Successful stories are about something. They don’t always have lots of action, but they’re about something. Good stories have good (as in well written and engaging) characters. Those characters can’t just be two-dimensional cutouts. They need thoughts and emotions. They need to believe something. When that belief comes with trust and confidence (and it should)Continue reading “Stories of faith”
Tag Archives: fiction
There’s still time… But not much!
If you’re reading this when the post went live, we’re about two weeks into the virtual conference/pre-conference for the 2022 LDSPMA conference. There’ve been some interesting sessions. I’ve learned a thing or two and took part in discussions on manuscript prep, book design, and how to handle “fast pitch” situations in selling the things weContinue reading “There’s still time… But not much!”
A world of your own (Part 1)
As writers, we’re told “Write what you know.” That can be interpreted several ways. Does it mean write based on your experience? Yes. Does it mean you can only write characters exactly like you? I hope not… (Talk about a ‘send in the clones’ situation…) Does it mean we have to write things in theContinue reading “A world of your own (Part 1)”
Scenes and encounters
As a writer, I build scenes. As a game master, I build encounters. There are differences, but there are similarities too… Encounters and scenes have different requirements and components. I usually introduce outside characters and creatures in an encounter, but not as often in a scene. Scenes might focus on the actions of a singleContinue reading “Scenes and encounters”
Writing the Paranormal Novel approachable, straightforward, and useful
Writers need to be readers as well. And, if we’re going to be readers, it’s natural for us to talk about what we read. This week we’re looking at Writing the Paranormal Novel by Steven Harper. Is it perfect for everyone? Probably not. Is it useful for people who want to learn about writing? I’mContinue reading “Writing the Paranormal Novel approachable, straightforward, and useful”
The Great Gatsby
Previously, on Forever Mountain Publishing… I talked about reading Shadow of Ender and Enders Game as part of my ongoing study of character representation. I also said I’d read The Great Gatsby. Well, I did and I’m glad I did. There’s a lot you can learn from reading other people’s stuff. In the case ofContinue reading “The Great Gatsby”
NANOWRIMO vs the writers’ conference
Well dear reader, it’s true I’m doing a National Novel Writers Month project again this year. It’s also true that I was at a writers’ conference last week. And, to be honest, the writers’ conference both hindered and helped me in my thinking about NANO this year… Things that get in the way… My wifeContinue reading “NANOWRIMO vs the writers’ conference”
Side stories and tangents
Yes, dear reader, I’ve been editing again. And editing has gotten me thinking. Sometimes a book has too many b, c, d, etc. stories. If you have too many side stories and tangents, it’s easy for a reader to get lost. But sometimes there are too few. Some stories are pretty relentless in following aContinue reading “Side stories and tangents”
An update… Or lack of one…
We all have to wait occasionally dear reader. And let’s be honest, waiting is hard. Last October I submitted my book Names and Secrets for publication. The time line for response was 12-16 weeks. Well, as I’m writing this, we have officially hit the 16-week mark and… I have heard nothing! But that’s not aContinue reading “An update… Or lack of one…”
And then there were three…?
This month I started editing Identity and Birthright a sequel to Names and Secrets, the book I submitted for publication in October. This week I made a hard decision about the book: I’m splitting it into two manuscripts. During the editing of Names and Secrets, I made the hard choice to leave several chapters onContinue reading “And then there were three…?”
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