Update and advice

I've been so busy lately getting ready for the Blood Moon Tour. Not only am I emailing blogs my posts, but I'm also still booking spots. I don't think the lineup will be final until the day the tour starts...which is on March 3 you lovely people. Two weeks away! Don't forget about the Blood Moon Scavenger Hunt that will being going on at the same time. What's better than fun and prizes? IMO, nothing!


Hrm, updates...

I finished Of Wolf and Man! *happy dances & throws confetti* I had just gotten through the hard scene when my computer crashed in 2009 and I lost a good chunk of it. Tells the story of Juliet and Jensen; Juliet discovers Jensen's dangerous secret and now a Clan of rouge werewolves wants her dead. It took alot to get me to sit down and write this, mainly because it was a lot of rewriting what I had already written before the crash. I'm happy it's done now, and I think it's much better now than it was originally.

"Dalamar's Quest" is currently in Bewildering Stories and can be viewed here. This is the first story I ever wrote about Amythist Dyier. Originally it had been accepted by Flashing Swords for publication in Feb 2008, but the magazine went under before it could come out. Major bummer, but hey it all worked out in the end!

"Apocalypse" is in the current issue of Aphelion's Webzine. Aphelion also has their Best of 2010 listed, and "Siren's Song" is on the list for best poem! Sweet!

My Uprinting giveaway is still going on. Go to my blog post that offers the giveaway and make sure to leave a comment. The contest ends on Tuesday!

I've already made a book trailer for Epiphany. It's up on my YouTube page: http://www.youtube.com/user/iryadragyn


Now for something fun! One of the authors on Decadent Publishing's yahoo group posted this link. It gives some no-no's when writing fiction (it's geared to YA, but the no-no's cross the genre gap). http://georgiamcbridebooks.wordpress.com/2010/10/14/newbie-writers-watch-out-for-these-big-writing-no-nos/

1) I've never done this. Luckily, I don't get carried away with backstory and such until later.

2) OMG I'm so guilty of having my main character notice the love interest's eyes first! I just did that in Of Wolf and Man! The reason I do this is because I believe that eyes are windows to the soul, and I want my MC to fall in love for who the person is, not what they look like.

3) I used to do this early on, like during my high school drafts of Promises to Keep. A new writer can't help it. You get this awesome idea, go with it, only to discover that you don't know the whole story yet. This is where outlining can become important.

4) I don't think I've done this, especially since I can't stand to have filler in my books.

5) If my first chapter starts mundane, it doesn't end that way. I have to make sure to keep my first chapters interesting.

6) I've don't overly focus on my first chapter. My goal is to get it out there, and once it's done to go back and fix what desperatly needs fixing.

7) Guilty! I won't catch it while I'm writing, but during edits I'll be like "Haven't I said this before?" That's what I get for staying up late and waking up early to write!

8) Again, I hate useless filler. Not only do I consider scenes to be filler, but characters as well. Hence the reason why T.D. Drake isn't in Fade to Black. I cut her out...but was able to shove her and that cut scene into Malevolent Dead...Yay me!

9) Please see 8 and 4. Filler = bad. Georgia McBride must feel the same way.

10) I always hate when I'm reading a book and the author has no clue what they're talking about. I mean, it's obvious they did no research at all. While I hate research, my readers will know if I pretend to know what I'm talking about. I do the work to give my readers a vividly true reading experience.

11) I've done this. It happens when I get tired or if I am having a bout of writer's block. I don't know what to do next, but I feel that the words NEED to be written.

12) Please see 4, 8, and 9. Yep, Georgia McBride does feel the same way. LoL

I've printed up this blog post and put up above my computer. It's something that all writers, not just newbies, need to remember.