I've been writing a bit about race and racism lately, but one thing I haven't mentioned is how this could influence a novel. And, since my blog is primarily about writing, I figured it's something worth discussing. Many people feel that they need a racially diverse cast of characters to reach the modern reading audience. … Continue reading Does it matter if your novel is “Multicultural”?
Category: Reading Matters
I have come across a few readers, at various times, who avoid certain fantasy books just because the authors are Christian. No other reason is given; they even admit that, until they read a remark in another reader's review, they didn't know the author's religious beliefs. And it made me wonder why this matters. Can … Continue reading What Makes a Christian Author “Christian”?
Description from Author: Korinna's life gets turned upside down when the ghost of her father suddenly appears. Her father was duke of Kyratia City and he wanted Korinna to marry his warlord, the foreign mercenary Galenos, and inherit his title--but the city's Council has other plans. When the Council denies Korinna's right to rule, she … Continue reading Book Review: A Flight of Marewings
I recently discovered a whole new (to me, at least) kind of fiction, where you don't have to focus on the story. You don't have to figure out your main question and answer it. You don't even have to wrap up all the loose threads for it to be complete. This is the sensational novel. In … Continue reading Writing a Novel for the Senses
I'm not talking about following your passions in each and every life decisions. If you follow your feelings in what you do each day, your life will turn into a mess and you'll never get any work done. But, in writing, following your passion can help you discover what you really like writing about. Because just … Continue reading And Always Let Your Passion Be Your Guide #amwriting
Description per author: Nat Sheppard’s world is turned upside down on the first day of the school holidays by the discovery of a secret room containing cave maps with clues to an ancient treasure. But Nat and her friends soon discover they’re not the only ones chasing the jewels. Professional treasure hunters are on the … Continue reading Book Review: The Secret of Sinbad’s Cave
Every fictional novel not set in contemporary times requires world-building. You might be able to "cheat," as it were, and do it via extensive research about what a past time period was like, rather than creating a brand new realm, but the situation is similar. Either way, the details are what sets your story apart. … Continue reading The Secrets to World-Building #amwriting #atozchallenge
Villains are a part of a great deal of fiction. Not every story has to have one, of course, but the action/adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres tend to rely on the presence of evil-minded characters pretty heavily (and even romance can have a trouble-making rival). But what are our options when it comes to … Continue reading What To Do With Villains? #atozchallenge #amwriting #fantasy
There are moments when all of us have tried too hard, one way or another. We have a particular goal, and we're striving towards it. Despite the fact that our writing isn't flowing naturally, we keep on, fighting the current and our own writing tendencies (and sometimes, our own characters). But whenever this happens, … Continue reading The Dangers of Trying Too Hard #amwriting #atozchallenge
I've been looking forward to writing this for some time. And now that we're at "P"...here goes! Early on, I'd never heard of the difference between pantsters and plotters. I just wrote. But then, as I interacted with other authors, I came to realize that everyone doesn't write a story in the same way. Some … Continue reading A Pantster or a Plotter: How Do You Write? #amwriting #atozchallenge
Andrea Lundgren 