Category: Uncategorized

Can Writer’s Block Be Sexy?

Sometimes I don’t know what’s going on with my muse. All the same, have a little poetry.

A Page in Wait

White-breasted and virgin am I.
Lay eyes upon me,
then fingers.

Lay me down and press me,
smooth me under-palm.
A hitch in breath
at the first touch
of pen.

Thirsty fibres drink, saturate,
darken, flush with ink.
Pant with each scratch upon me.
Faster now.

Cover me, fill me to my edges.
Change me, claim me.
I shall never be the same.
Marked by your hands,
by your will.

Satiated?

There is another side to me.

What do Agents Want from Fantasy?

Do you know the #MSWL hashtag? If you’re looking to publish traditionally, you should! Welcome to the agent’s wishlist. Most-requested element? Diversity! If you’ve got a story brewing that you think will never sell because it’s “too weird,” take another look. It may just be what agents are craving.

Michael Martine's avatarThe Fantasist

It’s never been a better time to be a fantasy writer.

Why?

The genre is undergoing epic change.

Tolkienesque white straight male hero stories birthed the fantasy genre for our modern age, but now their sword arm weakens. They won’t disappear completely, nor should they, because there’s a place at the feasting table for everyone.

But they won’t ever be the same. They’re changing, and their transmogrification will continue, like a cursed hero who eventually realizes what he thought was a curse is actually a blessing, and so he ceases to seek its lifting and begins to take advantage of it instead.

More importantly, a more diverse kind of fantasy is growing, not as a matter of some deluded form of political correctness, but because people are starving for it. Writers are writing the stories contained within their hearts, and publishers seek to sell books to a hungry audience. And…

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Strong Female Character or Trinity Syndrome?

Strong Female Character or Trinity Syndrome?

I heartily enjoyed this article. It explains very succinctly what I am striving so hard to do with Phoenix and why it’s important to me that I don’t fail her as a female main character.

Clicky and read.

Hollow Vengeance – Update

Just a quick note to let y’all know that Chapter 6 of Blood of Midnight: A Hollow Vengeance is finished. That leaves me with seventeen more to go. Not bad!

I’m enjoying having a look over my notes and plans for what I want to happen in each chapter and happily flouting it if I don’t like it. This has not been my habit in the past. I tend to like to make plans and stick to them but I’ve been much more liberal with my writing lately. Yay! It’s less taxing this way.

Bonavista Writers’ Circle Turns Two!

On this day, two years ago, we held our first Writers’ Circle meeting. Since then, we’ve more than doubled our numbers and created a Skype-In option for out-of-town (or out-of-country) members. The amount of improvement I’ve seen in everyone, myself included, warms my heart in a way I can’t describe. All I know is that I’m so thankful for the group and all the participants who continue to bring their A Game each and every time they come.

It isn’t easy to show your work to people, even close friends. But the Bonavisters don’t play it safe. They put out weird experimental pieces, write outside their normal genre and age range, and even try out mediums they’ve never touched before like slam poetry. Sometimes it flies and sometimes it doesn’t but if they fear the red pen they sure as hell don’t show it.

There’s an immense sense of security that comes with knowing my friends won’t let me put out garbage. I can rest easy knowing that they will catch my flaws and help me fix them. I have learned so  much, and I am grateful.

So here’s to two wonderful years and many more to come. Skald!

Updated Story – I am The Way

Just wanted to let y’all know that the short story I am The Way has been edited and updated and is now much better than first posting. Thanks to my writer friends for the assist!

Periodic Table of Storytelling

Thank you to Lofnbard for showing me this little gem. So many hours of fun!

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Warning: may cause several lost hours of browsing TV Tropes. 

Facebook Bingo

We’ve all had days like this. So I decided to create a little game to cheer myself up. Hopefully you’ll get a chuckle as well! Feel free to share with your friends. I’m pretty sure we’re all winners almost every day!

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Fantasy Race Template

I found a neato template for creating fantasy races. I might tweak it a little for personal use, particularly the “alignment” bit. Defining an entire race as good or evil seems a bit problematic to me, after all. And I’d like to expand the physical limitations section beyond simply speed and strength.

In other news, I continue to work on the short story with Casey and Staruff. The going has been a bit slow given that there is noisy construction upstairs that is making it hard for me to concentrate. Bleh.

Stay awesome y’all.

Happy Spring!

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Oh fuck off …

ANYWAY, just a little post to say I’m finished with the first draft of Chapter 1 of Hollow Vengeance. Now I’m going to work on another short story, this time featuring Casey and Staruff, my crazy mercenaries. Ever wonder how these two guys met? Prepare yourself! All shall be revealed! Okay maybe not all … but this particular detail.

Stay warm y’all!