 Faith Hunter
read all posts by Faith HunterThis will be our last post on the Kickstarter project for the Rogue Mage RPG. The previous two posts were mostly about the networking part of the project: how we all met, the pivotal push we got from Mike Pruette, and some of the difficulties — namely, the huge problem of translating the Rogue Mage series, its world, and its magical system into a game, about why it took so long, about how life got in the way, and how we lost one of our writers, Raven Blackwell.
Even with losing some high-priced backers to their own life disasters, we have exceeded our goal of $6,000 and just passed $7,000. We will be able to publish the Rogue Mage RPG, with all the fiction it contains. I believe that we will make it, though there is always the possibility of losing more high-supporting backers. Therefore, I’m keeping true to [...]
Continue reading Kickstarter, Third and Last Part
 DavidBCoe
read all posts by DavidBCoeI slid into the booth opposite Deirdre, my hands still trembling, sweat cooling on my forehead.
She looked up from her menu. “You look like hell,” she said.
“Yeah, I know.”
“Everything all right?” She put down the menu, reached across the table for my hand. “Your hands are cold. And you’re sweating. Are you feeling okay?”
I started to nod, then stopped myself. “Not sure really. Something strange happened on the way here.”
“Strange how?”
“I was–”
A waiter put a place setting in front of me, filled my water glass.
“Would you like something to drink, sir?”
“Um. No, water’s fine.”
“Are you ready to order?”
Deirdre shook her head. “Give us a minute.”
The waiter left. I sipped my water, barely managing to lift the glass to my lips and return it to the table without spilling it.
“Tell me,” she said.
It occurred to me that [...]
Continue reading Free Fiction: A Halloween Tale
 Lucienne Diver
read all posts by Lucienne DiverHere’s what I know about bandwagons…they’re noisy, crowded places. It’s difficult to stand out, at least in a good way. Depending on school rules, you may not be allowed to stand at all.
Yet at nearly every event I do, someone asks, “What’s hot?” and everyone leans forward in their seats, eager to hear the answer. I did a piece on “The Next Big Thing” last year, but that was a year ago and, anyway, I’m talking about more than genres here. There is one absolute; one thing that will be as true six, twelve, eighteen or more months down the line as now: original is hot. That’s not to say your zombie alien steampunk murder mystery time travel romance is in. While I know one or two brilliant minds who could probably pull that off, for most this would be a hot mess. I’m not talking about those works [...]
Continue reading Bandwagons
Lucienne Diver
read all posts by Lucienne DiverAuthor-me is part of a wonderful group called the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit, a gang of wonderful young adult writers who join together to promote each other’s work during our publication months. One of my regular questions over the past year has been, “Do you think in themes and, if so, what’s the theme of your book?” Answers have varied. Some authors knew going into the writing exactly what they wanted to say, others realized somewhere along the line that there was a message embedded in the story they wanted to tell. Without fail, every novel will have a theme…something at its emotional heart.
I bring this up because it’s important for an author to identify his or her themes for several reasons. Perhaps the most important is that knowing what’s at the heart of your story helps you develop the character arc. Each and every novel you write should involve [...]
Continue reading Identifying Your Themes
Lucienne Diver
read all posts by Lucienne DiverA guest blog about contemporary young adult fiction, themes and taboos…or the lack thereof. [...]
Continue reading Young Adult Fiction – Taboos?
|
How To Write Magical Words
|
