fiction projects, and they can really benefit any manuscript no matter the genre. You write fantasy? Experts can still help! They can make up for what you mightContinue reading “Let’s Research: Finding Experts”
Blood & Ink 