Mariella Hunt & the Tearoom

writing

  • 3 Things Kindle Vella Taught Me

    Serial fiction is not for everyone–writing it or reading it. When I joined Kindle Vella with my first story, The Sea Rose, I only did so because I already had a draft written and planned to tweak it into smaller episodes. The Sea Rose did end, though, and since the characters were not finished telling…

    , , , ,

  • Telling the Whole Story

    “Don’t write through a migraine.” I find myself thinking this, even as a hundred new ideas barrel into me for the two pieces I’ll be focusing on come November: Sandcastles, and a novella that I sense will be about a ghost ship. It’s exciting. I’d like to say one day that I told the whole…

    , , , , ,

  • #2 – Roses & Sewing

    Elle trudges the battered sidewalks surrounding the market. She carries with firm hands a basket of colored threads for sewing. “Thread,” she calls out, “clean thread for dresses, drapes, mending…” Where people are forced to make their own clothing, deprived of the convenience of shopping, there is demand for things such as thread. Boredom is…

    , ,
    , , , ,

  • #1 – A Child’s Disbelief

    “There is no such thing as magic.” Young Elle’s words cause her grandmother, Ama, to flinch. “It pains me,” she answers, “to hear you say such things.” Elle is defiant. “How can there be magic?” she demands. “If such a thing existed, we would not be trapped here with housefires every night.” Ama considers her…

    , ,
    , , , ,

  • Vella Review: THE DARING ADVENTURES OF HONORIA PORTER (BOOK 1)

    I have not yet read many mystery novels, my preferred genre being historical fiction. However, I’ve noticed that a mystery tends to be memorable if the protagonist—the sleuth—is interesting. Holmes and Watson are great sleuths! I scarcely remember the plot lines of those novels (I know, I know—due for a reread!) but I can remember…

    ,
    , , , ,

  • Book Review: THE DUKE’S GHOST BRIDE

    Though ghosts and tales about them are popular, especially around the time of Halloween, nothing is really known about them. How would a ghost spend all of that free time? Does a ghost ever wish to have a biscuit or a conversation with the living? THE DUKE’S GHOST BRIDE by Fanny Finch is a charming,…

    , ,
    , , , , ,

  • On the Solitary Writer

    After 70 episodes of my serial, I find myself contemplating it—wondering how it got to 70 episodes—and marveling at how great a difference it can make to have readers. Writing is by nature a very isolated activity. I now wonder how much of that isolation is self-imposed. Why does every writer have to brood over…

    , , , ,

  • Guest Post: Author Emma Smith

    Hi! I’m Emma Smith, the author of young adult novel ‘Guided’. I self-published it at nineteen, and I’m so proud of my story and everything it represents.  ‘Guided’ is about Macey Collins, a seventeen-year-old girl who is just navigating the world of being a teenager. But when she helps out at a camp one night…

    ,
    , ,

  • Joy in Editing

    I had forgotten that editing can be fun. Once I’ve moved past the stinking mess that is a first draft, edits & rewrites become puzzles–very personalized puzzles. When adding new scenes, I’m figuring out what the story lacks; I’m filling gaps for character development, making conversations meaningful, using words to increase tension. When adding/removing words…

    , , ,
  • What Goes, Goes

    What Goes, Goes

    “The trees have begun to let go.” There is no immediate response, as tea is being set. I watch as Grandmother arranges plates, cups, spoons on the old dining table. She has left the window ajar; through it drift scents of rest, of nature preparing to slumber. Drops of dew from occasional rain. Pinecones gathering…

    ,
    , , ,

  • On Plot Holes

    Plot holes are a constant threat in every manuscript. When writing a serial, I have found that, at least for me, it’s easier to forget what’s been written before. When I add a significant object or event, I try to work out a good place where it can be resolved before I forget it. It’s…

    , , ,

  • THE AUTUMN PRINCE: A Vella Serial

    I discovered this year that shifting focus clarifies a story. I’ve been toying for a while with the idea of putting THE AUTUMN PRINCE on Vella; I even dreamed of it once (too much?) but didn’t trust in my ability to do so without crossing from editing to rewriting. THE AUTUMN PRINCE can be read…

    ,
    , , ,