The theme that popped up most on my social media this week was writers looking for family members to read their stories and be proud. The fact is, I'm not convinced that most of our family members "get" us and the fact that we writers have so much going on in our heads. When I … Continue reading Writing and Readers
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Writing and Depression
I have a confession to make. I suffer from depression. I suppose if I'd been honest with myself or been more knowledgeable, I might have recognized it earlier in my life and been treated sooner. But see, I grew up in a time when mental illness, or mental health for that matter, was never discussed. … Continue reading Writing and Depression
Spring Has Sprung
Spring has officially sprung. Last week was the Spring Equinox, and the time changed a couple of weekends ago, so now I wake up in the dark, and it's light later in the evening. I can feel the change as the sun warms the atmosphere, cutting the chill from the air as the earth once … Continue reading Spring Has Sprung
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day
Aye, and begorrah, here ‘tis, Saint Paddy's Day! As you can tell, I took last week off from posting for several reasons. The first of which being that last Sunday was The Morning After the Night Before(TM). And I will admit to bleeding from the eyes a little that morning. Mostly, though, I couldn't focus—my … Continue reading Happy Saint Patrick’s Day
Friday Night Gamers
For the last handful of years, I've spent most of my Friday evenings in the virtual company of a group of like-minded gamers. Now, none of us is too serious about the game that we play, and we tend to argue like siblings, but we (mostly) get the job done. I've mentioned this group before, … Continue reading Friday Night Gamers
Write That Story
When asked how he writes, author Stephen King answers, "one word at a time." And that is precisely how stories are built—one word at a time. I struggle to stay focused on my writing, partly because I get bored quickly and partly because I spend a lot of my day job staring at words on … Continue reading Write That Story
Introducing: Aeryn Mateyus
Young Aeryn grows up on the island of Trivent in the archipelago called the Dragon's Snout Islands. She is the thirteenth child, and seventh daughter, of a sheep farmer in the Lowlands on the island. A big-boned girl, she is teased and tormented by some of her siblings for her size and strength. Not long … Continue reading Introducing: Aeryn Mateyus
Character Creation
My stories almost always start with character creation. When I create an avatar as I start a game, a persona for that character comes to mind. Sometimes that character is cheeky, sometimes quiet, always interesting—to me at least. When I first started writing my DDO fan fiction story a handful of years ago, I envisioned … Continue reading Character Creation
Worldbuilding III
Honestly, I have no idea whether my worldbuilding process is the right way, the wrong way, or just a way. I do know that Adara is slowly coming into focus as I write stories in the various regions of the continent. Even when I do write stories in other creations such as Eberron or the … Continue reading Worldbuilding III
Worldbuilding, Part II
It took me a while to find a focus for this post. I started out trying to make it about the spiritual and religious life on the continent but realized that the entire ecosphere of a world is intertwined. Economics is tied into politics is tied to religion, is tied to daily life. The economy … Continue reading Worldbuilding, Part II
J.J. Shaun 