Make Life Really Freaking Hard For Your Hero

There comes a point in your hero’s journey where stuff has got to become very, very difficult. In the beginning, we’re meeting her for the first time, and life doesn’t have to be so super duper hard right now. But something’s gotta go wrong shortly. Once we’ve got a taste of her “ordinary world” what

Coryn of Bellsferry: Blood Thieves -Chapter 5: Unexpected Guests

Hunter aesthetic!  Coryn Aesthetic! Chapter 5 of Coryn of Bellsferry: Blood Thieves is here! Check it out on Wattpad! “I shivered, despite the summer heat. What if something happened to me? What if the Blood Thieves got to me? What would that do to my daughter, losing the person closest to her? She barely knew

What is it about a book’s first page that keeps you reading?

I’m curious: What is it about a book’s first page that keeps you flipping? Are you able to share an example of a book whose first page just grabbed you and held on until the last page? I want to know what book did that for you and why. Then I can go Amazon-“Look inside”-stalk

Killing Your Characters

So killing off characters in your story: is it fun for you, or torture? I’ve been on both sides of this fence, and I can say that now, it’s leaning toward more fun. For me, there’s something about the shock of it, the later oh-so-hoped for justice, the real-ness it adds to the danger and

FANTASY FRIDAY: “THRINE’S ‘HELP'” – THROUGH ELISENA’S EYES PART 2, CHAPTER 4 (SHORT STORY)

Read the previous chapters: Part 1, Chapters 1-2; Part 1, Chapters 3-4; Part 2, Chapter 1; Part 2, Chapter 2; Part 2, Chapter 3 Bewilderment’s haze fogged my vision while fear prickled my skin. With my umbrella closed, the toxic emotions of whoever lurked behind my dormitory’s giant door pummeled me. With a deep breath

Fantasy Friday! “He Peered At Me” – Through Elisena’s Eyes (Short Story) : Part 1, Ch. 3-4

*Click here to read chapters 1-2 if you haven’t already. He Peered at Me 6th of the Days of Warmth Distractions are harder to dust off than I’d previously planned. Especially when they are a handsome, hard-working, six-day-a-week presence. And when I’ve given so much thought and attention to them for so long. Too long.

Writing Craft Wednesday: Write to a Specific Audience

Who in Zephoris is your audience? The above photo is from my second time at the Florida Christian Writers Conference back in 2013. Everyone in this photo–minus Obi-Wan Brynobi–is in my target audience. I know exactly who I want to write for: teens and young adults. I remember seeing a teenage boy walking around Islands of