In writing a story, how does a writer stay on track? It can be so easy to lose focus. It’s maddening, especially when there’s so much pressure to produce something nearing perfection.

In going to schools, I tend to get this question or something like it rather often. So I’ll share my process here and, hopefully, it will be helpful to at least some of you.

Many writers will outline their stories, describing in a chronological format what will happen in each section of a story. This boiler-plate style to planning can help ensure you get to the end of your book. Unfortunately, creativity can be a casualty.

Other writers will just write whatever comes to mind and proceed from one inspiration to the next. In my opinion, this form of writing is akin to jumping into the ocean and attempting to swim across all in one go. Unless you’re a really strong swimmer, you’re highly unlikely to get to the other side. Certain, you keep your creativity, but you often drown in it and the story ends up becoming lost.

My process is something in the middle of these two approaches. (more…)

From out of the fortress came three riders. They were tall, taller than any elf, and the horses that bore them were eyeless giants. Their hooves were cleft — the tips shining like knives. One was red with black flecks, the second was paler than bone and the third was as the color of smoke. Seeing them, Luthiel was reminded of blood, death and burning. (more…)

Of Ëavanar, Ëavanya and the Creation

At the first, there was only lightless void and silence. Within the void there rested the great body Ëavanya – the beauty to which all things are drawn, the mother from which all things are born and the end to which all things are fated. And with her, though he was not yet aware of it, was the Great Spirit Ëavanar – the father by which all things are made and through which all things are revealed. For ages uncounted, they remained together – with each unaware of the other. (more…)

After finally convincing the police to let us in, we make our way to the Media Center where we greet Jill Rose. We’ve been here before and Jill was a fantastic hostess so we had to at least drop in for a friendly hello.

Then it’s upstairs to Randy Gingrich’s writing class. We’re early so we have some time to relax before the seminar. To me, seminars and panels are very similar. The only difference is at a seminar, you’re completely on your own. In the past, I’ve done seminars that last as long as five hours. This one is only an hour — no sweat! (more…)

After a little digging, it seems to me that myspace is working hard to change some if its more controversial policies. For one, the proprietary rights to content clause has changed to acknowledge what persons post or share on the site is their intellectual property and that myspace retains the right to distribute the content electronically through myspace media. I think this is much more considerate to artists so Kudos to myspace! (more…)

Who’s the fairest of them all?

The old witch in Snow White asked this question out of jealousy and, perhaps, fear. For there is great power in the ability to enchant through beauty, or song. It is a power, that, in myth is uniquely feminine. It is subtle and, by virtue of its ability to stay hidden, an even greater power than force of arms or violence. Snow White is but one enchantress. In other myths we know her as Tolkien’s Elbereth, or even my own Luthiel.

In the old tale she is poisoned by the apple and, as such, is made to sleep until she revived from slumber.

Poison apple? There is deep meaning here.

In this tale too, the old lady – the witch is the one who gives the apple. But who does she represent? (more…)

The most recent leg of our schools tour kicked off in North Georgia. An amazing time! But before I continue, let me give you some very basic background. Early on as a beginning writer I discovered that I could both spread the word about Luthiel’s Song and do a good deed by helping schools get kids into reading and writing. For my part, I absolutely love talking to students and feel an amazing amount of personal reward even if I’ve presented 6+ times during the day. So far, I’ve visited over 35 schools. Hopefully, yours will be next!

Back to the story…

So Matt and I kicked off the most recent leg of our Georgia Schools tour on Tuesday, January 30th. We drove the 9+ hours from Hampton Roads in Matt’s car. I took the wheel and Matt slept most of the way. He did manage to wake up to take some great pictures of a Tractor Trailer with anime advertisements painted on its sides. Can you believe it?? Anime on a billboard. As far as I’m concerned this was a fantastic use of space! (more…)

Crazy happenings at myspace! In short, last night my email and comments were blocked. Worse, any time I send comments my profile was coming up under a huge nasty red X that said ‘this profile has been deleted.’

The Red X of Death

As I’ve spent two years building up my myspace and have established what is, likely, the most popular author profile there (www.myspace.com/luthielssong if you haven’t been there yet!), this made me very anxious.

But early this afternoon, my friend Matthew found the problem might be related to another MySpace problem: the one where it strips away HTML comments and IE conditional comments. When he fixed this comment problem, the Red X of Death (as Matt has officially christened it; trademarked-patented- restricted-all rights reserved) seemed to magically go away. What we’ll write about now is the fix for this Comment Curse.

If you have a custom designed profile, you may want to take notes as this may happen to you as well.

Note: The Red X of Death reappeared shortly after this blog post was written. The Comment Curse does not seem to be related to it after all (but is still a serious problem all by itself). It seems to be because of an unpublished “posting limit” imposed by MySpace, which we’ll talk about in a later entry. If anyone knows otherwise, please post a comment.

I’m going to invite Matt as a guest to the blog so he can explain some of the details for you. As this blog will be updated, you may want to check back periodically. Here are his comments about the issue:

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Quiet desperation is a term generally associated with salesmen who commit suicide. Yet sales never knew the high stakes of the publishing world.

Take me, for example.

I’m a writer who’s just completed his first fantasy novel. For many, this would be a mark of achievement – a reason for joy and celebration. But, for me, it has been an object of continuous worry. I cannot count the number of times the book has been revised or relay the endless disappointment that comes when a writer begins to understand that he will, never, as a practitioner of this noble and celebrated craft, please all people on all counts.

A writer would be fortunate to please only himself. It is a hard lesson, but with it comes the one kind of piece of mind a writer or, for that matter, any person may know. Never did the ancient adage ‘be true unto thyself’ hold more weight than when one sends the precious children of his thought out to earn the masses fickle love. (more…)

Many stories in fantasy allude to or are inspired by other stories. In a mythic tradition it is usual for one myth to draw from another. A number of people tend to take offense if one story has elements that appear to be derived. To the contrary, in my opinion, this is one of the strengths of the genre. We, as story tellers are delving into the great archetypes of the unconscious. It is only natural that we carry forward the work that has passed before in a way that is both new and includes original contributions.

Many have criticized the works of Paolini, Brooks, Fiest, Rowling, Ende, Beagle, King and even my own humble book for the presence of themes similar to past works or allusions to others. (more…)