tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55996491453644702322012-01-31T11:14:14.356-08:00Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.comBlogger1691100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-68611209338718535352011-12-17T14:43:00.000-08:002011-12-17T14:43:26.987-08:00

So. I didn't finish my NaNovel this year.  I'm still working on it, in between my day job and trying to learn Slovak, but I'm more than a little disappointed in myself.  I think I was padding my word count too much and it was leading to bad writing, which was leading to me not really feeling like putting the effort in.  Plus, suddenly working 9 hours a day after long periods of lazing around the

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-58902118989263028002011-11-13T12:56:00.001-08:002011-11-13T13:06:19.789-08:00

I thought you might like to know that, between all of the DevCo-writing NaNoWriMo participants, we've passed the 50,000 word mark.  Most of this, I must confess, is down to E. I'm under par, but pretty much back to where I want to be, IE, needing to write 2,000 words per day to finish on time.  I wrote 7,400 words this weekend to catch up, so I'm feeling pretty good about myself, if a little

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-1898992133964092282011-10-30T10:25:00.000-07:002011-10-30T10:25:02.696-07:00

My poster design for All Hallow's Read 2012 http://www.flickr.com/photos/athenasotherpics/6294880139/

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-81532025263935663372011-10-28T04:10:00.000-07:002011-10-28T04:10:36.444-07:00

It started raining last week.  Not heavy but endless.  Cold, constant, November rain.  There aren't any animals.  If there are any left, they're in hiding, curled up under a tree somewhere, waiting for the rain to stop.  You can see faces, too, in the windows of other houses, staring out at you, watching the rain and wondering the same thing you've been wondering all along: is this it? Of

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-19749918122807780662011-10-24T03:17:00.000-07:002011-10-24T03:17:06.508-07:00

I love Halloween.  I always have.  I think it's the combination of creepy and candy - and, of course, getting to be someone else for a night.  I think the disguise aspect of Halloween appeals to my writer sensibilities.  I feel like each of our characters are costumes we put on, extensions of ourselves.  Obviously the degree to which this is true varies for each character (I don't believe all

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-9178951900064544392011-10-22T07:59:00.000-07:002011-10-22T08:12:35.268-07:00

Greetings! I know I've fallen off the internet for a while...there's an explanation for that. It mostly involves living, but...yeah.Anyway, everyone knows NaNo's staring in a a week or two, which is exciting...and I have no idea what I'm going to be writing for it. Maybe I'm out of practice, or maybe it's writer's block, but...I really haven't got a clue what to write, and every idea I come up

Rhiannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10541594002436636345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-14567190140789144332011-10-11T10:34:00.000-07:002011-10-11T10:35:28.672-07:00

I get that this is pretty much the opposite of shutting up about NaNoWriMo, but being as the site officially re-launched yesterday and I finally got to update my author info and post my synopsis today (without cover art, sadly), I thought I would share with you the completed* synopsis.  I'm pretty happy with the cover, though there are one or two minor adjustments I'll make before publishing (I

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-17359886765827027782011-10-09T16:01:00.000-07:002011-10-09T16:01:46.400-07:00

The new NaNoWriMo site launches tomorrow and I will be officially signing up for NaNoWriMo 2011. Oooh, so excited! I'd love to know when everyone's put up their synopsis and cover art, too, so I can check it out. So much for shutting up about NaNoWriMo.  

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-60057376192552006422011-10-04T05:41:00.000-07:002011-10-04T05:42:37.263-07:00

I was going to try really hard to shut up about NaNoWriMo for October.  I was, because we all know that anything I find time to post on here in November is likely going to be NaNo-related graphs or complaints that I have writer's block. But. I was reading Chuck Wendig's 25 Things You Should Know About NaNoWriMo (which you should check out) and came across some text off the NaNo website.  I

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-14855174495056802792011-10-01T04:11:00.000-07:002011-10-01T04:11:15.247-07:00

There are so many people out there who will tell you that you can't. What you've got to do is turn around and say "watch me." --Unknown It's a little corny, I know, but I like it.  Having just read Chuck Wendig's post about self doubt, the idea of losing confidence has been on my mind lately. Last night, I got into a... not an argument, exactly.  More of a discussion... about self-publishing

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-18753283780041863702011-09-27T06:00:00.000-07:002011-09-27T06:00:06.432-07:00

Yes, yes it is. Well, that's my opinion, at least.  Or possibly, technology is making lazy people write more. My parents have this idea that because creating a professional looking manuscript is so easy now, people who would ordinarily be disuaded from sending their MSs to agents (or even bothering to complete them at all) are encouraged to keep going.   I think it's a valid theory.  I'm not

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-8045767501278683772011-09-25T11:38:00.000-07:002011-09-25T11:38:20.676-07:00

I miss libraries.  When I was a kid, going to the library (going, in fact, to this library) was a treat.  It was a place that seemed magical.  The library moved buildings when I was five, but what I remember about this particular library is that it had giant beanbag animal pillow-chairs (the one I thought of as mine was a ladybug) and one time, some kid tried to steal Babe, one of my favourite

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-30817598114378280182011-09-16T09:24:00.000-07:002011-09-20T14:43:35.393-07:00

