The Fairytale Feminista
Answering life’s questions one fairy tale at a time.
Write What You'll Never Know
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “Write what you know.” Few people interpret that correctly. Especially if what you write is speculative fiction. I’ve never moved through a realm using mirrors. I don’t have the ability to summon up spirits. And believe it or not, becoming a monarch of any kingdom, magical or otherwise, is beyond my lived experience. And yet, these are all things I’ve written about in my series and in short stories.
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “Write what you know.” Few people interpret that correctly. Especially if what you write is speculative fiction. I’ve never moved through a realm using mirrors. I don’t have the ability to summon up spirits. And believe it or not, becoming a monarch of any kingdom, magical or otherwise, is beyond my lived experience. And yet, these are all things I’ve written about in my series and in short stories.
“Write what you know” really means, learn. You want to write about an astronaut, learn about astrophysics. A medical thriller? Better find some info about medicine. What if you write fantasy or sci-fi?
Some writers of speculative fiction take the tack of answering any sticky questions by throwing magic at it and some do it well. Some don’t. I prefer (and I know this will sound counterintuitive) to make my magic as realistic as possible. Why? Because
I like to think we’re standing on the hairy edge of seeing all the magic, like stories about being whisked to Faery and as terrifying as that sounds, I’d like to make it happen
The realer it sounds, the more realistic the imaginary world will feel.
This, however, means I need to make some decisions about my story and “research the periphery.” What do I mean by that? Whatever surrounds your magic should sound as plausible as possible or at least have an explanation for the fantastical. For example, one of my projects involves a dragon shifter. This is not a new concept, but I’ve had issues with regular sized people suddenly growing to colossal proportions.
Photo by Luis Medina Diseu00f1o on Pexels.com
Where does all that mass come from? Where does it go?
I know plenty of people who are fine with this phenomenon and say, “It’s magic” but I don’t like that answer. It’s like an itch inside my brain.
Instead, I figured out how my character carries extra mass both sub-dermally and skeletally. It’s a small thing, but it made me feel better about the process of shifting. It may never make it into the story, but I know and sometimes, it’s enough.
How about you? Do you like your magic based in reality? Can you “go with the flow”?
Fairy Tales for All
I came to an odd and slightly disturbing realization the other day. I haven’t read any books written by men in years. This was not intentionally done. But it did get me thinking about the type of books I read and whether it’s become something niche. I read fantasy—all kinds, historical fiction, and mystery when I need something quick and dirty (that has nothing to do with spice levels, BTW). And yet for more than a few years, none of those books were written by men.
I came to an odd and slightly disturbing realization the other day. I haven’t read any books written by men in years. This was not intentionally done. But it did get me thinking about the type of books I read and whether it’s become something niche. I read fantasy—all kinds, historical fiction, and mystery when I need something quick and dirty (that has nothing to do with spice levels, BTW). And yet for more than a few years, none of those books were written by men.
I admit, I’ve made an effort to read indie authors and they are predominately women. There tends to be at least a romantic subplot and, unsurprisingly, quite a few have a fairy tale bent.
Is that the reason?
It’s a long-held belief that fairy tales are generally the domain of women and girls. Recently, writers have made an effort to make them accessible to all women and girls, where in the past they were clearly dominated by a young European aesthetic. Now they encompass various ages, ethnicities, races, body types—but what about the guys?
I read a lot of fairy tale retellings, and the audience is clearly female. Why? Is there something inherently feminine about fairy tales? The protagonists are both male and female. Jack and the Beanstalk, The Valiant Tailor and The Golden Goose all have male leads. Some, like Beauty and the Beast, have dual points of view. And superhero stories, long considered the purview of men, are just fairy tales with more fighting. So, why the discrepancy?
I don’t have an answer for any of it, but I hope you do. Any recommendations for fairy tale retellings written by men?
Have you noticed any unintentional patterns in your reading?
