An Update

It's been a little less than a year since I last posted on this blog. Looking back, I find it rather ironic that the last post I wrote was about "when life gets in the way." Seems my life has been getting in the way of blogging quite a lot this past year.

To be honest, I've been afraid to start blogging again. I feel like I have nothing left to say. My writing projects haven't been focused on fantasy any more, and neither has my reading, so I'm afraid that if I blog about fantasy I'm betraying myself and my readers. I'm left wondering if this whole idea of "Faeire & Faith" is really what I want to be doing.

To put it another way, I am full of doubts about my writing, my self, and the place that Christian fantasy has in my life.

But let's look at it in another way: when are we not full of doubts? When can we ever say with perfect confidence, "This is my ultimate purpose in life and the reason I was placed on this earth; I will not depart from it"?

Life is about so much more than simple certainties. Life is composed of doubts strung together into a narrow, tenuous lifeline clinging to our one anchor: the Cross.


Whew. That felt good to say!

Let me give you a quick update on my current writing and reading projects.

I've written about 60k of a fantasy story about time travel, Vikings, and a magical Ireland. Unfortunately, what I've written so far is about a third to half of the whole story, at least in my imagination. Plus, I keep getting waylaid by fears that my story idea is ridiculous, cliché, unfaithful to Ireland... You know the feeling. More doubts.

So then I started another story, roughly-maybe fantasy, and abandoned it after only about 20k. Don't worry, it wasn't worth saving. I just wrote it to get out the frustrations about story #1 with a new story.

Then I got sick of fantasy, and I decided to write a contemporary romance story set in NYC about a twentysomething writer who gets fired from her job for criticizing her boss and the company. At the threat of a lawsuit, she's forced to do something rather desperate. Honestly, it's just fluff, but it's so entertaining to write that I can't really force myself to give it up! I think I have about 40k written right now.

As far as reading goes...I must admit, I've been sinking deeper and deeper into the world of Jane Austen. Did you know that there are fanfiction and variations for every possible minor Austen character, from Elizabeth Elliot in Persuasion to Charlotte Collins from Pride & Prejudice? Also, Georgette Heyer, another Regency writer, is an amazing author. Hilarious and so subtle! I have to say, some of these stories are so engrossing that it's hard to think about anything other than Regency dresses and chaperones and carriages and...  You get the picture.


So there's an update on my life. What about you? What have you been writing or reading? Has anyone published any books or stories? Also, has anyone struggled with any of these doubts?


Image courtesy of Flickr.com Creative Commons. "The Path" by GabPRR.

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When Life Gets in the Way: An Exercise in Courage

There are times in life when the projects you’re working on simply grind to a halt. The past two months have been such for me. As you’ve no doubt noticed, I’ve neglected blogging for more Saturdays than I care to count. I do have an excuse: two cross-continental moves between Asia and Europe, then Europe and North America, made me rather busy. That’s not to mention living out of a suitcase as well as fitting in sight-seeing in Europe and seeing friends and family in America. However, the point of the matter is that I have not been writing or blogging during this time. How can I ever find the courage to start back again?

You see, it takes courage to begin anew when you’ve neglected to work on something for a long while. Your conscience may start to bug you and you think, “I really should start to work on a new blog post…” but then things happen, and life gets in the way, and you don’t take the time to get started. In fact, it can be easier to push the projects aside and ignore that small voice in your head after a while. Soon it’ll be one month, then two, then three since you’ve written anything.

What’s a struggling sometimes-writer to do?

Here are some tips that I’ve found helpful for times like now when my writing has ground to a halt.

