Writing New Worlds
My last edition of the project turned out pretty heavy, so this time I wanted to write something a little more lighthearted. This is one of the more traditional writing prompts out there. I've stumbled across it a hundred times without noticing it, let alone feeling a spark. But for some reason, today it made …
Continue reading "The Writing Prompt Project, part 2: NOT QUITE A FORTNIGHT (…with zombies)"
First of all, thank you. Truly, thank you for the time (lots of it) you have devoted to sharing our passion. Without your eyes and your own love of reading, not to mention your courage to tell us what you really think, our manuscripts wouldn't be possible. As the authors, we know the ins and …
Continue reading "Sharing our Work: An Open Letter to our Test Readers"
As a fantasy author, mythology holds a special place in my heart. The shape of a culture's mythos speaks to more than just the beliefs of a people. It teaches about the world around the people who created the ideas in the first place. Gods, monsters, heroes, realms. The keepers of multiple underworlds, the master …
Continue reading "Mythology in Fiction: What it Can Look Like, and What it Doesn’t Have to"
Congratulations! You finished writing your novel! Your story is spoken, the loose ends are tied, your characters are sipping wine around a roaring fire, the danger finally behind them. Or not. Maybe they're locked in separate dungeons waiting for the executioner. I don't know your life. Either way, offer a toast or applaud around the …
Kira's bodyguard pushed her against the wall, his rifle cracking the air. Two enemy soldiers fell. "Lady, we need to keep moving." Kira pulled herself straight, her hands trembling as she tugged her hood higher. "Did Farren make it across?" The older man shook his head. She closed her eyes and nodded, fighting tears. It was supposed to be a simple operation. Her name was all through the intercepted reports. They found her. Now, she needed a new place to hide before the enemy moved on the intelligence. They thought they acted in time. They didn't.
There are few things more frustrating than a blinking cursor. That thin black blinking line, mocking you every time it appears… then vanishes… then appears… then vanishes… and the longer you stare at it, willing the words to flow onto the screen, the further away they run. Funny enough, as I sat to write this …
Have you ever wished you had your own soundtrack? How much easier would life be if you could pick up cues from the ambient score? A suspenseful theme cuts the air as you're about to step onto the bus, so you take the next one instead. Or maybe you wake up to a minor chord, …
I didn't always think of myself as a writer. In fact, for a long time, it didn't even occur to me that it might be a path I'd walk. Which in hindsight is ridiculous because I've been writing my whole life. Once upon a time, I didn't closet myself in my pleasantly darkened living room …
I was making coffee this morning, as I usually do. My son was in the background, staging an early morning battle between the skeletons and the power rangers – how those guys get up early enough to be ready for the fight, I’ll never know – and I was thinking about my plan for the …
Kimberley Imrie 