A few weeks ago, I posted a story about Lyryk. In the past few weeks, I started her backstory from the beginning. This is where it would fit in the progression. This story came from another writing prompt I read shortly after my husky got loose from her leash and ran the neighborhood. At the … Continue reading Doggy Humor
Meegan Redoak is a character who has lived with me since the mid-1980s. I began writing her story when I returned from my first WestPac cruise while in the US Navy in 1986. I picked my first ever computer, an Apple-IIe clone, while on liberty in South Korea. When I returned stateside, I began writing. … Continue reading Looking Back
If you are writing fantasy, chances are your story has magic. A few of the questions that arise should include: What kind of world are you building? Does your world have magic? What kind of magic is available? Is the environment permeated in magical energy? Or does the magic only work under certain conditions? Does … Continue reading DIY MFA: The Limits of Magic
(C) Google Maps Now that I have my files back in place and the proper versions up and running, I’m able to get back to the twins and their predicament. I caught up with what Talbot has been up to and left the twins looking into the mouth of a cave that had an enticing … Continue reading Letting Characters Guide the Setting
(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 ShaunThe Happy Harpy Where do you start when a story comes to mind? For me, it almost always begins with a character or two, sometimes with a place. My latest endeavor starts with a little of both. So, where did this idea come from, and how has it been germinating in my … Continue reading Story Creation, Part I
Exciting characters make the most compelling stories—at least in my reading experiences. Maybe that's why my stories almost always begin with a character rather than a plot. Well, except one and I'm working on that. One of my first characters, Meegan Redoak, is still rattling around in my head. She and her friend, Skrie, are … Continue reading Character Creation II
One of the arguably grandest television events in history concludes tonight. A Song of Ice and Fire rates up there with The Lord of the Rings when it comes to enthralling story development, but what makes these stories the successes they have become? Well, in my opinion, they each bring something a little bit different, … Continue reading Tell A Riveting Story
I'll admit that I'm feeling my way through this whole "write your novel" thing. I've been reading a few of the writing magazines since university. I have a shelf full of books on the different aspects of writing the perfect novel. I have more different types of thesaurus references than you can shake a stick … Continue reading Plot Elements
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
Tavern Tales
Poetry BLOG By Edge of Humanity Magazine
New Writing Engaging with the Sacred
50,000 Monkeys at 50,000 Typewriters Can't Be Wrong
J.J. Shaun 