So, being mildly obsessed with my NaNo and unable to start writing it, I've been making an uber outline (currenly 13 pages)and (dun, dun, dun-dun) written a synopsis. I've had a lot of trouble with the second part, actually, 'cause I'm not sure how to introduce a fanatasy world without making it sound completely lame (even though it's not).I was hoping you guys could give me some feedback on the

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-88995442131184920312011-08-20T11:18:00.000-07:002011-08-20T11:24:21.787-07:00

And it is epic. I stumbled across The Clockwork Dolls while browsing last.fm, and immediately went and bought their first album, Dramatis Personae. Their steampunk-y aesthetic, combined with the epic nature of their orchestrations, makes them the perfect soundtrack for the tentatively-titled Pediophobia (which mean "fear of dolls" and would be perfect if it weren't for some unfortunate

Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803567614298269421noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-83329504054624498072011-08-13T09:48:00.000-07:002011-08-13T10:00:30.302-07:00

Not in a bad way. It's just that I really want to start writing this story. Now. I think it's better for this story that I have to wait, because it's uber complex and being forced to think before I write is going to help both the speed and the quality of the writing, come Novembertime. But... I just... wanna. Since I'm in writing mode and can't write (at least, not what I want to write (

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-1304768646594565482011-08-11T05:09:00.000-07:002011-08-11T06:01:20.768-07:00

Well, we shouldn't. Not having the energy to change out of your pyjamas isn't an excuse to skip a day of writing, neither is not having a voice or coughing and sneezing inceasently. It's just one of those things. A sick day from a day job is a prime opportunity to spend the day in bed with your laptop and not feel even remotely bad about the other responsibilities you might be neglecting. Of

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-66278479126361298802011-08-04T03:47:00.000-07:002011-08-04T04:16:19.988-07:00

So, I'm thinking that if we have plot bunnies and marketing gorillas, we should have character squids. Squids, like the character descriptions, can sneak up on you. There are many, many different kinds of squids and all of them are complex and a little bit weird. And where plot bunnies can hop off in directions different from where we want or expect them to go, character squids can float in

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-30124442556186489422011-08-02T04:24:00.000-07:002011-08-02T04:45:09.278-07:00

I know NaNoWriMo is three months away, yet and we're all trying to enjoy our summers and relax (at least, I hope we're all trying to enjoy our summers and relax), but as I said last year*, August is when I always seem to have NaNoWriMo on the brain.I have no idea what I'm going to write this year. None. I've been stuck in a perpetual state of writer's block since I finished 2010's NaNo - and

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-48320120232097812692011-08-01T05:44:00.000-07:002011-08-01T06:04:27.331-07:00

I like the idea of taking two kind of tired, slightly worn-out genres and blending them into something new. Terry Pratchett does this with satire/social commentary and epic fantasy. The writers of Pluto Nash attempted it with crime drama, comedy and science fiction and failed miserably.Just wondering if anyone has any more examples of genre-mashing, whether brilliantly done or painfully

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-82737296603726656572011-07-21T04:47:00.000-07:002011-07-21T05:02:23.701-07:00

As you have very likely noticed, I've redone the DevCo layout once again. I hope you like it. Just a couple of quick things, then:My main reason for doing this (and for changing to a pre-made theme) is that blogger has recently added the ability to include separate pages within one blog, and I thought it would be nice, if instead of trying to squeeze descriptions of ourselves and our writing

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-35371847638091039542011-07-20T12:14:00.000-07:002011-07-20T12:15:47.263-07:00

Google still hates me, so I can't comment on any Blogger page unless it has pop-up comment boxes. Could you pretty, pretty please include them in the renovations? *flutters eyelashes, grins hopefully*

Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803567614298269421noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-53143906808879361742011-07-19T15:35:00.001-07:002011-07-19T15:36:59.937-07:00

Sorry for the state of things. I'm in the process of (I hope) improving the layout and look of DevCo, so think of this as the equivelant of a drop cloth and a bunch of paint brushes left lying around mid-redecorating.

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-11439476150218758682011-06-25T04:27:00.001-07:002011-06-25T04:38:34.259-07:00

I really want one of these laptop covers that looks like an old book. I think this is a bloody genious idea. I only have two small complaints. One is that the title of these books is very cleverly the name of the company that makes them, which is Book Book - and if you don't know who the manufacturer is, it kind of leaves you with the impression that whoever designed them doesn't speak English

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-90079808134946827152011-06-06T16:57:00.000-07:002011-06-06T17:53:56.806-07:00

I was reading Terrible Minds when I came across a link to this article in the Wall Street Journal, which made my blood a little boily. For one thing, I think the author is getting confused about what a young adult is; she indiscriminately switch between the terms adolescents and children, as if authors of YA fiction are out there giving their books away to five year olds.I'm not saying everything

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-83337694214586458672011-06-03T23:50:00.000-07:002011-06-04T00:01:26.458-07:00

Proof that even Nobel Prize winners can be complete dicks....-_-

Rhiannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10541594002436636345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-32022588605164475262011-06-02T20:07:00.000-07:002011-06-02T20:38:42.807-07:00