Rebuilding Year
Let me start by saying I am, in no way, sporty. I did ballet as a kid, but that was quickly eclipsed by more sedentary pursuits like piano, reading, and the like. However, I know enough about sports to use the above phrase.
Let me start by saying I am, in no way, sporty. I did ballet as a kid, but that was quickly eclipsed by more sedentary pursuits like piano, reading, and the like. However, I know enough about sports to use the above phrase.
In 2024, I finished my series, The Enchanted Path. That I can say I wrote and published a series still blows my mind, by the way. I hope it always does. But when I finished I needed time to think about my next move. In sports, when a team or an individual athlete goes through something big or course corrects, they spend (ideally) a year getting themselves to where they need to be physically and, I assume, mentally. I consider ending a series a big thing. 2025 was my rebuilding year.
I looked through old project I held off on in favor of the series. I had an unexpected new project crop out of a sleepless night. I even tabled a project I realized wasn’t ready to explore. I also took the bold step of working on 3 projects at the same time, writing veteran that I am (she says with a nervous laugh)!
So, 2026 will (fingers-crossed) bring the results of my rebuilding year.
Firstly, a story you may have already been introduced to.
Second, a trilogy with a subject near and dear to me that required unorthodox research.
And the last—she’s special. It required copious notes just to get the rough draft started. A series I hope will be with me as long, if not longer, that my last.
Other changes are in the air, but more on that in later posts.
Do you think writers should have a rebuilding year? Should we have a name for it?
Happy Three Kings Day! ¡Feliz dia de los Reyes para mis hermanas Latinas!
New Project (Old Fairy Tale, New Tricks)
Sometimes I think about how it must have been to be Cinderella. Not the evil step-family and abuse part. Afterward. She met a prince. He married her and brought her back to his palace.
Then what?
It must have been an uncomfortable transition. She went from being a slave to a princess. Did she worry she wasn’t up for the challenge? Did she fall into familiar patterns and start mopping the floor or scouring pots with the scullery maid?
Sometimes I think about how it must have been to be Cinderella. Not the evil step-family and abuse part. Afterward. She met a prince. He married her and brought her back to his palace.
Then what?
It must have been an uncomfortable transition. She went from being a slave to a princess. Did she worry she wasn’t up for the challenge? Did she fall into familiar patterns and start mopping the floor or scouring pots with the scullery maid?
Did she ever take back her original name?
What about the servants? Did they treat her well or did they whisper behind her back that she wasn’t worthy of the role? Help her ease in or play mean tricks?
And she wasn’t the only one. How did Snow White, the Valiant Tailor, or even the boy with the golden goose?
I think about these things when I’m trying something new. A little over a year ago I published the last installment of my Enchanted Path series and since then I’ve worked on 3 different projects to release at least one or two <fingers-crossed> sometime next year. While all are in the fantasy genre, they’re in new subgenres—untried, untested.
I know the correlation isn’t immediately obvious, but each new story feels like a new life as an author. Will it work out? Is this the one that makes a breakthrough? Or will the metaphorical servants put me in my place? That sounds melodramatic, but it makes it no less true.
Fairy tales teach us, among other things, that taking a risk offers the chance at a happily ever after. So, I continue to work on my new ideas.
How about you? Anything new as the year comes to a close?
Reruns and other security blankets
I like reruns. I happily rewatch TV shows and movies all the time. I even use reruns as background noise when I work on my editing. I find them comforting and there’s something to be said for watching a thing, while not quite watching and knowing exactly where it’s going.
And yet, I feel bad when I reread books. I have a very long To Be Read pile waiting for me. I have editing (did I mention that?) that I should get done. I also have other responsibilities. Do I have time for stories I’ve already explored?
I like reruns. I happily rewatch TV shows and movies all the time. I even use reruns as background noise when I work on my editing. I find them comforting and there’s something to be said for watching a thing, while not quite watching and knowing exactly where it’s going.
