The Writing Process: Brainstorming

One question I am often asked about when people find out I’m a writer is: How do you come up with all those ideas? It’s a fair question and this week’s blogs are dedicated to looking at bit at The Writing Process. I’d like to clarify at the start that these are only strategies that work for me and perhaps the one thing I can say that works the best is reading books about writing and trying something new. This keeps my writing fresh and helps me grow as a writing.

Brainstorming! First, there’s an idea. How I come up with an idea is varied. There are certainly good methods and the most common I’ve heard is to set aside time to write about ideas. For example: take five minutes and write down as many settings as you can think of. Then do the same for characters or plot, etc. You get the idea and you may have tried this yourself. This is certainly a great idea, and I have gotten good ideas out of it, but sadly nothing that has ever worked into a book or story.

Okay, so that was a writing tip. But back to what how story ideas work for me. Usually they come to me. I do have a very active imagination, so turning it off tends to be a problem.

Second, once inspiration hits, I sit down at my computer with a completely blank Word document and begin typing out ideas. I ask questions to try to figure out the back story and what type of journey I see taking place for this character. I do this over a few days/weeks until the idea starts to form.

Third, once those ideas start to come together into a very loose plot, I begin to put them in order and keep adding ideas of possible scenes. Nothing is in any specific order and it certainly isn’t how the story will eventually unfold. No, right now it’s a jumble of ideas building off each other in point form. It’s details about characters and building of backstory.

Fourth, something else that usually happens at this stage is research. With the brainstorming comes a need for further discovery. Perhaps I want to use unicorns in this fantasy book, so I search for what’s written and known about unicorns and then add my own spin. Therefore, in the midst of my brainstorming is notes are further notes. These build off of each other as the ideas continue to percolate.

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Book Review: Unstoppable Liv Beaufont by Sarah Noffke and Michael Anderle

Strong female leads are something more and more readers are looking for in a good book, and I think there is a fine line between an admirable female lead and one… you want to like but struggle with. In some books, the seems to be going for strong but the female is so unlikable that I cringe inwardly and seldom finish the book.

The Unstoppable Liv Beaufont, however, does not fit this category. She’s likable and a bit snarky but she’s not horrifically mean. She’s an interesting character who’s pulled into a magical world she ran from only to fight battles she wants nothing to do with all the while trying to solve the mystery surrounding the deaths of her parents and siblings. It’s urban fantasy and the story is filled with all the varieties of fantasy creatures living secretly among the humans. From lovesick fae to hippy elves, from dragon eggs to giants raising kittens and werewolf grandmothers to brownies! Not only has Liv pulled me into the series, but the cast of characters adds to the sense of believability the authors have woven into the narrative.

This series is presently on sale for 0.99cents on Amazon. There’s 12 books in the series. Yes, 12! So I haven’t finished the book, but I have finished six of them and have full intentions of finishing the series, but I do need breaks in between books.

(Picture created with Canva; Book cover retrieved from Amazon)

Book Review: The Spoken Mage by Melanie Cellier

We all have our styles and tastes when it comes to books and genres. As you’ve probably guessed by now, I prefer fantasy, urban fantasy and a touch of clean romance. I used to be a lot more diverse in my reading, but time is precious (not in the Gollum-Lord of the Rings kind of way).

I’ve recently been reading this series: The Spoken Mage by Melanie Celllier and am on my third book. So far it is an enjoyable read meant for the YA fantasy crowd. The story keeps my attention with good conflict and tension. I want to know what will happen! The magic is interesting, creative and well explained.

The story line touches a bit on the Harry Potter idea of a poor girl who shouldn’t have magic but at the age when magic is meant to emerge, it does for her. She ends up in a special school for people with magic or mages as the book calls them. Initially no one likes her and she doesn’t seem to like anyone. While her reasons are sound, I do find her going a bit overboard and treating some people (a certain prince) harsher than she should when he really hasn’t done her any harm.

