“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” ― Toni Morrison
Neil Gaiman's law- being that no matter how much a book is proofread, upon opening a printed copy for the first time, the first thing you'll see is a typo. I wasn't sure I believed in Gaiman's law until I submitted a short story to a competition the other day. I reread it a hundred times.… Continue reading Gaiman’s Law, Typos, and Pain
I was checking my blog stats the other day when I saw a little message pop up informing me that it was my 7th Bloggiversary Now, as someone who still thinks 2019 was a couple of months ago, this came as a real shock. Have I really been blogging for almost 10 years? What can… Continue reading My 7th Bloggiversary
Writing the first draft for a novel is hard. Writing the second draft is harder. As a notorious quitter with a graveyard of W.I.P.s on her laptop, I was surprised when I actually wound up completing the first draft of my passion project. Considering how often I become overwhelmed by the prospect of cramming all… Continue reading W.I.P Novel Draft 2- Electric Avenue: The Emotional Stakes Are Higher
I have had this blog several years and, in the early days of its evolution, I wrote "writing advice." Yes, the girl who had yet to be published or showcase her writing on any sort of platform thought she would grace the world with her wisdom on writing. Since then, however, I've mostly shied away… Continue reading Most Writing Advice is Bad
It has been two years since I wrote about The Winds of Winter and its slow progression towards release. I heard some time ago that 2020 was a productive year for Martin, inspiring words considering how long this novel has been in the works. The last installment, A Dance with Dragons, was published in 2011… Continue reading Words are Wind: A Depressing Update for “The Winds of Winter” by George R. R. Martin
I want the record to stand that I don't consider myself the moral arbiter of fiction. While I will critique until I am blue in the face, I'm not one of those people that gate-keeps topics or disallows people to use certain tropes, provided there can be an honest and intellectual conversation about them. That… Continue reading Infidelity Isn’t Sexy: A Rant About a Tired Romance Trope
Author's note: I have been wanting to write a bit more on the nature of critique and the relationship writers have with critics for some time now, but I have realized it will likely take more than one post in order to properly articulate all my feelings on the subject. As such, I will do… Continue reading Writers v. Beta Readers: Critique Series Part 1
I like to think I have acquired a decent collection of words over the course of my life. Words are, after all, a writer's currency. Barring the ability to articulate a certain vision, words are arguably the most important tool in a writer's arsenal. Without them we are useless. However, ever so often, I find… Continue reading Writer Problems: Word Drought
In preparation for my own novel, I've been reading quite a lot of fantasy novels to get me in the right headspace. As such, I've been exposed to the normal trappings of fantasy lit i.e, magical creatures as racial allegories, repurposing of traditional folk-lore stories and, of course, the concept of "destiny." Destiny gets a… Continue reading Opinion: Thoughts on “Destiny” in Fiction
I wrote a couple weeks ago about my conversion from a pantser into a plotter. Since then I have continued to hammer away at this outline and I thought it would be interesting to talk about my experience with it so far. Firstly, I still find my new and improved method of plotting leaps and… Continue reading Diary of a Pantser Turned Plotter: Status Update
The Crooked Pen 