Athena, I was going to comment on your post, but Google hates me. So instead, I'm just going to mention here that I blame reality TV. Especially American Idol and its variants.But that's not all that I want to talk about here. No, I'm here to brag a little bit and also, hopefully, share a little bit of infectious glee and get some stories. What I'm talking about is that glorious, shining moment

Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803567614298269421noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-70550975860266880182011-05-11T11:11:00.001-07:002011-05-11T11:58:09.691-07:00

There are two problems that I can see with overnight success, the first being: it doesn't really exist. The second is, it can be proven to exist.This sucks for writers because, no matter how much we say we know it won't be easy and that we're willing to put the work in (and in fact, no matter how truthful we're being when we say it), all of us hope - and I would say that deep down, a lot of us

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-17858868078483683412011-05-03T10:09:00.000-07:002011-05-03T10:14:41.862-07:00

So, despite the whole not-having-a-day-job thing, my plan to write full time hasn't exactly been working out. I'd like to say that there are many reasons for this, moving and looking for a day job and stuff like that. The truth is, I could write, if I put the time in. I spent fifteen minutes today looking at FailBook. Entertaining, yes. Helpful to me in any way, not so much. I just feel so

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-23059240238173071212011-04-15T04:16:00.000-07:002011-04-15T04:23:21.756-07:00

I tried to visit this site a few minutes ago, and this is what came up. Apparently, DevCo is a known exploit, phishing or social engineering website. I don't know what social engineering is, but I'm pretty bloody sure we don't qualify as either of the other two. I don't know if this is something only I am seeing, or if everyone who tries to get onto DevCo is getting the same information if

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-68945978427134982942011-04-10T01:25:00.000-07:002011-04-10T02:13:51.200-07:00

Since I was about sixteen, I've known what I want to do with my life. I want to write. I do write, of course, but I want to write full time.The problem with this, I think, is that I'm not a very good writer. Don't get me wrong, I write very well*, but the fact is, I'm lazy. I'm inconsistent. I'll write for days at a time, forgo showering and eating, answer people with one-word sentences or

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-27693194400470754702011-03-23T09:35:00.000-07:002011-03-23T14:09:25.908-07:00

I wrote this in response to the Terrible Minds Flash Fiction Challange, Baby Pulp. My first attempt at pulp fiction. Enjoy.Let Sleeping Babes Lie.The question wasn't where the girl had got the kid – that was easy enough to guess. The question was, where had she kept it? Where, on that narrow, perfectly proportioned body, had she stored the damn thing? Red satin. I close my eyes and all I

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-10878712818389329202011-03-17T06:40:00.000-07:002011-03-17T07:22:40.788-07:00

Sorry for disappearing for forever. I've moved to England and I've been using that as an excuse to be lazy.OK, yes, leading up to the move, I really didn't have time to do any writing*, but I've been here for a month now, and I've hardly written anything, story-wise or blog-post-wise. I don't know why. I have time, energy, ideas. I'm just lacking... gumption?I don't know. Either way, I need

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-78919199422808519522011-02-02T01:44:00.000-08:002011-02-02T20:15:32.781-08:00

I've been thinking about self-promotion and marketing, trying to figure out what works best. What I've come up with is that, whatever it is, it's time-consuming. There's the Twitter thing. I haven't built up the number of followers on Twitter that I'd like, but honestly, I don't think it's difficult to do, just time consuming. I know of someone who, in addition to random Twittery things (My

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-51035626761514633492011-01-27T23:48:00.000-08:002011-01-28T02:18:59.766-08:00

They say there's nothing new under the sun. Whoever they are, it makes you wonder whether or not they're right.A lot of what we (as a society) produce seems to be based on, inspired by or downright copies of, things that came before. I'm not just talking about things (for the sake of this discussion, I'm going to stick to artistic endeavours) that were created with the intention of retelling a

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-22538185739477639302011-01-26T09:53:00.000-08:002011-01-26T10:03:02.985-08:00

The Novel is complete.This is A Big Deal. I'm under no illusions that it's perfect, or even ready to be read over by another human being, what with its gaping plot holes, loose threads, and wild inconsistencies in characterization, but it is now words on a page instead of words in my head. It's actually kind of weird, not having this project in the back of my mind. When I finish edits it's going

Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803567614298269421noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-85067882658883922332011-01-18T20:02:00.000-08:002011-01-20T00:43:45.694-08:00

I have so much going on right now. Not just in my non-writing life (which is wonderful and crazy-intense), but my writing world as well. I've got my normal 60+ stories on the go - I've been trying to pear (pare?) the list down to just a few, so I can complete some of them, and I think I'm down to about 5 that I'm actively writing. What I've discovered: 5 is still too many. I remember the

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-43592577606917170902011-01-11T03:42:00.000-08:002011-01-16T03:02:39.089-08:00

I think there is a propensity among professionals in general to believe their profession is among the noblest, most difficult and most incomprehensible to others - and for the most part, I don't think we writers are any different*. Sure, we understand the necessity devoting time, energy, money, blood, sweat and tears to our passion, but try explaining it to someone else. Not easy.I've only

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-42909030413224148242011-01-10T02:58:00.000-08:002011-01-11T01:34:44.187-08:00

