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Having trouble keeping up with the challenge? No problem! You can catch up here: The Writing Challenge Series
Today's Challenge: the writer you chose on Day Thirteen reads your story and tells you it's no good and you should just give up writing. What is your reaction? I mentioned two writers on Day Thirteen: J.R.R. Tolkien & Bryan Davis. Lucky for me, J.R.R. Tolkien is dead, because I'd bet a shiny thousand dollar bill that he'd be disgusted with my book. Absolutely disgusted. He would probably suggest that I stop writing all together. I have no idea what Bryan Davis would say about my book, but I'm guessing he wouldn't be all that impressed either. My work is really amateur and shallow compared to his. I don't think he'd tell me to stop writing, though. He's too nice of a guy to do that to someone (at least, that's what I've heard). But, what would MY reaction be if one or the other told me my stuff is awful and I should give up writing? I would be undoubtedly a little hurt at first, but then I would brush it off, as I do with so many things, and say: "Dear sir, my giving up writing would be akin to you giving up breathing. It simply isn't possible." ![]()
Having trouble keeping up with the challenge? Don't worry about it! You can always go back and read what you've missed just by clicking this link right here --> The Writing Challenge Series.
Today's challenge: Your writing buddy Wow. If I had taken this challenge only 8 months earlier, today's would have been a sad tale of a lone wolf author who was forced to survive the harsh world on her own, hunting down the review bunnies and surviving on the scraps of editing tips thrown to her by those passing by on the internet... Okay, not totally.... But almost!.... But that's not the point! The point is that I do have a writing buddy! F.P. Spirit, hands down... or up... that always confuses me... is it down or up? How about sideways? Anyway, F.P. Spirit is my writing buddy. He has, in a way, become my dad and mentor in the author/writer dimension. We met via a Facebook writing group in 2014 (HAS IT REALLY BEEN THAT LONG?!?). He needed an editor and I pointed him toward the one I used at the time. When he published his first book, a fantasy, I scrambled to review it (I didn't have many fantasy authors in my circles at the time and I was *cough* desperate for some fantasy to break up the western monotony... sorry! I'm not a huge fan of western.). I was instantly hooked to his book series! I loved the color and depth of his story and his characters. I was ashamed of my own book, honestly, because I thought it paled in comparison. He ended up reading my book as well and was equally impressed with it. In fact, if I remember correctly, he told me he was absolutely blown away by it.... but that was a couple of years ago, so I could be getting that wrong... cough, cough.... ANYWAY. After that, we kept talking. We became friends and started learning things together. Then we started bouncing ideas off each other, and we started challenging each other in our writing, and then he talked me into using Skype for meetings (always had Skype... never used it), and now I think we've shared too many of our writing secrets with each other, so we're basically in this two person cult now and will have to shred the other person's drafts if they try to leave said cult so that our sacred writing secrets are kept safe.... okay, not really, but you get the point. I think my writing has improved 50 times more since becoming friends with F.P. Spirit. It has been great to have someone that I can bounce ideas off of, talk about author troubles to, and ask weird author questions in front of (and sometimes even get an answer!). I honestly didn't know what I was missing out on when I was a lone wolf author. Having a writing buddy is awesome. I only hope that I have provided as much "miracle grow" to our friendship as he has! ![]()
I am really excited about today's challenge, because I get to share something from book #2 of the Tales of the Wovlen series - The Dragon's Due (the book that everyone has been waiting tirelessly for). But first, if you haven't been keeping up with this challenge so far, you can catch up by clicking "The Writing Challenge" category.
