Writing
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The Looking-Glass, Part I
Prose was inspired by this photo on Pinterest! “Fancy a glimpse into truth?” the faery asked. She smirked mischievously, holding a looking-glass to the face of a weary traveler. He’d wandered onto her favorite dirt road on the way out of the city. He crossed his arms, watching her with an expression not of surprise…
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The Faery’s Birthday Gift
There was a long line of frustrated people outside of the movie theater. Rain thumped on colorful umbrellas, for those who cared to pack them. A few had come without umbrellas and were forced to wait in the rain. The weather was so unpredictable nowadays that it was hard to tell when an umbrella was…
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Excerpt: A Hundred Pages
These days I really have been procrastinating edits by writing short stories. I’m not sure what I’ll do with them all, but some I am really happy with; I will be sharing excerpts. I don’t know how long all of them will be, and most will probably be serialized. Briony’s story is still in progress,…
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Edits & Expectations
I’ve been on hiatus for several weeks now. Yesterday, it took a long time for me to muster the courage to open Serenade and start final edits. Perhaps I was afraid it would need rewriting. In the past, I could only make my stories better by rewriting entire chapters. This time, it’s not the case.…
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Road to Serenade – Day 1
When you’re a writer, time goes by slowly. Maybe it’s because we play with time in the stories we tell; everything appears bigger and full of mystery. It feels like years have passed since I started drafting Serenade. I completed the first version in early January, and in the time since then, I’ve learned a lot…
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Dealing with Manuscript Fright
Writing a book is one of the most difficult things in the world. Having just finished a novel this week, I feel like it’s the most difficult thing. Even now that I have an almost-complete draft, putting it away for a month remains a challenge. My mind won’t settle; it keeps insisting that I have…
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Writing Update: The Spontaneous Novella
As I stated in this post, when I am immersed in a writing project my blog suffers. It’s been weeks since my last post; every day I had the intentions of writing a review, since I did quite a bit of reading despite the writing and edits, but there never seemed to be time. Since my…
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Writing Update: On Short Novels
I’m taking another break from editing Serenade, and thought this an appropriate time for an update. I get so caught up in the editing process that I forget to tell people how I’m doing. I’ve learned many things since editing began, but perhaps the biggest lesson is that my books tend to be short. It’s been a…
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4 Reasons Why You Should Write Steampunk
Before I get into my reasons for why you should try writing a story set in a steampunk world, I should probably explain what steampunk is. Honestly, there is no set definition for steampunk, but it tends to be a story set in a world reminiscent of the past but with anachronistically advanced technology, attitudes,…
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5 Acceptable Ways to Procrastinate Editing
Experienced writers know their work isn’t through after the first draft. The opposite is true: Your first draft is the beginning of a long, tedious cycle. Quality work comes from months of writing, editing, and rewriting. Most of a writer’s stress emerges in the editing phase. If done without pause, editing can make you sick.…
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3 Ways to Heal Through Storytelling
The storytelling process is often described as healing; it lets us explore situations on a deeper level. There’s nothing like uncovering heartbreak, letting wounds heal in fresh air; however, it takes courage to bare your soul in a way that’s often public and raw. Even truths told in allegory can be difficult for the person saying them.…
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3 Lessons I Learned Self-Publishing
On June 1 I celebrate my first book birthday; it marks one year since the publication of Dissonance. I am not promoting one method of publishing over another; traditional has great benefits. I am simply recounting my experience taking the ‘least popular’ road. If you haven’t read Dissonance, new readers make an author’s day; I hope you give it…
Mariella Hunt & the Tearoom 