As I am occasionally wont to do (generally for the laughs), I browse the paperback section at whatever passes for a grocery store/drug store and pick out something that catches my fancy. In this case, I grabbed Crave, by J.R. Ward, an author I'd never heard of, so I picked it on the basis of the cover alone.I also, in all truth, have completely exhausted my supply of books at home (which numbers

Rhiannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10541594002436636345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-6882583512590190462011-01-02T23:25:00.000-08:002011-01-03T01:11:12.360-08:00

***First of all, I'd like to wish everyone a happy 2011 filled with book deals and adoring fans.***Most writers write with an audience in mind, even if that audience is only a vague: people like me. Sometimes it's way more specific, with age, gender, even socioeconomic standing or ethnicity taken into consideration. Who a writer writes for will vastly alter what s/he writes, not to mention what

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-14905364452217793112010-12-27T01:02:00.000-08:002010-12-27T01:11:18.108-08:00

I've been working on building a world for my latest story (one that, hopefully, I will soon shelve in favour of finishing some of my others) and having a bit of trouble focusing my thoughts. I decided to go in search of some help online and found this. It's a list of fantasy worldbuilding questions from Patricia C. Wrede and it includes thought-provoking questions to make you consider every

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-9693873753116425572010-12-22T02:33:00.000-08:002010-12-22T02:42:41.927-08:00

An albino Father Christmas stood on the end table and at night, it came to life. It jumped down, plastic censer swinging from a cardboard-present clutching hand, and moved around the lobby. It went on the computer and changed the reservations, it looked at Internet porn. It chased the mice.In the morning, it went back, replaced its taffeta hat and waited for the guests. When they touched it,

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-20138083957818244582010-12-22T02:15:00.001-08:002010-12-22T03:01:52.591-08:00

This is proof positive that I'm bugnuts, by the way. Enjoy! And happy Solstice Rites Of Your Choosing!~~~When he woke, he was blind and cold and deaf and could not scream. He couldn’t move, either, but he could feel their hands.Sensation returned first to his arms; his fingers felt cold and brittle.Sight returned, then smell. The world was shades of grey, but he could see it and was thankful,

Rhiannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10541594002436636345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-17820353006084702402010-12-22T00:12:00.001-08:002010-12-22T00:26:18.497-08:00

I was thinking, as a kind of Christmas challenge, it would be cool if we each tried to write a 100 word Xmas story before midnight on Christmas. Neil Gaiman's Nicholas Was is proof that it can be done, but I know everyone is busy around the holidays, so no worries if you've got other things on the go. 'Twas just a thought.If you wanted to make yours a horror story, I found some inspiration for

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-91738808707516275832010-12-15T05:33:00.001-08:002010-12-15T05:34:37.566-08:00

I set us up a library thing account, which is where the lovely rotating book thingy comes from. If you want to add a book, just email me and I'll send you the account name and the password. You can add reviews and stuff too!

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-45884021733903039932010-12-15T00:48:00.000-08:002010-12-15T01:34:47.744-08:00

I was reading Terrible Minds and I found a link to this article by Edward Docx and Chuck Wendig's response. While the debate rages on on Terrible Minds, I thought I'd put my own opinions up here, since, well, I'm a DevCo writer first - and I've already posted two rather long comments on Mr. Wendig's blog.*Warning: reading Docx's article may lead to fits of rage, swearing, smacking the desk and

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-964892507225170452010-12-08T04:03:00.001-08:002010-12-08T04:12:38.217-08:00

Now that NaNo's all done with, and I've had a whole seven days to recover, I find myself wanting to write again. I had thought, a few days ago, that even putting a pen to paper would cause my head to explode in nasty ways, but it seems I'm wrong. Maybe it's because I've got time to sit around at work, sometimes, and I need something to occupy myself with, but really, I think it's because I'm

Rhiannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10541594002436636345noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-24969644122254461942010-11-30T22:42:00.000-08:002010-12-02T07:35:35.699-08:00

It's a little amazing to me that I want to be writing anything right now, up to and including this blog post. It feels like I've been writing my whole life. Okay, I have been writing my whole life, but what I mean is, it feels like I've been writing without pause for my whole life. Today was especially brutal and I'm still a little spaced from it - as evidenced by the fact that half-way

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-53494369249556040652010-11-29T23:21:00.000-08:002010-11-29T23:30:07.523-08:00

I'm done! Woot!Got me 50016 words in 29 days. Most of those are crap, and the story's not anywhere near done, but I still feel accomplished. Even if I basically just wrote a 50016 word outline for what will probably be two books, when I actually get through with it.But, for the next few days, I'm going to put it aside and ignore it and then start the mammoth task of stripping it of it's

Rhiannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10541594002436636345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-60472534035749334922010-11-23T17:27:00.000-08:002010-11-24T01:12:43.740-08:00

I think they're fantastic (I was especially fond of the one today from Lemony Snicket). But with a only week to go until the end of November, I thought some of us (me) could use some motivation that's a little more... agressive. Rhiannon deserves the credit for finding this; I'm just passing along the joy of her discovery. It actually applies to all writers at all times, but I think it's

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-92108330763737609002010-11-21T12:06:00.000-08:002010-11-21T12:12:50.452-08:00

My NaNo word count is at 28882. This means two things. 1, I am way behind where I should be. 2, that I have a kick-ass word count, due to it being a crazy palindrome, and I don't want to write anymore right now. But I'm gonna, 'cause I'm way behind.