• Discover what made you stop in the first place: Were you bored by your story? Was your life just “too busy” for writing? Did the genre of story not appeal to you any more? Did you get five or fifteen new ideas and couldn’t decide which one to work on? Did work/school become too urgent and time-consuming? Whatever your problem was, by identifying it, you make it easier to avoid the problem this time. Think back to the last time you wrote and the circumstances surrounding it, and see if you can think of what made your writing slow down.
• Schedule time to write: there are always moments in the day in which you don’t have anything urgent or important to do. First pinpoint those times—maybe fifteen minutes after breakfast, half an hour before lunch, or an hour late at night. Then schedule some time to write then. The more intentional you are, and the more a part of your routine you make your writing, the easier it will be to start afresh.
• Remember, the first time is the hardest: Any writer will know that beginning a story, a blank page, a fresh piece of paper, can be an intimidating challenge. But you have to start somewhere. Write one word, then another, and pretty soon you’ll discover that the most difficult part was starting. (Although finishing a project can be just as tricky…but that’s a subject for another post.)
• Above all, don’t give up: It’s never too late to start writing again. Never fool yourself into thinking that you’re a horrible writer who will never finish anything and nobody wants to read your work. I want to assure you that every single person has a worthwhile story to tell. Whether or not that story is the one you’re working on now, you can be assured that you are adding something of value to the world. You can even find yourself a team of fellow writers or encouragers to keep you going and remind you that what you’re writing is significant. Just don’t give up!

So here I am, concluding the first blog post I’ve written in over a month. It’s been difficult to write, but I hope that these tips on courage help you just as much as they’ve helped me. Enjoy writing!

Writing During Vacations

In case you’ve been wondering where I’ve been these past two weeks, I had the pleasure of a wonderful holiday in Vietnam. With beaches, mountains, motorcycles, friends, shopping, and delicious Vietnamese food, I couldn’t have enjoyed myself more.

Before you start getting too jealous, I’d like to remind everyone that summer holidays are just around the corner. For many of you, you’re wrapping up school or work, and maybe even graduating within the next few weeks. Give yourself a pat on the back and a hearty congratulations. At the very least, you’ve nearly made it through the first half of the year!

With the prospect of some freedom and breathing room up ahead, that leads me naturally to the subject of what happens to our writing when we’re on vacation. How can we make writing a part of our holidays without making the vacation too stressful or unpleasant?

1. Have a plan
Deliberately schedule time each day or every few days to write. Don’t leave this to chance—if you don’t schedule time, the more fun activities of vacation (watching TV?) will take first place and you will get little or no writing done at all.

2. Write as early in the day as possible
Yes, I understand you want to sleep in (heaven knows we all need more sleep!), but once you’re up, don’t wait until later to write. Get it done early on.

3. Don’t stress about quality
You’re on holiday, for goodness’ sake, so relax a bit! Don’t worry about getting the story perfect. Just get it done! Particularly when you are writing your first draft, your focus should be on writing, not on how good your writing is. Even if you decide to edit rather than write over the vacation, you should still take it easy on yourself. Have confidence in the small steps you’re taking. Don’t let yourself stress about the final product before the story is even finished.

4. Determine what you want to focus on: researching/planning, drafting, editing
Each person has different writing strengths and weaknesses. For me, writing the first draft is the most difficult part of the writing process. I’ve found that, when I’m drafting large chunks of story, long uninterrupted vacation times are essential. Then during the rest of the year, it’s a lot easier to carefully edit what I’ve written. So for example, I wrote my first full draft of my novel Red Sun Blue Earth over the month of June last year, when I was on holiday. During the rest of the year, I primarily spent my time editing. Of course, each person is different, so make sure you’ve pinpointed what portion of the writing process you want to tackle over your vacation.

5. After your vacation, focus on the positives
If you’re anything like me, you probably didn’t accomplish quite as much as you’d hoped over the holidays. Rather than bemoaning the fact that you didn’t write four hours a day, however, you should congratulate yourself on what you did do. Re-read what you’ve written, if you’d like. Maybe tally up your total wordcount or pagecount. Reward yourself for what you’ve accomplished.


