"Read, read, read. Read everything – trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You'll absorb it. Then write. If it's good, you'll find out. If it's not, throw it out of the window." – William Faulkner
Over the past month, I've sent out about 30 queries for the first book in my new fantasy series, A Thief in the Castle. (It's a working title.) So far, I've heard back from 16 of those agents. Guess what? Every one came back a rejection. And I know, "A rejection from one is not a … Continue reading On Rejections
DNF. I could not get into this book. The concept was great, but the main character was flat, boring, and too Mary-Sue for me and whiny. She solved her problems too easily, problems that only she could figure out, because apparently all of her friends are stupid. There was way, way, WAY too much telling … Continue reading Book Review: The Queen of Blood (The Queens of Renthia, #1) by Sarah Beth Durst (1/5 – DNF)
All ya'll fantasy writers out there know how important it is to have your fantasy world mapped out. But I'm not talking just having a map of countries, cities, and geography - although that's super important. I'm talking political maps, culture maps, education maps, and a magic map. (It's important enough to be bold and italicized.) … Continue reading Story World Mapping (Magic)
