I’m not one of those people who believe that swearing signifies a weak vocabulary, but today I edited eight “damns” out of a story to submit to a clean market, and I had a lot of fun figuring out alternatives. Confounded alternatives.
Virgins and apples
Along with my Stars Fall Out revision, I’ve also been drafting Bitter Machines, the sequel(s) to Stars. Working this way has some pros and cons. Cons? Drafting a second, likely 200,000-word book takes a bit …
It’s quite simple, really
In this excerpt from Stars Fall Out, Vilari walks into her new life as the first-ever student of a mysterious, engineered magic, and finds that Professor Ghordaa lives up to the rumors. This is another …
One does not simply walk out of the bakery
It’s been a long, long time since I posted an excerpt (or anything else, for that matter) on the blog. In a figurative, internet-posting sense, I’m a terrible juggler; if I’m updating my newsletter regularly …
Diverse Speculative Fiction Reading Event
I’ll be participating in a live reading event on Saturday, May 15, 2021. My face is on the banner and everything… (That’s a new experience for me.) Anyway, I’ll probably read an excerpt from Stars …
What does a 1,125 page manuscript need more than anything?
Apparently 92 more scenes. *facepalm*
It’s daunting, but when I’m done, I’ll be able to love the first part of the story as much as the ending.
Even if it doesn’t have nearly as many fires.
Nothing left but hooks and some wire
I feel like I’m moving. This is what the doors into my office looked like a few months ago, when I finished Stars Fall Out. I’ve been reading and analyzing my draft, making plans for …
An Unexpected Song from a Faraway Place
This is the last of the excerpts I’m posting for Stars Fall Out, and it’s one of the earliest in the book. My main character steals a magic vial with the power to instantly travel …
In Case You Didn’t Get My Previous Message
Aside from some excerpts concerning the magic vial, most of my snippets from Stars Fall Out haven’t dealt with the magic in the book. Many of the scenes I could’ve posted are too spoilery, and …
Knowing Better Isn’t Doing Better
I started posting excerpts of Stars Fall Out when I was halfway through the draft. As a result, I haven’t posted excerpts of a lot of the early action that defines the book, including the …
That Awkward Moment When Your Stolen Magic Vial Actually Works
Last week, I posted a short excerpt from Stars Fall Out in which my main character runs like hell after stealing a magic vial from her sister’s professor. All she knows about the vial is …