And that’s it—just a few pointers about enjoying yourself (and your writing) over the holidays. So tell me, do you have any ideas yet for what writing you want to accomplish over the summer? Are you planning to travel anywhere exciting? Do you prefer drafting, editing, or researching/planning over the holidays? Let me know in the comments!

Fanfiction

Star Trek devotees started the fanficiton
craze with the magazine above 

I must confess to a recent obsession with fanfiction--not of the fantasy sort, but more along the lines of Jane Austen novels. The variations and the scope within even the seemingly limited world of Jane Austen have me amazed at every turn. This minor obsession has led me to wonder about writing fanfiction myself. In today's blog post, then, I'd like to explore some of the pros and cons of writing fanfiction, whether for fantasy or other stories.

Before I begin, though, let me mention that my first full-length story (ahem, first forty-page scribbled notebook story!) was a fanfiction of Nancy Rue's Josiah Hutchinson stories. I used to love the characters and conflicts of Josiah's life in Salem and, naturally, I wanted in on the action. Since completing that story, I've dabbled into fanfiction only once in a two-page story about Eragon that I began but very quickly abandoned. Now, however, I find myself rather tempted by the thought of exploring Jane Austen through fanfiction!

Which leads me to wonder...should I or shouldn't I? To help me decide, I'll be exploring the pros and cons of fanfiction in today's post.

Pros:

• Head start on the story: One of the greatest benefits of fanfiction is that the story contains already developed characters and a "storyworld"--or setting--that gives you a head start in your writing. You don't need to worry about what the characters look, act, or talk like; all you need to worry about is the plot.
• Motivation: If you already love the stories and the world, then writing fanfiction may give you the right motivation to carry your story through to the end. You might not be motivated enough to write your own story, but a fanfiction of Lord of the Rings? Bring it on!
• Fan base: A definite benefit of writing a story in a genre that has a fan base is that you have an instant audience for your story. A niche market for a particular type of fanfiction can provide your first readers and critiquers, who will eagerly devour and help improve your story.

Cons:

• Copyright issues: This is the main issue in writing fanfiction. Because of copyright issues, your work must remain private and non-commercial unless you write a fanfiction of an older story without copyright restrictions (such as Jane Austen's works). Thus, be aware that even if you write a stunning fanfiction, you might never be able to publish your work.
• Lack of originality and freedom: When you write fanfiction, you don't have very much room to change characters or to develop the story in your own directions. You may feel a bit confined, particularly to the author's original writing style. While I of course realize that you want to respect the original author's works, I would recommend that you don't confine yourself to do exactly as the original author did. Otherwise, you risk being predictable. Instead, explore and push the limits, even in your fanfiction.
• Perceived image: A risk of writing fanfiction is that you may end up looking like you're piggy-backing off of someone else's work. Readers may wonder whether your writing would stand up on its own, without the framework of someone else's story. Be prepared for questions and doubts, both of your own making and of your readers' making.
• Restricted imagination: Personally, I believe making up your own characters and setting is a unique opportunity for your imagination to grow and develop. If you never branch out on your own, you may end up restricting your imagination (not to mention your confidence for future writing!). Make sure, therefore, to keep fanfiction in balance with works that come from your own imagination.

That brings us to the end of our pro-and-con evaluation. So, will I end up writing some Jane Austen fanfiction? I'm thinking, for now, I'll focus on writing my own stories. Perhaps someday, though, Austen's characters and stories will re-awaken to life under my pen!

What about everyone else? Have any of you written fanfiction? What are some pros or cons you've experienced?

Warning: One does not simply write fanfiction...without going a little bit insane.

Saying Goodbye

"Parting is such sweet sorrow," said Shakespeare. Well, he was wrong: saying goodbye is all sorrow and no sweet. The problem is, there are times in life when we as writers need to say goodbye, whether to people, places, stories, or fantasy worlds. I've been reminded of this idea lately because I'll soon be saying goodbye to Asia and moving to the US. There's another reason, too -- I finished my first novel Red Sun Blue Earth last month (you can get it here on Amazon), but that means the story is over. It's done. I need to move on with my writing to a different world populated by different characters.