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-78643802864175252002010-11-15T18:02:00.000-08:002010-11-15T18:08:25.996-08:00

Or in my case, 5000 words shy of being half way there. But it's the 15th, and everyone should (technically) be at 25000 words now.Since I'm not, I thought I'd put up the same excerpt that I put on the NaNo site, to keep you all entertained. And also to serve as a small distraction from the actual writing, which is mean of me, but sometimes necessary.Enjoy!(PS: I should mention that this hasn't

Rhiannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10541594002436636345noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-14293599488206468772010-11-05T23:14:00.000-07:002010-11-05T23:26:49.197-07:00

It's finally happened. They showed signs of rebellion, but nothing like this has ever occured. Yet. And now it has, and I can't stop grinning. I blame the fact that I created a character who was meant to be a bit mysterious and inscrutable.Okay. I'm getting ahead of myself. Basically, the story goes like this: Today I sat down and wrote like a madwoman. I'm nearing the grand finale, I'm worrying

Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803567614298269421noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-21387164836992361092010-11-02T01:50:00.000-07:002010-11-02T01:54:45.801-07:00

I'm sitting at work, waiting for my nails to dry (hooray for getting paid to paint my nails ;) and I thought while I was doing that, it might be nice for us to congratulate ourselves on being way ahead of the curve. So here is is, the chart that proves we're kicking November's ass. Now, let's hope the 2nd goes as well as the first did :)

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-41716111229889131712010-11-01T20:58:00.001-07:002010-11-01T21:00:52.135-07:00

I'm actually surprised I managed 5000 words today. (Well, 5098, to be exact.) And two scenes just popped out of nowhere. Funny thing is, they work, and they advance the plot and characters where I didn't know they needed advancing, and WOW is this ever fun.I didn't even write all of my free time today. I'm gonna try to get more writing done tomorrow.And I even managed to finish my essay, too!

Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803567614298269421noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-12936512898952197902010-10-31T21:07:00.000-07:002010-10-31T21:09:13.596-07:00

GO!Well...at least if you're anywhere East of Southern Ontario. You silly Albertans have to wait another two hours >;P

Rhiannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10541594002436636345noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-75519046413575414282010-10-30T23:35:00.000-07:002010-10-30T23:37:46.772-07:00

So, I came into work today (dressed as a sexy witch), all excited and thinking happily to myself that as of midnight, I could start work on eleven eleven wish. Because, as of midnight, it would officially be November 1.Yeah, not so much. At least now that it's after midnight, the sexy witch outfit makes a bit more sense. Happy Halloween, everyone.

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-37469708415942894162010-10-30T04:31:00.000-07:002010-10-30T04:32:30.328-07:00

...is anyone feeding the fish?

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-57085660256753225282010-10-29T20:42:00.000-07:002010-10-29T20:44:55.497-07:00

...O_OWho's ready? Because I know I'm not...Eep.

Rhiannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10541594002436636345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-27963280145538681972010-10-22T12:30:00.000-07:002010-10-22T12:32:35.609-07:00

I'm thinking of calling my NaNoWriMo story "The Hollow Of White Hazel"I'm not sure it fits, significance wise, but for some reason, my head's going 'Nope, that's it. No more ideas for you'.What say you?

Rhiannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10541594002436636345noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-10956217517179076842010-10-18T15:46:00.001-07:002010-10-18T15:50:40.901-07:00

So I think I've got the synopsis of my NaNo story worked out. I think. It's going to require a hell of a lot of research and decision making on my part, but I'm not too worried. It's a subject I'm actually interested in, so it should be okay. I just need a title.King Arthur returns from Avalon to find nothing is how he left it. His beloved Camelot is barely a memory, and no one speaks his

Rhiannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10541594002436636345noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-46128429580637001232010-10-11T23:44:00.000-07:002010-10-12T00:41:17.507-07:00

Three of us are signed up for NaNoWriMo, which means we kick ass. I've put NaNoWriMo Participant badges up next to each of our mini profiles. In the proccess of tinkering with CSS or Java or WeverTF language blogger is in, I accidentally deleted the link to my website. It's backish, but right now I'm too tired to fix it properly.Also, some ugh: due to my lack of computer, I didn't quite finish

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-10900519901846781342010-10-07T17:59:00.000-07:002010-10-07T18:02:49.914-07:00

Obviously me, as I have taken the plunge and officially signed up for this year's NaNoWriMo.eekMy page is here and I'd love to be writing buddies with you awesome people! I will be looking you up too, so...whoever gets there first, I guess.eek

Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803567614298269421noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-4984920637271830692010-10-04T11:12:00.001-07:002010-10-04T11:16:06.014-07:00

I've signed up for NaNoWriMo, have picked the story I want to do, and I'm halfway done the horror story for Terrible Minds.I feel accomplished. Except my NaNo story doesn't have a title yet. Bah. I'll think of one.Anyway, I'm still Elvish Kitty (don't ask) on the NaNo boards, so feel free to add me.

Rhiannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10541594002436636345noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-83625131041501226582010-09-21T14:32:00.001-07:002010-09-21T14:42:36.357-07:00

I loaned a copy of A/G to my boss and was delighted by his reaction (he was prodding me to do a sequel and called it "absolutely amazing" :) But I was a little embarrassed when he asked me how to pronounce Aigaion and I couldn't really answer him. The working title for the book, at the very beginning, was just Apple, and when I came up with the actual title, I was going more for what it looked

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-18007167213649478462010-09-20T17:06:00.000-07:002010-09-20T17:13:17.957-07:00

So, by now, you're probably well aware who Alison Strobel is (she's the author of The Weight of Shadows, which I reviewed on here, as well as several other novels). Alison recently reviewed my book and gave me the most flattering review I could hope for. She actually compared me to Terry Pratchett, which has to be one of the nicest things anyone has ever said about my writing. You can read

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-75517299013318164192010-09-19T08:22:00.000-07:002010-09-19T08:58:22.304-07:00

Well, we weren't, but I was poking around on his blog to day (it's awesome...I'm putting it in the links to the left because he's hilarious and brilliant and a free-lance writer and a figure worth learning from)...Anyway, he's doing a Flash Fiction thing. Details HERE, but basically, he wants 1000 or less words of vacation-oriented horror stories...by which I mean, monsters and shite, not "my

Rhiannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10541594002436636345noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-25374119998128299662010-09-10T13:30:00.000-07:002010-09-10T13:40:01.465-07:00

I've found another article that everyone might find interesting. This one's about an apparently pretty strong gender bias in the publishing world when it comes to book covers.I Write A Nasty Book. And They Want A Girly Cover On It.Discuss!>:D

Rhiannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10541594002436636345noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-67794057542378464892010-09-08T12:36:00.000-07:002010-09-08T12:54:02.714-07:00

Godchecker put the link to this article up on their twitter account. I read it, and thought, "Everyone at DevCo would love this", and (even though Bean's already got Godchecker on her twitter follow list thingy), I figured I'd at least let E have a go. >:DReally though; it's a good article about freelance writing and why you can get away without pants it's awesomeWhy You Should Freelance (

Rhiannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10541594002436636345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-37915559055040142432010-09-07T14:25:00.000-07:002010-09-07T16:26:51.899-07:00

I'm amazed that day job wasn't already a tag, given the nature of DevCo and the nature of writing today (as in, skill and perseverance pretty much have to be combined with unbelievable luck in order to get far ahead enough to no longer require a day job), but there you have it. I'm at mine right now.I came up with a great marketing idea, or at least an OK marketing idea, involving Twitter (I

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-88904040896074258512010-09-03T07:51:00.000-07:002010-09-03T09:01:35.096-07:00

We've talked before about the idea of a DevCo anthology. This idea came to me last night as I was trying to get to sleep. I'm not sure how feasible it is, but I like the concept, and I wanted to know what you guys thought about it.Years ago, I wrote a story about a vampire who accidentally acquires a human child and is forced to look after her*. Right now, the story is 60 pages, and even once

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-19423321962134233232010-08-26T15:22:00.000-07:002010-08-26T17:13:53.722-07:00

dI guess it's not that time of year again yet, but August is always the time when NaNoWriMo is foremost in my mind. I didn't participate last year and I've been regretting it for 10 months. This year, I'm definitely going to take part.My problem, as ever, is deciding which story I want to write. With Aigaion Girl, I picked the story that I thought was least-marketable, which I liked least of

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-415702316618072622010-08-26T14:33:00.000-07:002010-08-26T14:48:53.589-07:00

Hey, guys. I have a message here from Alison Strobel, author of The Weight of Shadows, whose book I reviewed a little while back. She sent us this message back in July, but, because of a combination of unreliable Internet and my forgetting to check one of my inboxes, I just found it today. Anyway, this is what Alison has to say:Hey there! I just wanted to say thanks to my fine blog hostess and to

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-73311886370365042882010-08-20T07:28:00.000-07:002010-08-20T08:06:14.879-07:00

Last night, I had the worst dream ever. Among the things one generally faces in a horrible dream (inability to escape, plans being continually thwarted, people attacking my dog), I dreamt that someone was trying to take my stories away from me. My dad had found out that if I don't write for extended periods of time, I'll start to hallucinate (this actually happens to me; I'd literally go crazy

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-15475043636202849602010-07-23T09:18:00.000-07:002010-07-23T09:40:18.212-07:00

Some People Just Need To Be Kicked In The 'NadsIt's the 'e-book vs. real book' thing again, only some tit has gone and made a deal with Amazon to sell all of the books he represents on nothing but kindle. Naturally, this has the publishers annoyed, especially since it cuts them right out of everything to do with the money involved. It also has me annoyed, because I don't want a Kindle and I

Rhiannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10541594002436636345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-46266531829208248042010-07-17T19:16:00.000-07:002010-07-17T19:19:12.017-07:00

...Should we have them?I'm guessing yes.This week - Song Lyrics. What makes them so damned effective? Or not, as the case may be. Got some favourites? Come on people - lets get this site moving again. >:D

Rhiannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10541594002436636345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-89293838190448927472010-06-25T17:08:00.000-07:002010-06-25T21:59:33.045-07:00