And yet, I feel bad when I reread books. I have a very long To Be Read pile waiting for me. I have editing (did I mention that?) that I should get done. I also have other responsibilities. Do I have time for stories I’ve already explored?
Rereading books is like comfort food. It’s comforting because it’s comfortable and known. There are times, and especially when times are uncertain, when all you want is certainty. A reread book is that—certainty. And I never feel bad rewatching something on Netflix despite having a long watch list.
Do you reread books? Any in particular?
To Write or Not to Write?
When I finally decided that I was a writer, I read every piece of writerly advice I could get my hands on. Overwhelmingly, writers, professional writers, advised writing every day. For hours. And while I wished that advice worked for me, I decided on a different approach.
Don’t write every day. Or if you do, don’t make it all about “The Project”.
When I finally decided that I was a writer, I read every piece of writerly advice I could get my hands on. Overwhelmingly, writers, professional writers, advised writing every day. For hours. And while I wished that advice worked for me, I decided on a different approach.
Don’t write every day. Or if you do, don’t make it all about “The Project”.
There are days when I’m just itching to write (I blame my many notebooks and addiction to pretty pens), but can’t come up with a single idea for my current novel.
First, don’t panic—it worked for Douglas Adams, it can work for you.
Next, get a “junk journal” which hopefully isn’t ugly—something fun where you can get words on a page that don’t have to mean anything. (Sometimes I use it to write down the lyrics of whatever earworm I woke up with and can’t shake).
Last, give yourself credit for putting pen to paper. That intentional act is a kind of victory considering so much of what we write on a daily basis is disposable and ephemeral—i.e. texting, quick jot emails, or clicking a heart to convey delight.
Too often guilt and shame either keep writers coming back to a page that should be set aside, or conversely away from the page because nothing “worthwhile” is coming to mind.
So my advice—don’t write every day. Doodle. Ramble. On paper. With a pen. No erasing, only cross-outs. You’ll likely surprise yourself with fresh ideas for your Project.
The First Story
While we have no concrete evidence, it’s safe to assume that the first story told was a warning from one homo sapien to another.
“Hey, in a time before now, I went in that direction with a hunting party and something with teeth and claws ate half of them. Be careful.”
While we have no concrete evidence, it’s safe to assume that the first story told was a warning from one homo sapien to another.
“Hey, in a time before now, I went in that direction with a hunting party and something with teeth and claws ate half of them. Be careful.”
But we are a race of curious adventurers. We’d have to be considering we saw things like lobsters, potatoes and prickly pears and said, “Let’s eat it.” So, of course whoever heard that story went in that very direction and confronted the clawed, toothed animal wanting to know what it was and if he, or she, could have a better outcome. We don’t know the end of that story, but we’re here so more than one somebody survived and continued the race.
Then what about fairy tales? More than a few are warning stories—be careful in the woods, stranger danger—but just as many, if not more, are about behavior. Would Cinderella have gotten a fairy godmother assist if she’d been pill? Could Jack have gotten away with the golden goose and magic harp if he hadn’t done a good turn for a stranger and had a hungry mother at home?
Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay
Fairy tales warn and assure us that virtuous behavior will, eventually, be rewarded. It also gives hope to people in dire circumstances that anyone can change their fortunes (and maybe become royalty). It’s an idea that gives me comfort when the world isn’t friendly.
So you want to Write a Series, part III
I’ve left my most cumbersome advice for last, and not because it's April Fools'. It seems appropriate considering that’s what a series is… cumbersome. It can be unwieldy and demanding and yes, fun. These are characters that become people to you. They are real and you’ve named every one of them. And they are so important because they made you a writer. Now here’s the tricky part. You have to learn to ignore them.
I’ve left my most cumbersome advice for last, and not because it's April Fools'. It seems appropriate considering that’s what a series is… cumbersome. It can be unwieldy and demanding and yes, fun. These are characters that become people to you. They are real and you’ve named every one of them. And they are so important because they made you a writer. Now here’s the tricky part. You have to learn to ignore them.