But what I'm learning is that it's hard to say goodbye.

Now I certainly hope I'm not alone here. Most people have moved to a different house at least once or twice in their lives. Some have even moved to different sates or countries. So you know what I mean--saying goodbye to a beloved place or friend can be difficult.

As writers, though, it can be even more difficult to say goodbye to our favorite stories. When we write, the words and actions and places and people of the story consume us. Even when we finish a rough draft, there's still a lot of editing and revising to do. We have to go back and tinker with sentences or tweak character traits. We see the action in our heads and hear the voices of characters over and over. But, eventually, there comes a time when the story is done. Maybe it's as good as it'll ever be, or maybe you've realized you need to set it aside for now even if it isn't perfect. Maybe you decide there's another story you'd rather be writing. Either way, saying goodbye can be hard.

What can we do, then, as writers? Must our hearts be broken each time we move on to the next story? I think not. Below are some ways to cope with saying goodbye to a story.

1. Keep a list of your favorite quotes from the old story to inspire you and keep you from feeling discouraged at the problems that arise in your writing. You can even collect pictures in an album or on Pinterest and look through them occasionally to revisit the good old days. However, don't leave these out in a too-obvious place--you need to be reminded, but you don't want to compare your new project with the old one. Each project should be uniquely special to you.

2. Get excited about your new project. Write like mad, every day if you possibly can, and be inspired by new character voices and fantastic places. It's a lot easier to remember the old place fondly if you're having fun in the new place!

For me, I've been writing a fantasy story that is really bad in quality but amazing in quantity--in the past four weeks, I've written over 40,000 words/200 (notebook) pages! My philosophy is to focus on writing more pages and enjoying the story, not stressing about whether it's good. (In case anyone's interested, the story is set in modern Ireland/a parallel magical Ireland, and the main character, Kelsey Marx, must take part in political revolutions and act in saintly plays and fight Vikings.) So, all that to say: deeply involve yourself in your new project, and keep at it!

3. Always remember that you can go back. If you really want to, you could write a short story or a poem about those characters from that story. Even better, you can go back and read what you've written. However, your focus should not be on looking back but on looking ahead. Rest assured, greater things are yet to come so long as you keep on writing!

4. If all else fails, eat chocolate and do something un-writing-related (just do not laze around on the Internet!). Maybe buy an awesome 500-piece puzzle. Paint a picture. Play a board game. Take some photos. Then, once you start feeling better, get to work on your new project. And have fun with it! Don't pressure yourself to be perfect, just pressure yourself to enjoy your writing and your life!


So that's it, folks -- your trusty tips to overcoming post-writing-depression. Let me know in the comments if you've ever suffered from this peculiar illness or if you have any other tips on saying goodbye that you'd like to add.

Announcing...My Book!

At long last, the day has come: my first novel, Red Sun Blue Earth, is published! You can find the ebook and print book here on Amazon. But before you hop over to Amazon, let me give you a short "review" of my book to let you know what it's all about.

Title: Red Sun Blue Earth
Author: Sienna North
Page Count: 248 pages

Stars: (well, that would be rather self-serving!)

Teaser: Sayaka Sato is an ordinary fifteen-year-old—until 3:46 pm on March 11, when an earthquake and tsunami strike Japan and rip her life into shreds. Sayaka is frantic to find her family, but first, she must survive cold, hunger, and worse. Will Sayaka be able to reunite with her family, earn their forgiveness, and forge a new life for herself, or will she be too late?

Age Level: 13+ (teens and up)

Violence: 3 of 5

• Scenes of death and destruction make up a significant portion of the story, although there are no graphic/gory descriptions.

Romance: 0 of 5

• Sorry, romance-lovers--you'll have to find another tale!

