Tragedies and the Loss of Innocence

I don't know how to describe my feelings about this WIPpet post. The events that occur in the scene I will present break my heart but mostly because I know what has happened, and what will happen. Hopefully for the rest of you, without all its context, it won't be too disheartening. But more on …

You asked for more (WIPpet)

Because for the last few months I haven't been particularly generous with my WIPpet contributions, here is a slightly longer excerpt. Be happy and join us! So today is the 15th and I have for you the beginning of chapter 15. Once again, not a happy part of the story. Kara has gone to war …

Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away!

Opening lines. As I write these words, dramatic music fills my head with lots of dum-da-dums and cello/timpani combinations. The words or the notes you begin with shape the mood of your entire story. I'll admit, I've never been particularly good at them, probably due to my tendency to give plotting a very wide berth. …

Ten Favourite Characters in Fantasy

Once again the constraints of the number ten prove challenging in this weekly meme hosted by the Broke and Bookish. Choosing the genre was a no-brainer. About 70% of all my favourite characters live in a fantastical world. Below are my top ten: 10. Ana (Percheron, Fiona McIntosh) Against all odds, when even the gods …

Rejection.

Yes, this is yet another writer writing about rejection. Boo hoo and all that. I don't ask you to read this; you may if you wish but you can also choose not to. As writers, we so often talk of rejection as our slighly masochistic bread and butter - it makes us better, stronger, blah, …

In the last few…

In the last few days, I've been writing heaps more than usual. Which is great, of course, because I need another 80,000 words on my first draft. But today's post isn't about writing but about life. Or more exactly, death, and its relevance to life. Be warned, this next bit may get philosophical. Personally, when …