I am still breathing, though the summer has been happily gutting my free time and keeping me distracted as I wait for the marks from my tax course (it is exactly eight weeks from my writing the exam to my receiving the marks). But, in response to that, you're getting a double post, two thoughts and ideas for the price (free!) of one. Firstly, the last of my 'cover blurbs.' Jason Kilkenny came to Calgary because it was a supernatural backwater. The Changeling sought to avoid the ... Read more »
General Writing
Time Skips
I was going to write out the blurb for Vigilante, but I remembered as I was starting that Vigilante is currently under re-write, having been chopped into two pieces due to a mis used time skip. This set me to thinking on time skips, and when and how to use them. In it's simplest form, a time skip is the little text that pops up on the bottom of your tv screen of 'ten years later.' They're used quite a bit in writing - from one perspective, any time you end one scene and start another that ... Read more »
Sequels
So, with Changeling's Fealty finalized and in the agent's capable hands, thoughts are tumbling through my head on the sequel, tentatively titled either Changeling's Duty or Changeling's Oath... still working on a name :-p Historically I don't have a good track record with sequels. The second ONSET book languishes at about 10,000 words and an outline. The one to my alternate history space opera (first novel I ever finished, honestly pretty unpublishable XD) made is about the same. One ... Read more »
Twitter!
This blog is now linked to a public twitter account - @faolanspen Follow @faolanspen for shorter commentary than I post here, and to be notified when this blog updates! Glynn Stewart ... Read more »
Edit Update
So yesterday morning I turned in a final set of minor edits on Changeling's Fealty to the Agent. Most of it was minor things - adding a few more references to landmarks in Calgary to the book that locals will recognize. Some snarking at the Calgary Tower (totally inevitable. It's a 'landmark free standing tower'... thats shorter than many of our office buildings) The other included edit was explanations of a few things. It is very easy, when writing, to just have something happen ... Read more »
Things to do as a Writer
So, while I work on editing the second draft of Changeling's Fealty and writing an outline before the deadline agreed with my agent hits, I'm going to take a few minutes to write things I think are helpful to being a writer and becoming a better writer. 1. Write. It seems simple, but its very easy to talk about your amazing story idea... and never do anything with it. 2. Read. Never stop reading. Fiction, for enjoyment and to learn style tricks. Non-fiction, for information, for ... Read more »