The Weight of ShadowsAuthor: Alison StrobelPublisher: ZondervanPublication Date: May 7, 2010Paperback, 320 pagesISBN: 978-0310289456I don't generally read a lot of Christian fiction. To put that more accurately, until recently I hadn't picked up a work of Christian fiction since I was still babysitting my cousins at their house (the youngest of these cousins has just finished grade 9, the oldest

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-64913242514955911622010-06-24T22:20:00.001-07:002010-06-24T22:28:50.611-07:00

Just wanted to remind everyone that Saturday is Devereaux Court's stop on the blog tour for Alison Strobel's The Weight of Shadows, and that everyone who comments on the post will be eligible to win a copy of the book.Also, on July 18, one week after the close of the tour, the author will choose one commenter from a randomly selected blog to receive either autographed copies of her first three

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-3937447671033888092010-06-14T13:00:00.000-07:002010-06-14T13:31:24.963-07:00

So now I'm at the point where I'm shamelessly plugging a product which I created for the sole purpose of shamelessly plugging my book, but what can you do?As much as it sucks, humble authors are often unknown authors, and I have to get myself resigned to the idea that in order to succeed, I may have to spend a lot of my time telling people how great I am, shamelessly plugging my own work and (and

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-50817043646050139962010-05-27T15:59:00.000-07:002010-05-27T16:01:42.760-07:00

I don't know where this came from or who drew it, so I'm using it without permission. Normally I wouldn't do that, but I had to show it off, and I couldn't think of a place it would be more appreciated than here. Please enjoy.

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-13030551336627796282010-05-23T18:07:00.001-07:002010-05-23T18:09:22.247-07:00

Our tour date is June 26, 2010, and there will be a give away. The rules are basically as follows: comment on the review/interview post, your name will go into a hat and we'll draw a winner. The winner gets a copy of Alison Strobel's new book, The Weight of Shadows.

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-40290070714018005462010-05-20T10:41:00.000-07:002010-05-20T10:53:26.209-07:00

I wrote this on April 26th, 2003, according to the little note I left at the bottom of its original post...which I believe was on Pile of Crap back in the day. I'm rather glad I did that...left the note, I mean, since otherwise, I'd have no idea when I'd actually written it.Anyway, I was reading it over again, and I don't think I would change any of it, awkward phrases included. It's rare that

Rhiannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10541594002436636345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-20453343234821437832010-05-17T13:20:00.000-07:002010-05-17T14:52:10.100-07:00

I've spent a lot of time over the last little while thinking about e-readers and whether or not they're going to eventually mean an end to paper books. I really hope not.It's not that I don't want people to be environmentally conscious. I do and I recognise that every little bit helps, so even though switching to ebooks isn't going to have the same impact as, say, driving a fuel efficient car

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-45776519587852056922010-05-11T10:50:00.000-07:002010-05-12T17:15:41.375-07:00

Someone on Book Blogs started a discussion (and posted this link to her blog) about gender bias in book selection. Apparently, she has a colleague who will not read books written by women. As a female author, this bothers me. As a human being, it scares me a little. As a reader, I can kind of see his point. I can't imagine deciding against picking up a book to read because its author is

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-10866355439647805992010-05-11T06:00:00.000-07:002010-05-11T09:45:20.008-07:00

Okay, that title is remarkably uncreative, but it's early and my brain is too fried to come up with anything more useful.So, my authorless book tour started yesterday. Moloch and the book travel to Mississauga, Ontario next, then on from there. There has got to be an easier way to maintain the flow of information about this kind of thing - and even as I type this, I realize that that way is to

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-90245881698029416522010-04-21T09:22:00.001-07:002010-04-21T09:45:53.725-07:00

Marco, the marketing gorilla! I kinda felt like DevCo could use a mascot (not that I don't love the fish!). What do you guys think?Also, on a total aside, I'm trying to find a way to a) put our profile pictures with our names at the bottom of each post and b) rotate the scribes list, so my name isn't always at the top. If anyone has any ideas on how to do either of these things, please let me

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-37044888311219131212010-04-19T09:45:00.000-07:002010-04-19T09:59:13.567-07:00

So, I went to my library today. Well, first I went to the nearby Williams so that I could grab a muffin and gather my courage, then I went to the library. I was crazy nervous until I convinced myself that all I was doing was asking the library to accept a free book. Finally, I made it up to the desk to speak to someone and was told that the library generally only accepts books from recognised

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-4015147933762927552010-04-17T21:45:00.001-07:002010-04-17T21:58:11.635-07:00

I'm really tired right now, but I just wanted to post this quick before I run off to bed.First, I wanted to mention something cool about Amazon. CreateSpace makes a point of telling their clients that their titles will not be available internationally, so today I started trying to figure out how to get my stuff to Canada. I figured I would have to sign up with another print-on-demand company,

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-48700562614702498322010-04-14T08:45:00.000-07:002010-04-14T08:46:23.185-07:00

Debut Novel, Back to the Homeplace, set in the Southern Missouri Ozarks Vision to Action Publishing announces the release of Back to the Homeplace, the debut novel of William Leverne Smith, a resident of Hollister, MO, on April 2, 2010. Hollister, MO, April 2, 2010 -- Back to the Homeplace, the debut novel of William Leverne Smith, will be available to the public on Apr 2, 2010. The novel is set

Dr. Bill (William L.) Smithnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-23794026522735952172010-04-06T19:36:00.000-07:002010-04-06T19:38:10.274-07:00

I'm now a selling published author!

