Plans for May

April was every bit the month I’d hoped, at least as far as writing was concerned. I completed the final review of my book series, drew a more complete-looking map to accompany it via some mapping software (future post topic for sure!), and continued to work on another rough draft. I also reviewed for one last time my middle grade animal anthology, Woodland Tales, which I’m pleased to say is now available for pre-order!

This month I shall continue my current rough draft, give the final review to my next novel (coming in August), and make a couple maps to accompany them both. I may also continue rough draft work on an older project and begin the research process for a nonfiction book, which I hope to release either late next year or else in 2023!

Formatting a Fiction Manuscript

This one’s been done to death I know, but there’s no harm in going over it one more time. When you give your work to a publisher, the editor will almost always expect you to follow certain conventions regarding the format of your manuscript, and in some cases it can make the difference between acceptance and instant rejection. Therefore, I’ve come up with this straightforward guide to tell you what you ought to look for.Continue reading “Formatting a Fiction Manuscript”

The Process of Self-Editing

Editing and revising can be the most tedious or the most exciting part of the writing process. On the one hand, you’ve completed your rough draft (a stage many people never make it to) and are well on the way to finishing up. On the other hand, going over the same material again and again can be time-consuming (if done properly) and mind-numbing. But if you’re not going to hire a professional for whatever reason, then there’s really only one option left, and that’s to do it yourself.Continue reading “The Process of Self-Editing”

Ten Problems with ‘Watership Down: the Series’

Having recently reviewed it, perhaps the worst small screen adaptation of a book I have ever seen is the 1999-2001 series Watership Down by Alltime Entertainment and Decode Entertainment. I’m not speaking in terms of production, of course. On the contrary, the animation and voiceovers were on the whole quite good. However, as far as keeping true to the original story and logical consistency in the plotline goes, I’d have to give this one an F-. Here are some of the biggest reasons why:Continue reading “Ten Problems with ‘Watership Down: the Series’”

Plans for April

March was a fine month. Certainly better than February, and possibly more productive than January. In it, I continued my ongoing rough draft, reviewed a couple more novels from my main series, and finished some interior illustrations for my anthology coming later this spring. I also found out that I had an article published back in February I was not even aware of!

April has the potential to be even better still. I intend to finish reviewing my primary series, continue working on my rough draft, and prepare my animal anthology for release next month. I would also like to create a definitive map for one of my series, but we will see about that.

World Building

The most important aspect of any book next to character is setting, for without it there would be no context for the story to exist. I would go so far as to say anywhere from one third to half of any story has to do with establishing the surroundings in which the action can unfold, depending on how familiar the setting is to the intended audience. The process of world building is going to be different for each author, but here I’ll offer what advice I can from my own experience.Continue reading “World Building”

The Worst of the Worst: Making Believable Antagonists

Continuing from last week’s post on creating good characters, I will now give a look at how best to portray those characters who are often far more interesting: the baddies.
For the most part, the same rules apply to making good bad guys as making good good guys: show rather than tell, make his/her problem both relatable and believable to the audience, and be consistent. Therefore, I highly recommend reading my previous post first. However, the villain in your story is generally playing a different, sometimes entirely opposite role to your hero, and with the changes in role come subtle changes in the nuances of how the character is constructed.Continue reading “The Worst of the Worst: Making Believable Antagonists”

The Best of the Best: Making Believable Protagonists

While not all protagonists are good, it’s true, they are nevertheless an essential ingredient to any story (with a few abstract exceptions). It might seem easy to make a lead character who is generally likeable, and for some it is. But for others, creating a character out of thin air who is both interesting and believable can be a real challenge. This is easily overcome, however, if you practice following a few simple guidelines.Continue reading “The Best of the Best: Making Believable Protagonists”

Plans for March

February was not all it could have been. The last week in particular had a lot going on (hence the lack of any substantial posts). However, progress was made on one rough draft and the first two books of my series have been reviewed as hoped. Yet another poem was accepted for publication by The Pangolin Review.

March will hopefully be a month of greater fulfillment and warmer weather alike. To begin with, I have decided to take down my page on editorial service offerings. As no one has shown even a modicum of interest, there is no real reason to keep it around. At least at this time.

My rough drafting and final reviewing will continue apace, and I may even begin work on a new project. Or else I may begin doing research for one of the many nonfiction book projects I’ve been considering lately. Either way, March promises to be an interesting month. And with 31 days, there’s plenty of room to pack it with good things!

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