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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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 a New Column: Book Reviews!

Starting next month, I’m going to add another column to my blog to review the books I read. I'm not sure yet whether I'll post reviews weekly or bi-weekly or once a month, but I've already got some lined up that I think you'll enjoy, so we'll see how it goes. First, though, let me explain the way my reviews will work.

Stars: scale of 1 to 5

• 1 = inappropriate or extremely badly written. Don’t touch it!
• 2 = badly written or with mildly inappropriate content
• 3 = enjoyable. May have minor content issues or flaws in the writing.
• 4 = well-written and a good read
• 5 = an amazing book that delivers a punch. Read this! 
• I may occasionally include an “all-time-favorites” mark on those rarest-of-the-rare favorite books that have impacted me for life.

Teaser: A bit about the book, whether an excerpt or just a description.

Age level: All ages? Preteens and up? Teens and up? Mid-teens and up (15+)? Late teens and up (17+)? [To be supplemented with plenty of personal discretion]

Violence: scale of 0 to 5

• 0 = none
• 1 = mild injuries appropriate for all ages
• 2 = PG-level violence that's a minor theme in the book
• 3 = somewhat more intense violence that plays a major role in the story
• 4 = a lot of violence and death of a PG-13 nature
• 5 = R-level violence

Romance: scale of 0 to 5

• 0 = none
• 1 = there's a hint of romance at a PG level
• 2 = romance is minor but present (for instance, one kiss at the end of the story)
• 3 = romance is a major theme of the story but is appropriate for teens
• 4 = PG-13 level romance (for mature teens)
• 5 = R-level romance (for adults)

Language: scale of 0 to 5

• 0 = none
• 1 = replacement swear words
• 2 = "soft" swear words that are at a PG-level
• 3 = two or three instances of real swear words
• 4 = swearing repeatedly
• 5 = PG-13 or R-level profanity

Christian worldview: Any content to be aware of in the story, whether conflicts with faith or places where the book affirms Christianity?

My Personal Opinion: My thoughts on the book’s strengths and weaknesses. No spoilers (because I hate seeing those “spoiler alert” stuff in posts; it always makes me want to read the spoiler!).

I hope you enjoy this addition to the blog! Let me know if there’s a book (fantasy or not) that you’d like to see reviewed.

And the Winner Is...

Last month, I asked everyone whether they would like this blog to stay just a fantasy blog or expand it into something more, something deeper, something grander, something--okay, don't let me get carried away here!

Well, the overwhelming conclusion is that people want a blog with more than just fantasy (in fact, I think that was the only poll choice that had zero votes!). Thus, I am proud to announce that Of Faerie & Faith will no longer be simply a fantasy blog.

Now, that said, we come to an even more significant question: what shall I name this expanded and (hopefully) wonderful new era of blog-ship? Whether or not I change the blog name, the url will remain the same (siennanorth.blogspot.com). Again, here's a poll to help you decide. Please do add your comments below!

What shall the blog name be?

A New Direction?

I've been thinking a good deal lately about my writing and how it relates to this blog and all of you. Basically, my musings come down to this: should I make this blog a more generally Christian writing blog, or keep it fantasy-specific?

Don't get me wrong, I love fantasy. It's definitely my favorite genre to read, and one of my favorites to write.

But.

My current work-in-progress (which, due to my only-write-things-that-other-people-would-be-interested-in policy, I haven't told you anything about) deals with a teen girl caught in Japan's March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Basically, nothing could be farther from fantasy. Plus, I write a lot of poetry, too. In fact, I've had a few poems published recently.

And, more important, there is a lot about writing that doesn't really go under the banner of "fantasy" alone. I think non-fantasy writers might be able to benefit from some of the bits and pieces of advice I've collected, and I don't want to throw them off (or bore you) by about general writing stuff on a fantasy blog.

So, all that to say: what would you, dear readers, like to see? Traditional halls of fantasy lore? Modern stainless steel and cuppa-tea writing advice and anecdotes? A mix?

To help you let me know what you'd like, I've slaved many hours over the hot computer to write a nifty little poll (and figure out how to add it to the blog post). So take your pick and be sure to let me know why you want what you want in the comments!

Should the blog take a new direction?

How to Set Writing Goals for the New Year (That You'll Actually Accomplish)

If you're anything like me, you've spent the past few days thinking/worrying about the coming year. Maybe you made some New Year's Resolutions (speaking of which, if you've ever managed to keep any, I'm impressed). Or perhaps you looked back over the past year and thought of all the changes--great and small--that have occurred in your life.