Language: 1 of 5

• A few hastily cut-off exclamations

Christian Worldview: This book is not a Christian fiction book, and none of the characters in the story are Christian--not surprising, considering Japan's Christian population is less than 1%. However, I certainly believe that the themes in the story (such as hope and forgiveness) support a Christian message and don't glorify anything non-Christian.

My Personal Opinion: It goes without saying that I love my book, aside from those horrible moments of paralyzing self-doubt inflicted upon all writers. It took me quite a lot of effort to write, edit, get test-readers' feedback, edit, hire a professional editor, edit, get more test-readers' feedback, edit, proofread, and publish! I would say that the story is especially great for people who want to learn more about Japan, who are interested in the 2011 disaster, or who enjoy coming-of-age stories. I hope, though, that everyone can find something to enjoy in it.

I am hosting a release party for Red Sun Blue Earth on my favorite forum, Holy Worlds Historical Fiction. To add to the excitement, there will be contests, quizzes, and giveaways. The invitation is below, and the party can be found here. Feel free to join the forum and and participate in the party!

And, while you're at it, here is the link for my ebook and for the print book. Check it out and let me know what you think in the comments!

Dissecting a Book Cover

Some books from my Goodreads shelf

Picture yourself in the bookstore of your choice, the smell of coffee and paper wafting through the air, a light buzz of background noise filling your ears as you scan shelf after shelf. At last--there--you see it! The most beautiful book you've ever laid eyes on! And you knew, without a doubt, that that book must be yours.

Ever had a reaction like that? Probably not. Still, we've all felt that irresistible attraction to a beautiful book cover that makes us want to pick up the book and see what it's all about. More importantly, almost all of us have had some experience with a horribly designed, amateurish book cover that makes us want to run away as fast as possible.

As these reactions reveal, it's not just what's in the books, it's what's on them that counts. Therefore, in today's post, we'll be exploring the most basic and crucial elements of any successful book cover. You may not be designing your own book cover--for sanity's sake, I hope you aren't!--but you can still use the tips below to evaluate book covers and, when the time comes, to guide your own designer as you create your book cover. (Stay tuned for an announcement about my own book cover at the end of today's post!)

1. Readability

This is the absolute single factor that will make or break a cover. The title, the author's name, the text...it all needs to be legible! You all know how frustrating it is to try to squint and puzzle out, "Is that an 'i' or an 'l'? Is that curlicue a word or decoration? What does 'lmfori' spell, anyway?" The last thing you want is for your readers to be frustrated with your book before they even reach the first page!

So, in a nutshell: make it legible.

2. The Human Element

It's a psychologically proven fact that the human eye is drawn first to any human element in an image before looking at other items in the image. Don't believe me? Try it out on this image below:

Your eye was drawn to the person, right? The point here is that people are drawn to other people, and we can take advantage of that fact when creating and evaluating book cover designs. To put this fact into more tangible terms: potential readers will pick up your book or click on the link to the book and then read the book more often if your book cover has a human element on it. Don't ignore the power of the human factor.

3. A Sense of Genre

What are covers there for? Have you ever thought about why books have covers (other than to keep the dust and coffeestains off)? Here's your answer: book covers are a form of communication.

Your book covers exist to alert readers at a glance to the book's contents. If it's a scifi thriller, you might see a lot of steel surfaces but you won't see a girl in a ballgown on the cover. If it's a mystery, you might see a magnifying glass but you probably won't be seeing a Ranger, hooded and cloaked.

On the reading end, of course, we already know this fact subconsciously. What makes us pick up some books in the library and pass on others? A lot of times, it's because the covers have already alerted us to the material inside.

But as writers or designers, we need to realize that the cover of our book sets up expectations about what the readers will find inside. We need to utilize the cover as a first-glance tool, not just for catching a reader's attention, but to let them know what to expect inside.