<GASP>
Yes, she’s a greedy b*^$# and sometimes she needs to know she’s not the center of the universe. You have other projects (hopefully) and while I was writing my series, tons of ideas for new books, uncomplicated STANDALONE books <sigh> would come to me. I’d write them down and put them in my ideas notebook then get back to the behemoth.
But there were days, sometimes weeks, where I was stuck. It was usually in the editing phase when I needed to connect one scene to another or had to make the difficult decision to cut whole sections. Sometimes the characters were just silent, and I didn’t know how to move forward. So I’d go back to my ideas notebook and start fleshing out one of my completely unrelated stories.
This was hard because I like working on something until it’s done—I’m linear like that (thank you Orb Prophets). But around book 3 I realized there was an end in sight, and I had to have something to write when the series was done. I started purposely ignoring my series in order to further another project. It also helped me deal with the nagging voice in my head that wondered how some of my favorite indie writers release multiple books a year. I don’t think I’m at that level yet, but I have three projects at various states in the writing process that will make it possible for me to release at least one a year. And that’s fine for me.
So the difficult advice to learn this time is, one day your series will end. Have a plan for that day.
New Year, Not So New Me
Just to prove that title applies, I don't think it's the first time I've used it.
I read one of the myriad articles about New Year's resolutions in the last days of 2024. One stuck out for me. The idea was not to make resolutions that you don't want to do--that's homework--but to write down things your want to accomplish. The trick, if it can be called that, if to pick very specific things, write them down, and then put them away until next year. That way you're not berating yourself for not sticking to resolutions or dropping them by March.
Just to prove that title applies, I don't think it's the first time I've used it.
I read one of the myriad articles about New Year's resolutions in the last days of 2024. One stuck out for me. The idea was not to make resolutions that you don't want to do--that's homework--but to write down things your want to accomplish. The trick, if it can be called that, if to pick very specific things, write them down, and then put them away until next year. That way you're not berating yourself for not sticking to resolutions or dropping them by March.
To add to that, at the very end of the year you can document how much you've completed thus giving you a starting point for the next year. That way you see progress and not black and white success or failure.
To that end, here are a few of my professional goals:
Novels: Last year I tried something new--working on more than one project at a time. Now I can move forward with all of them getting closer to finishing at least one.
Marketing: It's time to admit I have a major deficiency and that's marketing! But now that I have a whole series under my belt I'm going to take my work seriously and not feel bad if I decide to outsource that particular chore.
Blog/Website/Social Media: Less of a bane than marketing, but more of an obligation than fiction writing, it's still important. I may not love the time it takes away from the kind of writing I love, but I do love the immediacy of publishing and getting feedback within a few days. I can commit to one fairy tale/folklore/myth etc. post a month and one writerly post a month.
And now I'm putting this post up and forgetting about it (fingers-crossed) until next year and if I ever peek I'll remind myself it's about progress.
One down!
How about you? Care to make a progress list too?
A Mage's Path release tomorrow!
The last book in my Enchanted Path series comes out tomorrow and I was interviewed by one of my favorite blogger, Ari Meghlen. Enjoy and while you're at it check out her amazing blog.
A Mage's Path release
The last book in my Enchanted Path series comes out tomorrow and I was interviewed by one of my favorite blogger, Ari Meghlen. Enjoy and while you're at it check out her amazing blog.
https://arimeghlen.co.uk/2024/11/29/interview-with-author-i-l-cruz-2/
It’s been a long time coming. No one tells you that when you start a series it’s going to be a part of your life for years. Mine has been with me over a decade, through many iterations—it started off as Mother Goose Mysteries—and somehow became this safe place I went to as a writer. I know all the characters, though full confession, I sometimes forget the names of my tertiary characters or the color of someone’s eyes. I’ve visited the locations both in my waking and nighttime dreams. And I’ve woken up from a deep sleep having to write a line of dialogue I knew was missing. I don’t regret those nights. I do regret the nights I refused to wake up and write it down and then forgot everything except the fact that I’d had an incredible idea and let it slip away.
