Sam left the lean-to at dawn. “Stay here,” he said. “I’m gonna check me snares and see what I can find fer yer feet. By th’ look of ’em, they ain’t seen dirt for a while. I’ll try ta be back a’fore high sun.” Katra blushed. She knew he was right. The only times she … Continue reading Chapter 4: Reunion
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
“I like feeling my way into different minds and experiences. It comes naturally and always has.”~A. S. Byatt English novelist, poet and Booker Prize winner A. S. Byatt was born on this day in 1936.
“What the fu-” exclaimed Chase scrambling back. “Did you guys see that?” “See what?” asked Dreyah over her shoulder as she reached the base of the escarpment, unhooked from the line, and gave the rope a twitch to let Taliesin know that she had landed. “Kat … just …” he stammered. “Where’s Katra?” Dreyah asked, … Continue reading Chapter 3: Crystal Magic
As a fantasy writer, how do you unfold your world in a way that is interesting and makes sense to the reader? Some writers fold elements of their worldbuilding into the action and setting as the protagonist moves through their environment. Others describe the surroundings, then launch the action, not always explaining how some elements … Continue reading DIY MFA: Imagining a Magical World
Katra clawed her way to consciousness one painful realization at a time. Her last clear memory was entering a cave looking for her cousins, Elayna and Eliam, and climbing down a rope to a cavern filled with crystals. She vaguely recollected approaching and reaching out to the formations … then, she was here. Shivering, nude, … Continue reading Chapter 2: Confusion
If you read much, you already know novels are not limited to a single plot thread. A lot of books I’ve read have a main plot, at least one subplot, and a character arc. Your main plot is the scaffold on which you build the story and measure progress. Character arcs and sub-plots add depth … Continue reading DIY MFA: Growing Your Character
“I think people respond to dystopian stories because they're ways of acting out anxieties that we have and fears that we have about the future. So much media's coming at you over the Internet, your brain gets overloaded. You don't know what to do with it. And one thing you can do with it is … Continue reading Random Quote for August 10, 2020
Katra Alterian had been trying to call her cousin, Elayna, since yesterday, to no avail. It was not like Ela to ignore her calls. So, she drove to Ela's house to talk to her cousin. Katra ran into Talbot on her way to Ela's room. "Have you seen Ela or Eli?" she asked Talbot, the … Continue reading Chapter 1: Clues
“I make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes.”~Sara Teasdale American lyric poet Sara Teasdale was born on this day in 1884.
A piece of my scattered mind.
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 