The love story developing is expected and she certainly becomes much more loveable as a character. There is a bit too much telling where showing or dialogue could have worked much better. But the stories are well put together and entertaining. And presently on sale for 0.99cents! so if this sounds like a read you might enjoy, hurry and get yours today on Amazon!

(Picture created with Canva; Book cover retrieved from Amazon)

Book Review: Snow Queen -K. M. Shea

Free Valentine Gift

This was perhaps one of the first books I read from K. M. Shea. I’m not one for fairy tale remakes and still don’t love them, but there was something about the main character and her journey that resonated with me. She had strength and kindness She was extremely power and despite poor treatment, she fought for her kingdom. This is a 2 part series, but the first book is free! Grab yours today and get your journey started.

Amazon

K.M. Shea is an author I follow and she’s always giving away books or free extras based on her books. When she sends out newsletters, they’re always engaging and includes creative reader-centered ways to make her ‘Champions’ (readers) a part of her writer process. Her stories are fun and light-hearted. They’re clean romance set in a fantasy world and hard to put down.

(Picture created with Canva; Book cover retrieved from Amazon)

Review: The Faerie Race -J. A. Armitage & Claire Luana

Happy Valentine’s Day weekend! I hope you are spending it well and safe and with those you love. I considered writing a review about a love story, but I confess that I’m not much of a romance reader. I like fantasy and I like that there’s romance in the fantasy novels, but I also like that the romance isn’t the dominant plot or I’d probably never finish the book. However, today’s review is all fantasy with a romance story thread.

This novel set was a great read. The main character has been training to be a stunt woman in movies but is working as a ‘gofer’ for the movie production company. Meanwhile, Faerie has recently opened up to the human world and they are set to have a race, kind of like The Amazing Race. There is one human, one faerie creature team up and they compete for a grand prize of a wish granted from the faerie king.

The story does get a little ‘Hunger Games’ in style when the contestants’ lives are on the line in the race and there are a few casualties along the way.

The main character is strong but a little irritating at the beginning. However, as the story progresses, she gets better and you’re glad you stuck with the book. The ending, or rather the end of the faerie games, is a bit of a let down. It was kind of expected but not super satisfying. The book itself does end well though and was an enjoyable read.

So if you’re looking for a bit of fun and light reading with a touch of romance this Valentine’s Day weekend, then check out this series.

Amazon

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Review: Fairy World M.D. -Tamara Grantham

This was an unexpected find that I had to finish! A while back I found the first book in the series for free on Amazon and had to keep reading the series.

The main character, Olive Kennedy, is a strong character who is dedicated to those she cares about and struggles with being a part of both the human and fairy world. As a psychologist, she helps humans who have stumbled into the fairy world and need help processing it. But her life often takes her into the fairy world where she ends up on a quest, finds loves and has to rescue those most important to her. She is a very likeable character who is easily relatable. And in the end when all the battles are finally over, she finds herself where she’s longed to be. (No spoilers)

I liked the mix of urban fantasy with fantasy in this book as the stories took place in both the human realm and the fairy world. There were some parts that felt a little underdeveloped but those tended to be lesser plot threads that didn’t harm the over all story, but it did leave me wondering why they were mentioned or what the purpose was. But no harm to the overall story line or satisfying ending.

If you’re looking for a strong female character and a great supporting cast, then I encourage you to check out this series! (The first box set is cheaper that the first book on Amazon!)

Fairy World M.D., Boxed Set One (The Olive Kennedy Fantasy Romance Series Book 1) by [Tamara Grantham]
Amazon

(Picture at the top created with Canva; book cover retrieved from Amazon)

Writer’s Toolkit

A number of years ago, I made the decision to write and publish independently of a publishing house. There are certainly a lot of opinions out there, but perhaps the biggest reason I made this decision was because I wanted to keep creative control over my own work, it was my name on the cover after all. And nothing against traditional publishing houses, that route just didn’t feel right for me.

