(C) 2020, JJ ShaunTalking to my characters. As writers, we frequently stare at a blank page and struggle to find a place to begin our stories. We know what we want to write, we just don’t know where to start. I know I do, and judging by the social media comments, a lot of you … Continue reading Getting to Know Your Characters
(C) 2020, JJ Shaun When I was in junior high, my best friend Sue tried to get me to keep a journal. I never got the hang of keeping a daily diary. Instead, I learned to write hard feelings on paper and just ignore the carefree days. I wish I had some of those early … Continue reading Snapshots in Time
I’ve spent the last week reading the notes and stories I’ve written over the years. I’ve also sketched out my new concept and researched a few ways to twist some existing ideas into something unique and different. As I began typing, I realized that I could launch my story into the looking glass from either … Continue reading Listen to Your Characters
(C) 2020, JJ Shaun I try to sit down to write every day. Lately, the time I set aside to write has gotten shorter, mostly limited to keeping this blog. Don’t get me wrong, I have a ton of ideas running around my head, it’s just my motivation is minimal. I decided to look at … Continue reading Transforming the Old Into Something New
Creative words are hard these days. Practically every post or story I try to write morphs into a commentary on the world of today, along with the challenges we are all facing. So, I’ll start there. As I’ve said before, I live in a very rural area. The closest grocery is about 45 minutes away, … Continue reading Finding Normal
(C) 2020, JJ Shaun Typically, I limit Sundays to writing about writing. Today I’m stepping out of my publishing schedule to make yet another pandemic-related public service announcement. Why? Because new data is hitting the presses every day, and a lot of that information is false and put out to generate fear. I try to … Continue reading Facts for a Pandemic
I first heard the term, “beware the Ides of March” back in high school. But what does that mean, exactly? The Ides of March is a date from the Roman calendar that referred to the first full moon in March. It was also a deadline for settling their debts. Because the Romans used a lunar … Continue reading The Ides of March
(C) 2020, JJ ShaunTo be read pile I’ve been trying to catch up on my reading. My TBR pile keeps growing, mostly with the magazines I subscribe to. Admittedly, the magazines focus on the American publishing industry, but they do sometimes have articles that discuss international publishing requirements. I have been reading Writer’s Digest for … Continue reading Reading to Improve Writing
(C) 2020, JJ Shaun For years, I listened to audiobooks on my commute to the office to help me catch up on my “reading.” And, honestly, I’ve been struggling to finish the last series I started listening to. It could be that the rip-roaring semi-fantasy story turned into more of a romance than I expected, … Continue reading Stories Abound
I spent the last 25 or so years concentrating on my career as a Technical Writer and dabbling in fiction writing. Needless to say, I’ve missed a lot. I am just now discovering things like Critical Roll, Writing Excuses, and Trope Talk. Since I’ve found these treasures, I’ve been madly listening to and watching what … Continue reading Late to the Party
Books, games, music, and life — filtered through the mind of a writer, drummer, and philosopher who thinks too deeply about all of it. If it moves something in your chest, I'm interested.
Tavern Tales
Poetry BLOG By Edge of Humanity Magazine
New Writing Engaging with the Sacred
J.J. Shaun 