A series is WORK, but it’s also rewarding.
Now I’m closing the door on all that comfort. I’ve finished the last book in this series and I’m eager to move on to the next project (already in the works). While I can’t definitively say I’ll never revisit the world I created in the Enchanted Isles, it’s time to get excited (and uneasy) with a different story.
But before I do, with much ado, here’s the last book in the Enchanted Path series. A Mage’s Path is the realm-hopping conclusion of Inez’s story full of excitement, magic, romance, loss and discovery. I know all writer’s say it, but it doesn’t make it any less true:
I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing it (hopefully more because there were some days…)!
Coming November 30th to ebook and paperback!
Smuggler Prices
In less than two months, A Mage’s Path, will be released. It’s the last book in the series and it’s been a pleasure (and sometimes a pain) to write it.
In less than two months, A Mage’s Path, will be released. It’s the last book in the series and it’s been a pleasure (and sometimes a pain) to write it.
To commemorate the release, I had a giveaway for my first book, A Smuggler’s Path, on Goodreads, which has since ended. For those of you who participated and didn’t receive a signed copy, or even those who missed the cutoff, I have a special offer.
For the next two weeks A Smuggler’s Path e-book will be half off anywhere you buy your e-books.
WWJAD
I think all authors have a similar dream. For me it was writing a book followed by a small but vocal readership that would result in a groundswell of readers. It would happen, and this is important, within my lifetime, and I would spend my days going from readings and signings between growing an impressive list. I might also indulge the fantasy that despite not writing mystery novels my life would be very much like Jessica Fletcher’s.
I think all authors have a similar dream. For me it was writing a book followed by a small but vocal readership that would result in a groundswell of readers. It would happen, and this is important, within my lifetime, and I would spend my days going from readings and signings between growing an impressive list. I might also indulge the fantasy that despite not writing mystery novels my life would be very much like Jessica Fletcher’s.
Note that nowhere in that dream do I include, tweeting, posting, snapping, or anything related to social media. I’ve railed about this before, while quietly conforming to the expectations of a 21st century writer. I started a blog. Created a website. Joined Twitter (may it rest in pieces) and now I’ve joined Instagram. I’m sure some of you are thinking I’m a little late to that, but I believe in fashionable tardiness to most parties.
And yet, as I made the account, ilcruzwrites, I asked myself a question. WWJAD--What would Jane Austen do? Or the Grimm Brothers? Or Dickens? Or any well-known author who doesn’t have to worry about followers or likes.
Well, Austen’s fame grew after her death and the success she knew in her lifetime only came because she published anonymously and at her own risk (i.e. indie publishing).
The Grimm Brothers also toiled in obscurity for a time and only gained traction with each subsequent edition that was tweaked each time to appeal to children (i.e. rewrites based on reader notes).
Dickens was famous for holding readings in Europe and North America to widen his audience (the social media of its day).
And so I continue, indie publishing, getting beta readers, and trying to use social media to market and find that small but dedicated readership that will make my dreams come true.
Now I just have to learn how to use Instagram. Any thoughts?
Where I've been
I decided early in this blog that I wouldn’t apologize for long absences because it was inevitable. Blogging has always been in service of my writing. Don’t get me wrong—I’ve loved interacting with the blogging community I’ve become a part of and I've made wonderful friends. But I also know that when I have a limited amount of time to pursue writing, my fiction gets priority every time. This is all to say, I’ve been away because I’m writing.
I decided early in this blog that I wouldn’t apologize for long absences because it was inevitable. Blogging has always been in service of my writing. Don’t get me wrong—I’ve loved interacting with the blogging community I’ve become a part of and I've made wonderful friends. But I also know that when I have a limited amount of time to pursue writing, my fiction gets priority every time. This is all to say, I’ve been away because I’m writing.
