We had some lovely and amazing carved pumpkins in our neighborhod…but I miss jack-o-lanterns. I love the old-fashion, grinning, trangle-eyed pumpkins. (We always used the triangles from the eyes on top to make cat ears when I was young.) I hope they don’t go away, just because people can now do neat artwork, too.…
Wonderful treat today! A guest blog by pirate author Misty Massey. Today she writes about the origins of the excellent website for writers: Magical Words. Mad Kestrel by Misty Massey Cool girl Pirate kicks butt! ————————————————————————— In January of 2008, I was anticipating my first novel hitting shelves, and honestly panicking about how on…
I mentioned before that I seldom read reviews. In commenting on the anti-Catholic thing, I neglected to mention the good part. All my life, I’ve wanted to write a certain kind of story…a story that read like poetry, that spun a story of magic and wonder and wowed readers with that same sense of joy…
I normally don’t read reviews of my books, but last night I glanced at a few. I was delighted with how well Prospero In Hell is being received. By accident, however, I found myself on the Amazon.com site for Prospero Lost and noticed that there was a 1 star review. I clicked on it expecting…
Today’s essay is on how to write villains. Brief disclaimer: I do not believe I have any expertise in this, but I asked around and this is what I have been able to discover. The key to a good villain is that he presents a good challenge to the hero. That is it.…
From a friend’s list of 15 favorite authors. 1. Moon 2. Zelazny 3. Simmons 4. Pratchett 5. Brust 6. Clark 7. Rand 8. Tolkien 9. Lee 10. Adams 11. Yoshikawa 12. Lamplighter 13. Wright 14. Twain 15. Lewis Wow!!! What an honor. comments
Juss and I went camping with the Cub Scouts this weekend. It was a truly delightful event with much joy and Scout cheer, but two things in particular amused me. I have heard from Juss’s teachers that he has trouble deciding what to write. I find this odd, as he’s clearly a good storyteller, but…
John and I will be at Capclave this Saturday. Capclave is a short story convention in the Greater Washington DC area. Connie Willis is the Guest of Honor. If you have not heard her speak in public, you’re missing something. Last time I heard her, I laughted so hard I could not breath. Ann…
Danielle Ackley-McPhail features a guest post by award-winning author Elaine Corvidae. Elaine is the author of thirteen novels and contributor to five anthologies. She tells us a little something about each of her contributions and follows up with some very good advice. Those familiar with her Shadow Fae series will recognize some characters and landmarks…
Professor Crazy, a very kind and gracious gentleman, interviewed me at BSC, a website that reviews books, movies, etc. It was a really delightful interview, because he asked the kinds of questions I always wish people would ask, questions about the story, the writing process, etc. If anyone is interested, it is here. Also, for…