And those are the most crucial considerations of cover design! I hope this post has increased your interested in the fascinating world of cover design. Let me know about any experiences you've had with covers in the comments--best, worst, or your own cover design process.

I mentioned above that I have an announcement to make. My cover designer, Scarlett Rugers, has completed a beautiful cover for my novel, Red Sun Blue Earth! I highly recommend Scarlett's work for anyone looking for a cover designer. And for those of you who don't know, my novel is the story of a teen girl who survives Japan's 2011 tsunami, and her search for her family in the aftermath. The book will be available on March 11, 2013, the two-year anniversary of Japan's tsunami.

What to Do When You're Self-Publishing

For those of you who don't know, I'm self-publishing my first novel, Red Sun Blue Earth, in only five weeks on March 11, 2013. It's the story of a teen girl caught in Japan's 2011 tsunami, and how she survives and tries to find her family. As you can imagine, my story has been consuming a lot of my thoughts and energy lately. I thought I'd take advantage of the things I've learned so far in the process and write a post on resources you can use when you've reached the self-publishing stage.

Mini story, "The Two Princess and Freddie," by yours truly

1. Get yourself a professional cover.
Seriously, folks, it's that important. The cover is your first impression, the first connection between your readers and your story. It's a method of communication in the same way that your first page is. Your cover could in fact make or break your story. Don't skimp here! Budget carefully so that you can hire the best.

The cover designer I'm using for Red Sun Blue Earth is Scarlett Rugers. I've been very impressed with her services thus far, and her prices are fairly reasonable for the industry. Here's a blog post on covers for self-published authors, and one on getting cover art. Other cover designers that I researched are Damonza and Historical Editorial. Self publishing companies such as CreateSpace also offer basic cover design, but not sure that I'd recommend using those resources. They may not offer professional quality covers or enough flexibility to get a cover you like.

2. You need feedback. Hire an editor, or at the very least have a team of test-readers edit and critique your book.
What I said above really says it all. The stereotype of self-published books is that they are poor quality and badly written. Who doesn't like busting stereotypes? So be sure to make your book the best it possibly can be by offering it up as a sacrificial offering to the eyes of editors and test readers who may butcher it but who will probably ensure that your book is better than it would've been on its own.

For my book, once I was finished with two drafts on my own, I got together a team of test readers from my favorite writing forum, HolyWorlds, who gave me some good feedback. I also got feedback from family and friends at this point. After incorporating their feedback in a third and fourth draft, I hired what's called an editorial evaluation, which is where editors give me their feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of my story in about a six or eight page Word document. (It's less detailed and more general than page-by-page editorial services, but since hiring a professional editor costs one or two thousand dollars or more, I needed to economize a bit!) I got the evaluation from CreateSpace, and was very pleased with the quality and depth of it. If you are looking for a full editor, I'd suggest the following resources as a starting point: Book Editing Associates, Through the Looking Glass, G-Revisions, Editorial Freelancers Association, and Hock's Editing Services.

3. Appearances matter, so be sure to format it or hire a formatter.
This one's a bit more basic. The technical details of preparing a Word document or manuscript to sell online can get a bit complex, so I'd recommend hiring someone to take care of it for you. However, it's definitely possible to DIY this one, especially if you've got an eye and the time for nitty-gritty details. Here's a tutorial that walks you through formatting your book in HTML. Although I haven't hired a formatter yet, I'm planning to use the skills of Aubrey Hansen, who has done some excellent formatting in books that I've read in the past. Plus she's extremely affordable.


There's more involved, of course, but these are the three major elements that every self-publishing author needs to deeply consider before the book becomes public. I may post later about other aspects of self-publishing to keep in mind. This is quite enough information to start off with, though, in my opinion!

Let me know in the comments if you've ever self-published, and what resources you've used, and if you have any questions on self-publishing or any tips to share from your experiences. Have a great week!