As you are aware (at least that’s the hope because if you're not, I have to up my marketing game), the next book in my Enchanted Path series, A Mage’s Path, will be the last (more on that later). It has taken longer than expected and while I can’t rule out some subconscious aversion on my part to end something that’s been part of my life for over 10 years, I’m really happy to finish it. Right now, the finished manuscript is out with my editor.
This year I’m trying something new. Instead of focusing all my writing attention on one project, I’m working on three. A Mage’s Path in in final edits. The second novella in my paranormal romance, The Cemetery Circle, is in its second draft phase. And a new book, which will likely be a duology is being “world-built” and outlined.
So, yeah, I’ve been busy.
But I haven’t forgotten about Fairytale Feminista. Fellow blogger, Ari Meghlen, gave me an idea for a new series of posts I hope to write soon. In the meantime, I hope you’ll join me on my writer website and learn more about finishing my first series.
And read the books! 😉
Plot Vs. Character, Fairy Edition
Plot Vs. Character—Fairy Edition
First, let’s address the elephant in the room…or the blog. I’ve been gone for a really long time. It wasn’t intentional, but it was with a good reason. I’ve been working on the last book in my Enchanted Path series and being a final book in a series, it’s become a bit of a bear. More on that in another post. This one is a question I’ve been asking myself while working through (seemingly) endless edits.
Plot Vs. Character—Fairy Edition
First, let’s address the elephant in the room…or the blog. I’ve been gone for a really long time. It wasn’t intentional, but it was with a good reason. I’ve been working on the last book in my Enchanted Path series and being a final book in a series, it’s become a bit of a bear. More on that in another post. This one is a question I’ve been asking myself while working through (seemingly) endless edits.
Plot or Character?
I know people who prefer a story that is character driven—where the plot is solely there to advance the development of the character—and like a deep dive into someone’s (or many someone’s) emotions.
Others prefer plot over character where the person (or persons) are a device through which the reader understands what’s happening. As a speculative fiction writer I tend to fall in the latter camp. I start a story with a problem or a situation and then I think about the best and worst people to deal with it.
The pitfall of character stories is sometimes nothing actually happens, at least not beyond the character’s mind. On the other hand, when plot of all important, a story can feel more like the Perils of Pauline, jumping from one disaster to another with people you barely know.
As the title of this post suggests, I wanted to look at this through a fairy tale lens. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that fairy tales are plot driven. Sometimes the characters don’t even have names, just titles or occupations. However, those stories are also very good at getting to the point of who the characters are and what they have to overcome. Cinderella is good and in a bad situation. The Wolf is bad and hungry.
Having that spelled out means we can focus on what happens to these characters. If we switched out these characters with other people, other things could happen. Red Riding Hood would likely neglect the chores Cinderella does in favor of exploring the woods. If the Giant from Jack and the Beanstalk were stomping about the woods, he’d likely have ignored the three little pigs or smashed all three houses without a second thought. So, characters do matter in plot driven stories.
Longer fairy tales can be character driven. Alice in Wonderland follows the adventures of one specific girl and her development from bored pupil to a queen. Would the story have taken the path it did if Alice had been Snow White or even an older Alice? A lot of the story depends on Alice being who she is at a particular time in her life.
I don’t know if any story can be called plot or character driven. A good story has both concepts playing with or against each other. Maybe it’s more a writer thing than a reader one. As a reader I hope to lose myself in a story with relatable characters and a plot that holds my interest. As a writer only one or the other starts a project.
How about you? Do you think character or plot is more important? Do you think there should be a distinction?
Mechanical Creativity II
The holidays are feast or famine time for my writing. I either have tons to write or I am stuck with nothing to write. This year is a little different because I recently published my latest book, so I've given myself a pass until the new year on getting any real writing done on the last book in the series. But I still get the itch...that feeling of restless need to make SOMETHING and work. It's the same feeling I got around the beginning of August when I was waiting for school to start up again (yes, an admittedly nerdy admission but I'm owning it!).
