While drafting one of my posts for Sci-Fi November I hit upon the fairy tale legacy. It’s something I’ve recognized for a while, you probably have too even before I gave it a term. The fairy tale legacy is what everyone seems to be constantly fighting against – the idea of a princess that needs […]
I have a fairly robust vocabulary. I’m pretty sure it’s from reading so much as a kid without any concept of “reading level.” And I love nuance in words. Maybe that comes in part from my vocabulary and maybe it’s just a part of my personality – I don’t know. But the subtle differences in […]
Years ago, so many years ago the link is long gone and there is no evidence of this quote other than my memory, Scarlett Johansson was giving an interview because she was starring in The Island. I can’t remember the question but her response to it has (obviously) stayed with me. She said how great […]
The thing about fantasy worlds is that they require a bit of a new language; at the very least new words. Or familiar words with unfamiliar spellings. When I was writing Tattered Heart I selected and created words to evoke the culture of this story. I didn’t really consider the pronunciation of these words because […]
I hadn’t planned on doing an audiobook. I hadn’t really planned on much of anything. When I first decided I was going to self-publish Tattered Heart it was just going to be an ebook for who knows how long. Then, maybe, something hard copy. And that was it. But I got a request through goodreads […]
I was going to use a more interesting subject – something along the lines of “no going back” or something else I thought of one day and have since forgotten but then I decided the smart marketing move would be to just say you can read Tattered Heart now. In fact, you can buy a […]
In any artistic medium there are two positions of power. The content creators and those who control the distribution channels. The studios in Hollywood are such a force to be reckoned with because they often manage to be both, sort of. Because they control a third piece that is integral to the process and historically […]
I love stories. I even like stories about stories so I’m going to subject you to mine. I’ve written Tattered Heart probably a dozen times. Officially, there have been 10 drafts, but that doesn’t count the two or three false starts where I couldn’t figure out how to get from the beginning to the end […]
Last night I wrote 300 words in my current novel. It wasn’t much – a little paragraph and a snippet of a scene. But there was something about it that was immensely satisfying. And then I figured out what was so great about 300 words. They were my words. My style and my voice and […]
I seriously dislike the term Mary Sue. I used to despise it quite fiercely but writing this post siphoned most of that venom. I’m still bothered when I see that term used in a review or blog post. I always want to link back to this post with a comment that I don’t think they […]