Medicine and Healing in Fantasy

I don't know about everyone else, but I had a bit of a rough week. First off, I developed a nasty sort of infection so that I could barely move my arm. Then, I needed surgery to remove the infection, and not just any surgery, but the whole anesthetized enchilada. Since then, I've had to go back to the doctor's almost every day for poking and prodding -- also known as "healing."

Now, as a writer, there's a definite silver lining to this otherwise-unfortunate circumstance. That is to say, if I ever need to write a character who develops an infection and has to have surgery or is anesthetized, then I'll know what it's like! And, what's more, it got me thinking about medicine and healing in fantasy. So let's explore that topic in today's blog post.

Fantasy stories are by their very nature dangerous. Whether your hero battles a fire-breathing dragon or your heroine takes up swordfighting, the chances are quite high that one of your characters will be injured in the course of your story. (If no one gets injured in your entire story, well, maybe now's your chance to re-think your strategy.) What, then, is your poor bleeding character to do? Below, I'll explore several options for types of medicine and healing that you could use in your story.

1. Herbal Lore 
Pros: This is really the quintessential fantasy healing method. For example, in Lord of the Rings, Aragorn's athelas or kingsfoil plant brings healing to people who have been hurt by the Nazgul. It can be quite effective in medieval-style fantasies in particular.

Cons: On the other hand, it seems to me that so many fantasy stories abound with strange herbs with interesting properties. If you are going to use herbal remedies, then make them unique somehow. Beautiful flowers, meaningful symbolism, deceptive appearance--the options are almost unlimited. Another thing to keep in mind is that it takes quite a lot of knowledge and training and skill to find and administer herbal cures. In other words, don't let just anyone plaster plants on your characters!

2. Magical Healing 
Pros: Again, this is a method of healing that feels quite natural in most fantasy stories. Plus, in some cases, you may have situations where characters aren't affected by regular diseases or wounds but rather by dark and evil forces at work. In such situations, magical healing may be the only cure. Remember Radagast the Brown in the Hobbit, when he heals that tiny and absolutely adorable hedgehog Sebastian? That's a situation in which magical healing works wonderfully.

Cons: Magical healing can't be a cure-all for any problem. Even in a magical and fantastic world, there needs to be pain and suffering and loss in order to make your story meaningful. For example, again in Lord of the Rings, when Frodo returns to the Shire, he feels the pain of the sword-stab he received on Weathertop. In the end, the pain of his wounds (physical and, perhaps, spiritual) makes him decide to leave Middle-Earth forever.

3. Modern Medicine
Pros: Using modern medicine like painkillers and antibiotics and stitches is quite an unusual choice for a fantasy story. Because it's so rare, it's always very interesting. And, too, if you introduce some sort of epidemic like the plague, then modern medicine can offer quite effective cures. In an old version of a fantasy story I was writing, teens from earth get transported to another world, and they are carrying modern medicines that they use in the story.

Cons: Obviously, modern medicine would not work in every novel. Some fantasies are so historical in nature that using modern medicine would be out of place. However, sometimes you can borrow concepts and ideas from modern medicine and translate them into your story in ways that would work. Also, don't forget that modern medicine requires a whole lot of training. To become a doctor or a nurse, you need to go through years and years of rigorous schooling. Even in a fantasy story, don't cut corners--make your healers work for their medical skill.


Medicine and healing in fantasy is such a broad topic that one blog post can't begin to cover everything.  What about medical schools? Hospitals? Apprenticeships? Well, maybe that will be a post for another day. In the meantime, let me know what type of healing you use in your own stories or particular forms of medicine you've noticed in other books. Stay healthy, and keep writing!

Review & Giveaway: Finding the Core of Your Story

Have you ever had anyone ask you, “I hear you’re a writer. What’s your story about?” Usually, when this happens, I curl up in a ball of embarrassed fright and confusion, trying to figure out how to condense two hundred pages of manuscript into a manageable soundbite. Recently, however, I benefited from the advice of Jordan Smith, a filmmaker and friend from Holy Worlds Christian writing forums. With his help, I’ve been able to write a (decent) 1-sentence hook for my story—in short, a logline.