And now, today's challenge is: A random sentence from your WIP So, forget just picking a random sentence. I'm going to give you a 2 whole paragraphs! This is part of a scene from Chapter 7, and we get to be inside the Crystal Witch's palace, hearing a conversation she has with her most trusted minions! She turned away, climbing back up to her throne. “Rise, my servants. There is much to be done and little time to accomplish it all.” She turned to face them, and the wraith all rose to their feet in unison. “I have learned that one of our old enemies has resurfaced, and there is a rumor spreading that he has found one of the ancient dragon blades. He is under the Dayspeaker’s blessing of protection, so none of you can kill him, but there is one who can.” She paused a moment. “It is time to release the Nightstalker. It is time for him to play his part.” She turned away, climbing back up to her throne. “Rise, my servants. There is much to be done and little time to accomplish it all.” She turned to face them, and the wraith all rose to their feet in unison. “I have learned that one of our old enemies has resurfaced, and there is a rumor spreading that he has found one of the ancient dragon blades. He is under the Dayspeaker’s blessing of protection, so none of you can kill him, but there is one who can.” She paused a moment. “It is time to release the Nightstalker. It is time for him to play his part.” Now, I can already hear the ever present question: WHEN IS BOOK 2 COMING OUT?! Soon. Very soon. Like, V-E-R-Y soon. It is going through the last stages of editing (YAY!) and I should be setting a release date any day! Hopefully it will be sometime THIS month! Whoohoo! I promise that I'll keep everyone updated on my progress. I'm really upset that it has taken me this long to get it on a roll (I wanted this book done and published in March... of LAST YEAR), but I guess it's better late than never, right? ![]()
Don't forget to check out the previous day's challenges here: The Writing Challenge Category
Today's challenge: A writer you admire. Oh man. Put a knife into my heart! I can't choose - I admire too many! Of course I admire J.R.R. Tolkien (did anyone see that coming?). He was a master at world building. I mean, he not only created a world and filled it with fantastic creatures, he also gave that world a history, unique technology, healing plants, special rocks, and it's own mythology and creation story. If you are an aspiring fantasy author, you would do well to read J.R.R. Tolkien's works and study the world(s) he built. Bryan Davis would be another author I admire. His story crafting BLOWS MY MIND. I don't know how he does it, but he somehow creates an elaborate maze out of his story line. Just when I think I know where the story is going, the path twists and sends me and the characters down a new road that comes to a dead end, but then a trap door opens up and drops us into a river which rushes us to a bridge and a cross roads, and you take one road, and the characters take another road, and just when it seems there is no hope, dragons come in to save the day, and then you look back and you see that all those roads you thought were separate were actually all just a part of the never ending maze! Yeah. Bryan Davis knows how to suck you into a story, blow your mind, and keep you glued to the edge of your seat the entire time. He also knows that all we readers really need in life is more dragons. *Nods* I could come up with several more writers that I admire a great deal, but I think I'll stop here. The rest of the authors I admire are alive and know me, and I don't want to make their heads swell. *Wink, wink*
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Ironheart: The Primal Deception
Coming May 12th 2016 Ironheart: The Primal Deception introduces a brand new world of science fiction and fantasy, where deities dominate a civilization dependent on steam-powered marvels. For Jack Booker, an orphan from the cutthroat streets of Victorian, life is about survival. The squabbles of the imperial aristocracy are of no importance to him; neither does he concern himself with the machinations of the empire’s gods, the Primals, who rule humanity with indifferent disdain. Power plots amongst the mighty mean little in the grungy alleys of the undercity, where the only rule that truly matters reigns supreme: Only the strong survive. It is a daily struggle. This struggle becomes even more deadly when Fist, an underworld mob boss with delusions of grandeur, embroils his gang in a game far above their league. Soon, Jack finds himself thrust into a web of intrigue, subterfuge, and rebellion when he encounters the enigmatic Freedom, a revolutionary with an uncompromising vision for the future and a deep hatred for the Primal Empire. Forces beyond Jack’s comprehension command subjects like pieces on a chessboard – and, somehow, he may have just become the most important pawn… ![]()
Dakota Kemp is a seriously talented author and has been listed on my "Other Authors" page on my website for a long time. You may have heard me talk calmly (rave) about one of his other books in my YouTube book review video "The Arrival by Dakota Kemp". The depth of his story and characters far surpass anything I've ever written, his story telling technique had me eating every word up, and his plot left me hanging and begging for more. So, as you can imagine, I am pretty psyched for Ironheart (it's not a sequel to The Arrival, though... *cough, cough-Dakota'sKillingMe-cough*).
Ironheart is a steampunk/fantasy novel said to be suitable for YA readers and up. The release date is May 12 and it will be available on Amazon, the Kindle version being about $2.99 - an excellent price! If you would like more information about Dakota and his books, please check out his website at www.dakotakemp.wordpress.com. Of course, don't forget to keep an eye out forIronheart! I have a feeling it's going to be a good one to read! ![]()
So, I feel like I am going to fail at today's challenge... BUT, I have made up for it with the previous challenges up till now, haven't I? If you haven't been keeping up with my challenges, catch up on them here: ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT & NINE.
Today's Challenge: The first sentence of the first chapter of your WIP (work in progress). Let me tell you something: this challenge made me seriously reconsider all my opening sentences. They are TERRIBLE! Well, that's my opinion. They don't seem that catchy to me. Anyway, I have three WIP that I'll share the first sentence from... I actually have more than that, but I only wanted to share three with you, because the rest of my WIP don't have opening sentences (I start in the middle of a story and work my way out). Enjoy! "Keegan looked up and smiled as the door finally opened, and Alia and Brainna stepped out, faces beaming." Tales of the Wovlen Book #3 "Kyra stood frozen on the cold metal table, head tilted, and listening intently to voices coming through the ceiling above her." Plasma Chrysalis - SciFi book "The azure sky was bright high above the tall, green trees of Deepwood Forest." An unnamed fantasy story
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Don't forget to check out the Other Challenges up to this point!
Today's Challenge: Your least favorite character out of all the characters you’ve ever written. Oh gee. This one is hard. Honestly! I like all my characters in My Book, even the nasty ones. This would seriously be a toss-up between Demetrius - the bad guy who killed my main character’s father - and Keegan, the main character. Yes. My main character is one of my least favorite characters. He can be such an idiot! And talk about being a whiney baby ALL. THE. TIME…. gag. But, despite that, I still love him. Now that I really think about it, I think Demetrius is really my least favorite. He’s just downright, flat out nasty and revolting. He’s a coward, he’s a thief, he snarls, he fights dirty, he’s arrogant, and on top of it all, he’s not very pretty to look at. So, yes, Demetrius is my least favorite character. In fact, he makes Keegan look mighty good!
