(C) 2020, JJ Shaun According to Grammarly, I wrote almost sixty-one thousand words last week. I’m not sure that’s entirely accurate, considering how much copying and pasting I do. What I consider more impressive is that I’ve got writing data going back one hundred and thirty straight weeks. Not only that, but the app has … Continue reading Writing, Writing, and More Writing
(C) 2020, JJ Shaun A couple of weeks ago, I had a weird day. Weird in that I could not hold onto a writing prompt for the life of me. For the two weeks prior, I could look at the requirements for the contest and remember from one second to the next what those words … Continue reading Finding Words
I decided to mix it up during the week and offer some fiction writing in addition to a Word of the Week. (Yes, my adult ADHD has me, so the stories might jump around a little.) For the last two weeks, I’ve been using the daily writing prompts on a site called Writing.com to flesh … Continue reading Welcome to Wednesday Writing
“Enjoy a ‘world’ where the fantastic is fact and magic really works!”~Gary Gygax American game designer and author best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D [with Dave Arneson]) Gary Gygax was born on this day in 1938.
“There are no wrong turnings. Only paths we had not known we were meant to walk.”~Guy Gavriel Kay Canadian fantasy fiction writer Guy Gavriel Kay was born on this day in 1954.
Five weary travelers slipped onto the main trade road between caravans. They walked the well-trodden trade road toward the city of Blackmoor. By sunset, they had caught up with the procession they’d followed. They gnawed the few strips of the leftover darnni meat as they found a suitable spot near the wagons. Sam and Chase … Continue reading Chapter 7: Alliances
“Human nature is violent, argumentative, fallible, and given to endless fantasizing.”~Donald A. Wollheim American science fiction editor, publisher, writer, and fan Donald A. Wollheim was born on this day in 1914.
It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve worked on my DIY MFA. Part of the reason has been the massive forest fire in my back yard. Fortunately, we had an unseasonable snowstorm that helped the hotshot crews to get critical fire-breaks in place. Temperatures are on the rise again, so our break might be … Continue reading DIY MFA: The Importance of Reading
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
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
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
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New Writing Engaging with the Sacred
J.J. Shaun 