Category: Science Fiction

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Damnation Update!

For all you crazy cats just waiting for even the slightest tidbit of news about my latest novel… 😉 I’m happy to report that things are progressing smoothly. We haven’t set an official release date as of yet, but the book is going through editing, everyone I needed for the cover is onboard and working on it, and we’re officially on track. I personally … Read More Damnation Update!

Are Sequels Really Necessary?

“When did the need for series and/or sequels start, anyway? I’ve been reading Diana Wynne Jones’ REFLECTIONS ON WRITING, and she isn’t shy about sharing her thoughts on series arcs (that is, she didn’t like them). If memory serves, out of the gazillion books she wrote, only three, maybe four had sequels. Even in the Chrestomanci series, Chrestomanci himself is not always a primary … Read More Are Sequels Really Necessary?

Character Loss vs. Reality

This happens to everyone at some point. Either we meet the girl of our dreams… only to find out after pouring our hearts out to that person that they’re already engaged to be married! 😡 We see some treasured item that we really want, but can’t afford it, etc. The worst is when we find out that we could have had that something or … Read More Character Loss vs. Reality

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Author’s Advice Pt. 17

Writers, Sequel Bait is a very dangerous move to make, especially if you’re going to end on a down note. I’ve seen many good stories that didn’t fare too well on the market end with all their loose ends untied in anticipation of a sequel. I’ve seen it in movies too. Now, I understand that you’re confident in your writing and you want a good setup … Read More Author’s Advice Pt. 17

Character Redemption

What does redemption mean in literature? Well… for starters, what does redemption mean, period? The dictionary has two definitions: re·demp·tion rəˈdem(p)SH(É™)n/ noun 1. the action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil. “God’s plans for the redemption of his world” synonyms: saving, freeing from sin, absolution “God’s redemption of his people” 2. the action of regaining or gaining possession of something … Read More Character Redemption

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Damnation Q&A

So I know that this may be a little premature given that Damnation is beginning the process of editing, but given the level of interest, I thought I’d provide everyone a little bit of info as to exactly what Divinity’s sequel will entail. Spoiler Alert for those who have not finished Divinity, read no further!!! Q: What can we expect from Giovanni and Adalyn in … Read More Damnation Q&A

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Planning Your Book

“I would be very interested to know how you personally plan a book. I’m writing my first one and started in a very haphazard way. I’m normally quite good at holding information in my head but since I’ve started writing my book discovered I’m not as good as I thought I was. To begin with a wrote a few notes and launched straight in … Read More Planning Your Book

Author’s Advice Pt. 15

Learning Separation So you’ve created the perfect character or characters. They’re everything you wanted them to be. Their personalities are perfect, they’re well-liked by your audience, and everything is going well. Then as you get deeper and deeper into your writing, you begin to feel like you’re living through their experiences with them. Suddenly, you’re protective of that character and your writing becomes far more … Read More Author’s Advice Pt. 15

Author’s Advice pt. 14

Choosing to write characters that you hate into your story is a very bad idea. In a previous posting I talked about how you have to step outside of your comfort zone and often write a character that has views contrary to your own. Indeed this is a very good way of creating relate-able characters and keeping a dynamic story line going. However, that … Read More Author’s Advice pt. 14

Author’s Advice Pt. 13

Don’t let writing consume your life. So you’re writing, you have a great idea and you want to get the whole thing down while it’s fresh in your mind. It’s perfect and if you don’t write it down right now, you’ll lose it. I get it, I’ve been there. There is certainly nothing wrong with taking that moment to get that info down, but … Read More Author’s Advice Pt. 13

Going Against Your Beliefs.

So is it possible to ethically write characters or circumstances that go against your personal beliefs, code of honor, and/or standards? It’s not an easy thing to do, for sure, but to a point, I’d say yes. Allow me to provide an example: In college, I took classes dealing with European Socialism and Fascism. In one of the classes, we were asked to recreate … Read More Going Against Your Beliefs.

Author Advice Pt. 12

So… one thing I’ve always struggled with is how long each chapter should be. A few paragraphs, a few pages, what? The definition from Webster: Full Definition of CHAPTER 1 a :  a main division of a book b :  something resembling a chapter in being a significant specified unit <a new chapter in my life> 2 a :  a regular meeting of the … Read More Author Advice Pt. 12