Updates

Novel:

The Wands and Wandless Book 1: Scroll of Stones is coming along well and I’ve already learned so many new things about the four worlds of this story. I’ve been chugging along at 900 words a day, though I’ve definitely missed some days of writing, and I finished up at 83,429 words at the close of June. I’ve enjoyed keeping the right tone and voice in each chapter.

Having four POVs has made it a challenge, especially where the stories don’t completely connect yet. I’ve already found things I’ll need to change in the beginning, but that’s to be expected. I look forward to the day when I can share this amazing storyline with you, and hopefully give you a world of magic you’ll never want to leave.

I’ve also begun reverse outlining what I didn’t already have noted and practicing with the Save the Cat model. I just finished reading “Outlining Your Novel” by K. M. Weiland and plan to try that model as well for some other stories. Something I realized with a project this big is that my brain can not store everything in there for the long haul. Reference sheets are good, and so are maps. So if you’re working on an extensive project or reading a large fantasy novel, don’t forget about the resources you’ll need to keep track of everything.

What to Expect:

July brings a fitting new Book review for the patriotic month. Soul Scepter: Time Marauders by Eric Westergard had me hooked from the first page. Drop in on this month’s book review to find out more and why Soul Scepter: Time Marauders needs to be pushed to the top of your TBR pile!

We’ll explore two more aspects of the craft of characters: Experience (Backstory) and Actions. Sometimes we forget that our characters existed before the beginning of the story. So check the first writing post to see how you can develop a stronger backstory and why it’s important to your character’s development for the actual story. This will then lead to the actions your characters take. Though we may not always like to admit that our past drives our choices today, our characters have to face their past in order to succeed in their present. Check in at the end of the month to learn about Character Actions and how they impact your story, and your sequel.

What you learned:

In the month of June 2023, you got a clean start on the writing topics with the “Intro to the Craft of Characters”! There, you learned about four different aspects of character important to developing a stronger character and story. These four aspects were: Personality, Experience/Backstory, Actions, and Motive. These offer a wide range of material for you to work with inside your story after digging through the fine details in your preparation to write.

Then you went deeper into personality, where we talked about some beliefs about personality and resources to speed up your personality building processes. I hope that these were useful, and maybe you hadn’t thought of or tried using those resources before.

Book Review: Project Vortex by Michael Ciccerelli-Walsh

In our June book review, we dove into the intriguing world of the Zoboros, as envisioned by author Michael Ciccerelli-Walsh. Continuing the captivating storyline from “Trouble in The Floating City,” “Project Vortex” takes readers on another thrilling adventure.

Ciccerelli-Walsh skillfully crafts well-developed characters with engaging story arcs, making this book a worthy addition to the Zoboros series. Whether you are a fan of the previous installment or new to the world of Zoboros, “Project Vortex” promises to deliver an immersive and enthralling reading experience.

Don’t miss out on this captivating novel and be sure to share it with your fellow book lovers. Recommend “Project Vortex” to your friends today!

Thank you all for checking in on this monthly newsletter. Keep writing, keep learning, and stay fresh, my nugs!

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Previous Newsletter: June

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Next Newsletter: August