So are you exploring the world of self-publishing or already far more involved than me? If you’re looking for some help, I’d like to suggest Reedsy.

Reedsy is an amazing platform for self-published authors that provides everything you need from free classes and webinars to editors, cover artists, illustrators, blogs, marketing and even free formatting of your book for both ebook (.mobi and .epub) and print books.

This is a super friendly platform that is amazingly helpful. One of the founders even just put out a free book on Amazon all about marketing.

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How to Market a Book: Overperform in a Crowded Market (Reedsy Marketing Guides Book 1) by [Ricardo Fayet]
Amazon

So if you’re looking at self-publishing or wanting to learn more, check it out! It is definitely a wealth of information, contacts, and support!

(Book cover copy and pasted from Amazon)

Behind the Scenes: Tully

When I first thought of Tully, I saw this girl who had to wear a cloak, so I started asking questions about who she was and why. Where did she come from? etc… She was a girl who lived a lie, been told a lie and wasn’t allowed to believe any different.

Been there?

I think we all have at some point in our lives. We grow believing things are the way they are because our parents, teachers, friends, society, etc tells us so and we don’t always question it because it’s normal. This is Tully at the beginning of the story–The diseased ward of Mistress Glenna.

As the story unfolds, she learns there’s so much more to her, the stories she’s been led to believe about her identity and the barrier around the Kellan Lowlands. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, so I won’t go into the story too deeply. But in her journey of discovery, she finds her strength and learns that everything she thought was wrong about her, actually had purpose and intent.

Sound familiar?

How often have we thought a piece of ourselves was ‘wrong’ simply because it didn’t seem to fit in with the rest of society? Yet as we’ve grown and matured, we see our uniqueness is a gift that make us who we are. It is something we alone bring that adds to whatever circumstance we face.

As I wrote Tully, this aspect of her shone through.

As this is the last of my ‘behind the scenes’ look at the major players in Hidden, I wanted to end with a quote from Tully. It’s said near the end of the story when life for everyone, but her, has moved forward.

How am I ever going to go back to normal? I don’t even know what normal is anymore.

Tully Hidden © K. M. Wray

I read this line in December of 2020 when I received my first print copy of the book and tears came to my eyes after all we had faced with Covid19 and the changes that 2020 brought to our world.

In the end, Tully finds her normal and it’s better than she ever imagined! She started the story as a young woman wanting to find a corner of the Kellan Lowlands to hide away. She transforms into a young woman who finds love, purpose and is at peace with her new self and world.

I hope you fall in love with Tully like I have and I hope, like her, you find your wings. And as you search for your new normal in the midst of whatever changes Covid19 has brought to your life, may it be better than before. Believe it my dear adventure seekers!

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Behind the Scenes: Ciaran

When I first wrote Hidden, Ciaran wasn’t a part of the story and Tully had no romantic interest, but did desire to be loved. But like the other POV characters, it became evident that the story couldn’t be told from Tully’s perspective alone, so in walks Ciaran, a young Arelian raised in the Hidden Valley, who has his own story to tell.

When I considered Ciaran, his back story and the love interest with Tully, he needed to have an important part in the story but he also needed to be the one who’d bring love into Tully’s life. I created him to be a gentleman who’d intentionally treat Tully with kindness since there was such a huge void of it in her life. She would of course fall in love with him, but I wanted their love story to be more than ‘he’s handsome and she’s beautiful’.

In so many stories, that seems to be the depth of the love story and I wanted more for Tully and Ciaran. They felt special with a timeless kind of love that went deeper, so they had to value each other and see each other for more than the surface interest. One reviewer said there were ‘anti-sex before marriage’ themes in the story, which made me laugh. And this so wasn’t in any of my thoughts as I wrote the book or a part of Tully and Ciaran’s love story. (Though I do value the reviewer’s comment as it shares their perspective and will help me write better love stories in the future.)

So what are your thoughts on Ciaran and Tully. Please share your thoughts below.

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