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If you haven't already, be sure to check out DAY ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE & SIX of this challenge!
Today's challenge is: Your favorite character out of all the characters you’ve ever written. This is really hard. It would either be Pharrgon the regal dragon, Walneff Feldost the riddling prophet, Gillion the Jester, or Vliron Nightstalker the rogue assassin. If you’ve read my first book, then don’t worry - you haven’t met Gillion or Vliron yet. They are introduced in book #2, which is coming out really soon (No, really! It really is! I swear!). Trust me when I say that Gillion and Vliron are AWESOME. Because, they really are awesome. And you don’t have to take my word for it. You can ask any of the testers who have pre-read the 2nd book (or parts of it). I have heard that they think Gillion and Vliron are awesome, though, they are starting to split into teams on who they think is more awesome - Team Gillion and Team Vliron.... my awesome characters may end up starting a fan war.... Anyway. Where was I? Oh yes – favorite character. If I judge by which character is fun to write, I think Gillion would be my favorite. He is such a cut up! If I want something funny said or done, Gillion is my man. If I want something crazy or spastic done, Gillion is also my man. If I want someone to make some awesome ninja moves and kill monsters Legolas style, all while smiling and cracking jokes, Gillion is definitely my man. However, on the other end of the spectrum, I've had a lot of fun with Vliron. He is just the opposite of Gillion. If I want somebody to do or say something mean and cold, Vliron is my man. If I want somebody other than Pharrgon to scare the monsters, Vliron is my man. If I want someone to be a suspicious, sneaky, and befuddling character that the reader likes one minute and hates the next, Vliron is also my man. If I want someone to take a really bad beating..... then Keegan is my man. Though, Vliron has taken some really nasty ones as well. Picking a favorite character is impossible. I like them all for different reasons. I like writing them and learning their styles. I like torturing them and seeing how they respond. I like killing them too. Yes. I know. I have issues. I plan to capitalize on that though! Would any of you be interested in buying one of these T-shirts should I start an online shop?:
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Today's challenge is going to be fun! But first, if you haven't already, be sure to check out DAY ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, & FIVE.
Today's Challenge: You are somehow transported into the world of your story. Name the biggest challenge you would face having to transition from living in the real world to your story world. Be as detailed as you like. Camping. Plain and simple. I have never done any real camping before. Camping has always entailed sleeping in an air conditioned camper with a soft foam mattress under me and warm fuzzy blankets on top of me and a self-lighting stove to cook on in the kitchen area of the camper. Yes, I am ashamed that I have never done any real camping before. Of course, the first monster I came across – Roshar, anyone? – would mess me up pretty bad too. Hand me a sword and I can do some impressive fun stuff with it, but if I had to depend on a sword for survival… yeah. Forget the sword. I’d rather have a dragon. It’s long range, it’s effective, has impressive fire power, and nothing is walking away from it. A dragon could also come in really handy for camping, come to think of it! If I had a dragon, all my problems would basically be solved. The only one remaining would be the lack of chocolate. There is chocolate in my world, but it has limited distribution. Sure, I could fix that, but what is life without challenge?
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Hey! This is going to be a really fun challenge today, but don't forget to check out DAY ONE, TWO, THREE, and FOUR if you haven't been keeping up with this challenge so far.
Today's challenge is: Your protagonist is somehow transported to this world, meets you, and learns that you are responsible for creating his/her world. What is the first thing he/she would say or do after learning this fact? Well..... I'm doomed. Keegan is technically my protagonist in Tales of the Wovlen (he's such an idiot, but we won't get into that). If he found out that I was the person who caused the red dragon to kick his people out of their kingdom, turning them into nomads (the life he was born into), and that I wrote the prophecy about the Dragon's Son, picked him for the job, and then sent the army that massacred his friends and family....... Yeah, he'd try to chop off my head. And yes, I'd scream and run like a little girl. He may be an idiot, but he gets ugly when he's angry, and I have a highly developed sense of survival. If Pharrgon (the dragon) was with Keegan, though, he would be more understanding. He'd see that I created the safe forest for him to hide in, all the wonderful creatures for him to enjoy, put Keegan in his life, and made him the formidable beauty that he is. He would try to help Keegan see the positive side to all of that, and he would certainly keep Keegan from chopping my head off. There is also one other delicate little thing that Pharrgon would be thankful to me for, but I can't mention her right now because...
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Kathryn FoglemanAuthor of the fantasy series, Tales of the Wovlen, Kathryn spends a great deal of time in the world of her imagination, having tea with fire breathing dragons, writing books on flying space ships, and practicing her mad scientist laugh with gusto. However, on occasion,she returns to this world just to play with her dog and blog about her fun. My BookGrab a Button!![]() Archives
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