The holidays are feast or famine time for my writing. I either have tons to write or I am stuck with nothing to write. This year is a little different because I recently published my latest book, so I've given myself a pass until the new year on getting any real writing done on the last book in the series. But I still get the itch...that feeling of restless need to make SOMETHING and work. It's the same feeling I got around the beginning of August when I was waiting for school to start up again (yes, an admittedly nerdy admission but I'm owning it!).
Back during the dark days of the quarantine I wrote about what I do when I get that itch, but haven't thought of anything to write. I called it mechanical creativity and this year I decided to make it work for me. I indulged my hobby of lettering and combined it with the normally tedious chore of sending holiday cards. The results were mixed, but it still scratches that particular itch. These are some of the results:
Although the results are rough, it doesn't really matter. The point is to do creative things while waiting for my specific creative ability to return.
Have you found your mechanical creativity endeavor? Feel free to share. In the meantime,
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
Happy Blogoversary
A blogger I follow once wrote about the importance of celebrating writing milestones and I have a big one today. My blog!
There are days when I wonder why I latched on to fairy tales as my theme for a blog. I knew I didn’t want to add another how-to write blog to the world, mostly because I didn’t feel qualified to add my two cents. In truth I still don’t, but for different reasons—namely my way of writing works for me, but not necessarily anyone else.
A blogger I follow once wrote about the importance of celebrating writing milestones and I have a big one today. My blog!
There are days when I wonder why I latched on to fairy tales as my theme for a blog. I knew I didn’t want to add another how-to write blog to the world, mostly because I didn’t feel qualified to add my two cents. In truth I still don’t, but for different reasons—namely my way of writing works for me, but not necessarily anyone else.
I revisited my first post, Welcome to My Corner, and it brought back a lot of memories. I had finished my first book (or so I thought it was finished, but it was really just the start of my journey into editing—a story for another time) and had been told I needed to have an online presence if I was serious about becoming a published author. My daughter was still young enough to be read to and I was reading her classic fairy tales, which I found intriguing and disturbing.
It's been ten years since I started this blog and I’m still writing about fairy tales. I’m just shy of 250 followers, which I know doesn’t sound like a lot, but to me is amazing. I’ve written four books and published three (more details on book four soon). These numbers all seem small at a time when only people who have hundreds of thousands of followers and churn out books every six months, but I’m really proud of my accomplishments.
So, readers, Happy Blogoversary! Thanks for reading and keeping up with my corner of the world.
Do you have any writing anniversaries you’re celebrating?
A Winter's Story, part III: Book Divining Edition
Writers get inspiration from anywhere and everywhere, especially when they’re blocked creatively. Part III of my 100-words serial was elusive, which I hoped wasn’t an omen for edits in my third novel (currently underway). I remembered reading somewhere that there are psychics who pick a book at random, flip through, and point to a sentence to determine a reading.
Writers get inspiration from anywhere and everywhere, especially when they’re blocked creatively. Part III of my 100-words serial was elusive, which I hoped wasn’t an omen for edits in my third novel (currently underway). I remembered reading somewhere that there are psychics who pick a book at random, flip through, and point to a sentence to determine a reading.
Recently I bought a book of defunct English words—because words are one of the many things I geek out over—and decided it was the perfect book for my purpose. It had words like sandillions, drizzen, and idle-worms (post for another day). I flipped through the book with my eyes closed and then pointed at
Ostentiferous: adj. that which brings monsters or strange sights.
I love lightbulb moments! Here’s what my newly-learned word inspired:
Winter’s Story, part III
The woman’s gaze careened between the lamp and the large-eyed sprite. At length her eyes settled squarely on the girl.
“It’s an ostentiferosity light,” she said matter-of-factly. At the stricken woman’s blank stare the sprite continued. “It summons the fantastical.”