The new year is an excellent time to re-commit to your writing. Perhaps you've become listless at the thought of your most recent project. Well, here's a ready-made opportunity to revitalize this aspect of your life! You could commit to writing every day or at set times each week or month.

No matter what you decide, however, there's one very important aspect that you must not ignore: if you make a promise to yourself to write, you must write. There's no getting around this important fact. If you let yourself down now, not only will you get no writing done, but you'll also fail yourself. If you break this promise and resolution, how are you to trust yourself in the future? You compromise your very self-respect.

Of course, if you decide on an unattainable goal, then you are setting yourself up for failure. Your goal should be "SMART"--that is, specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely.

To make your goal specific, think small. A specific goal would be something like, "I want to write 500 words on my current story _____ every Wednesday and Saturday." A broad goal would be, "I want to write more in 2012." Do you see how making the goal specific could help you achieve it more easily?

To make your goal measurable, think in terms of landmarks--hours spent writing or word count. "I want to write 500 words" is measurable, because you can measure the quantity "500 words." Same with "I want to write for thirty minutes." You either write for that amount of time or you don't.

Next, your goal should be attainable. This is pretty self-explanatory--for example, "becoming a rocket scientist" if you flunked science is not very attainable, whereas "writing thirty minutes once a week" is attainable if you've been writing fifteen minutes each week. That doesn't mean your goals should be difficult--by definition, a goal is something that's a little ways outside of your reach, so that you have to strive to attain it. Just make sure it's possible to attain.

The next category, realistic, is actually one of the hardest to measure. On the one hand, if you set your goal too low, then you won't really be motivated to achieve it. However, if it's way too high, then there's no way you can attain it. So, for this one, it's really up to you. How much energy can you commit to this goal? How much time do you have on your hands? Are you both willing and able to achieve the goal?

Finally, you should make your goal timely. This just means to set a time frame for your goal. "I want to write 500 words someday" is a lot less motivating than "I want to write 500 words within the next 7 days." When you have a deadline, you will begin to strategize exactly how you want to accomplish it within the time frame you set.

So, again, remember--make your writing goals this new year "SMART" goals: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. And when you've decided on them, why don't you tell me what goals you set? Enjoy setting and achieving your goals!

Merry Christmas!

Have you finished decorating the tree? Baked Christmas cookies (and eaten them too, I hope)? Visited your relatives? Wrapped presents? Cooked Christmas dinner (or will soon)?

Even more than that, perhaps you've spared a few moments to write a poem or the next chapter in your novel. You may have made time to read that book that you borrowed from the library three times...the one that you never quite got around to finishing. Maybe you researched a pesky place name that you never were certain you got right in chapter five.

I hope, no matter how you've spent your holiday season thus far, that you've been able to do something truly heartwarming. It may be just sitting still beside your now-decorated tree and absorbing the magical atmosphere. For me, I made Christmas ornaments for my older relatives by painting and decorating wooden snowflakes. It could be as simple as watching "Charlie Brown's Christmas" once again. For each one of us, there is something special that will warm our hearts--that will make us, however briefly, just a little bit happier. I pray that you will find this joy over this Christmas.

Now, with Christmas only two days away, it's time once again to be reminded of what we are celebrating. After all, we all know that holidays are about more than simply presents and packages and trees and lights and vacation and leisure, as delightful as all of these things may seem. Sometimes a gentle story in a child's voice is the best reminder of what we truly celebrate:

May God bless you abundantly, and may you may be a blessing to others during this season. Merry Christmas!

Onward!

Guess what? We've now finished the blog series on Realms of Faerie! Let's think back a moment on all the topics we've covered:

Castles

Forests

Mountains

Oceans

Fire

Sky

Now, what next? Well, since we've covered some basics to look for when writing fantasy, we're moving on to look at a much deeper, divisive topic: Fantasy and Faith. Lots of people oppose writing fantasy on moral grounds. Why do they think so? What does the Bible say? Is magic wrong? All this and more is coming right up!

What Next?

We've been through a bunch of beings of Faerie - from royalty to guardians, from dragons to elves, and a few far-off and mysterious things between. Obviously, I can't possibly post on every single being in Faerie--it would take all my lifetime, and I probably wouldn't reach the end even then! So, for now, this first series on beings of Faerie is at an end. {Still, be on the lookout for a continuation in the future!}

Now, what's coming up next?

I'll be writing a short series on realms of Faerie. I will post about castles, landscape, and a few other topics related to fantastic places. Along with writing about these "realms" and connecting them with a Biblical worldview, I'll also post some inspirational pictures for you to use in your own dreaming, imagining, and writing. So enjoy!

May your pencils stay sharp!