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-87325493711760378572010-03-31T20:29:00.000-07:002010-03-31T20:55:17.676-07:00

Sooo...maybe this isn't as great an accomplishment as Athena's publication of AG (and congratulations to her! I promise I'll order it. One of these days). But it means rather a lot to me personally, and I know you guys'll party with me about it, so here goes.I have finally finished a short story I began over a year ago.Yeah, I know, I know. But that's the thing about the way I write. I get the "

Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803567614298269421noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-18373481040645428232010-03-28T12:52:00.000-07:002010-03-28T13:30:37.433-07:00

No matter how much a book may write itself, I've come to realize that no book is going to sell itself. So, a couple of random tips on how to get your book (/product/whatever) noticed and (hopefully) selling.First off, the press release. I didn't know this, but apparently, you need one. Any time a company launches a new product, or an author (or publishing house) launches a new book, someone

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-60564000896238354332010-03-22T21:30:00.000-07:002010-03-22T21:51:14.026-07:00

I guess elated would be as good a word as any, to describe the way I'm feeling. Maybe a bit shocky. Nearly a year and a half ago, I started writing Aigaion Girl ...a story of the end of days for the 2009 NaNoWriMo contest. I knew I wasn't going to win the contest, and I didn't care, I just wanted to write something. I picked Aigaion Girl because I didn't think the plot was very strong and I

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-18222604684369616362010-03-22T12:46:00.000-07:002010-03-22T12:59:27.206-07:00

Over the past couple of weeks, I've been shopping quite a few times and until my most recent excursion, had been forgetting to buy pens. Pens are an important tool for me, especially now, with my laptop out of commission and a shared family computer which is almost always in use. I don't like to write long-hand in pencil; the graphite always smudges.So, I was in Wal Mart, staring at a bunch of

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-70335355754892202922010-03-18T18:24:00.000-07:002010-03-18T18:57:43.551-07:00

Just in case anyone was interested...1. Love your characters. Ignore the Mary-Sue litmus tests that say that if you think of your characters as anything more than pawns, you are a bad writer and deserve to be shot. If you don't care (and care deeply) about what happens to your characters, your story won't have any life to it. Readers will pick up on this, and it will make your books less

Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803567614298269421noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-65307690416719768812010-03-11T09:34:00.000-08:002010-03-11T10:02:36.422-08:00

In response to Rhiannon's post, I thought I'd try to come up with the ten rules I follow (or should follow) in my own writing. Here it goes.1.Be true to your characters. No matter what it says in your outline, if two of your characters feel like getting into a relationship, a fight or a submarine, there's nothing you can do to stop it, so don't bother trying.2.Picture every scene like you're

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-33994755143601064272010-03-03T12:33:00.001-08:002010-03-03T13:50:14.541-08:00

I was poking around Neil Gaiman's blog today, as I am wont to do, and in the recent past he posted a link to an article called Ten Rules For Writing Fiction.There are more than ten rules/commandments. Actually, there are ten from several different authors. Some of them are complete bunk. Some of them are gems of wisdom. I haven't (yet) come across the one that essentially reads: "Break the

Rhiannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10541594002436636345noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-26130856642463958002010-02-22T12:39:00.000-08:002010-02-22T12:44:03.925-08:00

My website is FINALLY up and running. I think it's got everything it needs, apart from the minor issue of Aigaion Girl not being up for sale yet. Otherwise, I think it's looking really good. I need to come up with some more interesting news than that I've launched the site (which is what is currently showing on the news page) and remember to frequently update the "bits" page, but everything

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-3201140648622840842010-02-20T15:33:00.000-08:002010-02-20T15:35:42.765-08:00

Y’know, it’s surprising what you end up missing the most.Take me, for example. When I was first infected, I steeled myself for endless nights of angst. Never seeing another sunrise, never seeing my old friends and my family again, becoming a monster who had to kill to sustain my own existence, possibly being damned to an eternity in hell...I got over it. None of the old clichés really gave me

Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803567614298269421noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-22636767793174012292010-02-19T13:01:00.000-08:002010-02-19T13:18:23.267-08:00

I'm of two minds about this. In my very early writing days, I tried to come up with completely unique names for my female protagonists, and as a result, came up with very common names like Ariel and Violet and Adrianna. Now, I find I'm always torn between the extremes. I have characters named things like Apple, Caution, Emmeline, Fiercely, and then characters with names like Kate and Sophia.

Athenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326433374535082863noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599649145364470232.post-86301500707423956002010-02-18T15:24:00.000-08:002010-02-18T15:47:43.538-08:00

A few years back, I spent the best $0.25 ever at the library's discarded book sale, and bought Hylda Lee's To Find A Wishing Well.I'm really glad I did. I've never seen another copy of it, and everyone that I or Bean have ever mentioned it to gives us a funny look. It's obscure, which is too bad, because I think it's one of the best children's novels ever.It's about Lila, the 11th child of a

Rhiannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10541594002436636345noreply@blogger.com3