“Then why are my treasures gone?” asked the woman. The sprite cocked her head considering.
“They must not have been fantastical. But you’re still here,” she replied and a slow smile spread across the sprite’s face. The woman blanched at the sight.
“What does that mean? Where did my things go?”
“Shall we go and find out?” asked the sprite.
Reacquainting with Rapunzel
I recently re-started editing my book. As you may or may not remember these are the edits I forced during the quarantine and the results were a mess, to put it kindly. I had to leave it alone for a while and then reacquaint myself with my words. It required a lot of “killing my darlings” which was by turns painful and wonderful. It got me thinking about Rapunzel.
I recently re-started editing my book. As you may or may not remember these are the edits I forced during the quarantine and the results were a mess, to put it kindly. I had to leave it alone for a while and then reacquaint myself with my words. It required a lot of “killing my darlings” which was by turns painful and wonderful. It got me thinking about Rapunzel.
After Rapunzel was banished from her tower prison she ended up in the desert pregnant and alone eventually giving birth to twins. The prince, who had been cursed by the enchantress to wander the world was now blind. They found each other and Rapunzel’s tears cured his blindness and then they moved back to his kingdom for happily ever after.
This is where my questions start. After the prince wandered for years and Rapunzel was a single mother, they must have changed. She’d done things on her own in her own way and he moved through the world differently after having been a pampered prince reduced to poverty. It must have been an adjustment. They’d both experienced trauma and had to find their way back to each other, likely over and over again.
It’s what I had to do over this month and a half—find my way back to my words after, let’s be honest, a global trauma. There were times I wondered if I just wasn’t a writer anymore. And yet I did get back to my words and reminded myself that I’m always a writer. I like to think Rapunzel and her prince were able to love each other again despite all the changes just as I fell in love with my words again.
P.S. To my American readers, Happy Thanksgiving!
Mechanical Creativity
As I'm sure you've noticed, new posts to my blog have been absent. I considered pushing through to make sure I had consistent content, but that's how I ended up in this predicament in the first place. Let me explain.
As I'm sure you've noticed, new posts to my blog have been absent. I considered pushing through to make sure I had consistent content, but that's how I ended up in this predicament in the first place. Let me explain.
When the pandemic first began, I was at the start of a blog tour promoting A Noble's Path, the next book in my quartet. While I had a wonderful time getting to know new bloggers and participating in interviews, the results were mixed. People had other things on their mind and so did I. We didn't know how long this whole thing was going to last and each day was a question mark.
After the tour ended, I threw myself into edits for book three, A Rebel's Path. And there were more than a few days when it felt like I had to throw myself into it because I had no desire to work on edits. I made a deal with myself that I would work on at least six pages every day, so I could get my manuscript to my editor in a timely fashion. I have no idea what I wrote and it showed when I got comments back from my editor saying, "This doesn't sound like you."
And it wasn't. I apologized to her and set my work aside promising to get it to her before summer. But the pandemic dragged on, my daughter was home "virtually learning" and my normal time for creativity became hampered. To make a long story short, I got stuck. So I made a really scary decision for someone who has written consistently since 2012. I stopped writing.
I knew it wasn't forever, but it still made me nervous. Why was I home, if not to commit to writing? Besides the quarantine, there was no reason I should be here. But then I started to embrace what I call mechanical creativity--artistic but guided. I practiced calligraphy drills. I used coloring books. I tried drawing tutorials. I created illuminated letter art for friends. I did a lot of redecorating in Animal Crossing. All of it had one thing in common--no writing and no stakes.
It's still scary especially because I have little patience. I want stuff done yesterday so I can check it off my list, but all the mechanical creativity has taught me to take a breath or three and realize writing will always be there. Every so often I have to relearn that.
So thank you for those readers who kept coming back to my blog and to the new arrivals, welcome. We finally seem to be on the approach to turn a corner and what better way to celebrate than getting back to normal-ish.
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