How is this supposed to help you? Can you get logline advice from Jordan, too? Well, you’re in luck: Jordan just published a book titled Finding the Core of Your Story: The Quick and Easy Guide to Writing a Logline. Here’s the description from the product page on Smashwords:

What's a logline? It's a very short description of the core of your story. It gets to the heart of what your story actually is and conveys that information in as little space as possible. Ultimately, it’s a tool you use to get busy people interested in your story.

Not only that, it’s a handy tool for keeping your story on track. If you don’t know what your story is about in a single sentence, you run the risk of meandering your story into places where it doesn’t belong.

Filmmaker Jordan Smith has earned a reputation as a logline guru. Now he’s written this fast-and-easy book to share his logline know-how with you. Inside, you’ll find:

- The Quick-Start Logline Chapter to get you going right away

- The four fundamental logline rules

- Useful chapters on nitty-gritty logline details

- More examples than you can shake a stick at

- And more!

You don’t have to be a filmmaker to use a logline. You just need a story that you want to tell. Whether you write novels, movies, or even operas, this book is for you. Every storyteller should be able to say in one sentence what his story is about. This book will help you learn to do just that.

I read this book—finished it in one sitting—and I definitely agree with the description above: Jordan’s humor and easygoing voice, along with the short and to-the-point chapters and practice exercises in each chapter, makes this book a valuable tool for any writer or screenwriter. Also, as a novelist, I appreciate the insight into writing from the screenwriting angle—Jordan presented his material in ways I wouldn’t ordinarily think of. Plus, it's affordable even for impoverished writers like me.

If any of this has piqued your interest, I encourage you to head over to Smashwords and buy Jordan’s book, Finding the Core of Your Story, here.

But wait. Remember the title of this post? I said there would be a review…and a giveaway. That’s right, three of you will be getting a copy of Jordan’s book, for free! So what do you have to do to get it?

Simple: comment below with a guess at how long my story’s logline is (a logline is one sentence, remember). The three people to get closest to the answer get a free copy of Jordan’s book. Be sure to leave your email address in the comment, so I can contact you with the code for your prize!

Enjoy guessing, and everyone, be sure to read Finding the Core of Your Story here.

Update: The giveaway is now closed. Thanks for participating!

What are You Writing?

Over the course of this blog, we've discussed a lot of different subjects: creating fantasy worlds and beings, writing villains, constructing fantasy fashion, favorite books and authors, and much more.

Today, though, I'd like to take a look at something we haven't touched on at all: what you are writing.

Yes, you.

Do you write melodious poetry? Or fantasy stories of swashbuckling princesses and dragons-in-distress? Or historical fiction from out of the mists of ages past and auld lang syne? Or modern stories of cell-phone-toting heroes and heroines struggling to make a dent in the cosmopolitan frenzy of the 21st century? Jane Austen fanfiction? Fairytale retellings? Or something else entirely? Please, do tell!

I suppose I'd better mention what I'm working on, too. Currently, I've got two projects underway.

The first is a fantasy story (naturally). A teen girl becomes "lady of the lands" through a series of strange mistakes and struggles to reconcile the independent Ranger faction and the rulers of the seven lands (especially the Lowlands, which is threatening to secede) in order to face the "forces of evil" warring against the realm.

As you can probably tell, there are a lot of knots to strangle out in that story, which is why (for the moment) I've turned to a new story, one that really matters deeply to me.

It's about a 15-year-old Japanese girl caught in Japan's 2011 earthquake and tsunami. On one level, the story is about survival, but in a deeper sense, it's about friendship, family, and forgiveness. For me, having grown up in Japan and having been there last year on March 11th, it strikes close to my heart. I pray that it may do the same for others.

So, that's my stories. Now, please, let me know: what writing are you concocting now?