@imwritehere1920 wrote:

Why do you write fantasy?  What first drew you to this genre or inspired you  write it?

@writergirl101 @arindown

Well said, both of you!

I’m not really sure why I write fantasy. It’s what comes easiest to me. Nearly every story I ever thought up fell into fantasy. The worldbuilding I do around my characters allows my s…[Read more]

@rusted-knight

That is a very admirable and inspiring quest. And one I hope you succeed in. You’re very right about trash being “thrown into what would otherwise be wholesome entertainment”–that was one reason I found to help me move from writing as a fluffy-side hobby to writing seriously. Which classical novels do you prefer most?

@arindown @imwritehere1920

The Wingfeather Saga that you’re talking about is the one that starts out with On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, right? I listened to an audiobook for that one, but haven’t been able to find the others in physical form. Andrew Peterson’s writing vaguely reminds me of N. D. Wilson’s, ever you’ve ever read his…[Read more]

@imwritehere1920

So, do you like writing in third person better?

Definitely. I find that I can get the perfect balance of inner character and external descriptions with third person, and I have more room to add more perspective characters. Lately, I’ve found first person completely foreign. It forces me to suddenly become much more focused on one…[Read more]

Correction, @imwritehere1920 mentioned Anne first, but that’s directed at both of you ^.^

@imwritehere1920

Are you going to keep writing about Wonder?

Honestly, I’m not sure. I still have everything for that project, and I revisit it every now and then to read through, revise or add to it. But I’ve kind of shifted away from the style I originally wrote it in. Not only is it in first person (something I struggle with now), but it’s very…[Read more]

@melodyjoy

Wow! I loved reading through all of those. I have a notebook of half-baked story ideas myself, some with titles and other without, with little descriptions and notes underneath. Most of them are barely filled out. Like this series of random thoughts and points I found:

—MC is an older man making a journey; young companions, but don’t…[Read more]

@writergirl101

Hey, it worked :b (I really should learn how to use the forum emojis… all I can manage is the smiley face, haha)

I think the best way an author can do all of this (innocence, realism, the good, the bad, and the ugly) is to really grasp who their characters are as people and reveal that to the reader. The reader should come away…[Read more]

@writergirl101 @arindown

I think I was about 12 when I actually started planning out my stories, but it wasn’t really until I was 14 that they started to shift away from that fairy-tale aura into something more serious.

I like to think that I never lost the innocence of my little-kid stories (or at least I’m trying not to).

I completely u…[Read more]

@imwritehere1920

It’s something I’m working on too. Thanks for the encouragement! I really needed it 🙂

Wise words 🙂 Yes, I’ve read it–and I agree completely!

@writergirl101

My first “chapter” story had three chapters too! It was called Molly and Holidays, and it followed little Molly’s adventures with her brothers around Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years before ending abruptly, haha. It had no plot or point, but I was so happy with it I showed it to everyone to read.

When do you think your s…[Read more]

@writergirl101 @imwritehere1920

I write because the stories are there, inside of me, all around me, and if I don’t get them out, they will always be trapped there, building up. I used to believe writing was a form of worship–just like singing and art. When I wrote, I was giving back to God the stories he had first given me. I still believe that,…[Read more]

@beth20 Hello!

I agree–use of mild language eliminates a work from middle grade. However, if you took that out, deciding whether or not your book qualifies as middle grade would depend on what else is in it (you say it’s not dark, but how in-depth are those awkward crush moments?) and its overall theme.

For threads of romance, I look at Jerry…[Read more]

@evelyn It’s going well! I’ve been able to balance my characters more easily lately. They don’t feel quite so overwhelming as a single cast.

I’ve been planning to read Murder on the Orient Express, but I haven’t found the time yet. I will definitely look into both of those. Thank you!

@evelyn Solid advice! Thank you so much 🙂 I try to give each character a motive, a quirk and a desire as if they believe the story is about them, even if they’re only in one scene, so that they don’t fall flat. I think oftentimes where I fall short is their personal voice, but that’s something that I can fix through more practice. Your Orson…[Read more]

@allertingthbs Thank you! Your examples really help to put things into perspective!

Thank you! I was unsure because a few different people have told me (in passing) that I have too many characters, but I also know that, as you pointed out, some stories have many characters and some do not. It all depends on the plot proportions, writer’s preferences, audience, etc. I’m fine with keeping track of them all, so I suppose my only…[Read more]