Category: Writing

Would You Like Some AI With That?

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As a Coke drinker (please, no hating from the Pepsi drinkers!), I noticed new flavors in the store. Apparently, they’re being inventive with a new “Creations” platform. In 2023 alone, they’ve created at least seven new varieties of Coke. Instead of your usual Cherry or Lime, they’ve released limited editions of the following. I’ve pulled most of these interesting descriptions straight from their website.

*Starlight: inspired by space. Consumers say it has a raspberry flavor (after a study came out stating that space tastes like raspberries)   https://next.voxcreative.com/ad/20726659/space-taste-like-raspberry-titos-cocktail

*Dreamworld: “tastes like dreams”

*Byte: has a “pixel flavor”

*Ultimate: no description here, but consumers say it tastes like Coke + fruit punch

*Move: co-created with Grammy-award winner Rosalita, it “brings to life the transformational power of music”

*A no-name version co-created with the entertainer Marshmello: it tastes not like marshmallow, which would make sense, but like strawberry and watermelon

*And lastly, the new Y3000: “co-created with AI.” After trying it, I can say it tastes like Coke and Dr. Pepper had a baby.

This last creation, Y3000, made me suspicious because it was co-created with AI. Anything created with AI is like no-calorie sweetener—unhealthy and synthetic.

Artificial intelligence is ubiquitous. It crept into the artistic world creating images “scraped” from the internet and cobbled together—with no recognition given to the original artists. Then the literary world was invaded. A surplus of books written entirely by AI showed up on Amazon. Jane Friedman, a columnist, professor, and writer with twenty-five years in the literary industry, had several books show up on Amazon with her name on them—again, written by AI trained on blog articles she’d written. Amazon eventually pulled them down and is now requiring authors to declare which of their books were written with AI, and if so, by how much. (How many people will be honest about that?) And just yesterday, I read Kindle will be beta testing audiobooks with AI narrators.

Last month, I played around with ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence bot. I asked for poorly written paragraphs for an editing exercise I was planning. On a whim, I asked for a Christian fiction example. What I got didn’t look anything at all like Christian fiction. There was no mention of faith, grace, or mercy, no life-changing events. It mentioned the sun rising and feeling positive as a new day began. I would categorize the paragraph inspirational, although I didn’t find any of the vague drivel truly inspiring.

There has been some worry circulating in the literary world about what this infiltration of AI means for authors. Will we be replaced? How do we “compete” with AI? AI is soulless. It can’t have an existential crises or think about eternity or explain what love feels or looks like. It has no emotion, thought, or sentient properties and only puts out what was put in. It can’t explain the miraculous, the divine, a priceless gift given that isn’t deserved.

This is why we need real authors creating real stories, not some bot spewing words. Original, creative stories don’t have to include perfect characters in a beautiful utopia. But each story can shed a light in a dark place and offer hope to those who might not even know they need it. Original, imaginative stories (speculative, romance, and other genres) include not just beautiful words strung together, but believable characters and strong emotions to hook the reader. No random AI program can do that.

If you’re a writer, go forth and write the best story you can—include imaginative plots, flawed characters, and vivid worlds with hope shining through at the end. And if you’re a reader, buy those books written by real authors that speak to you, the ones you can’t put down until the wee hours of the morning. Share them with others and tell your next-door neighbor about the newest gem you’re reading. Write reviews to share your thoughts and to direct others to books that deserve to be read. Let’s do our best to bury AI by focusing on the real and the enduring, instead of the unhealthy and fake.

How Far Is Too Far?

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There’s an audience for every subgenre of romance—romcoms, suspense, military, sports, bully, motorcycle clubs, and mafia (Don’t even get me started on those last three–that’s a whole ‘nother post!) Anyway, my point is whatever your preferred subgenre, there’s a sizeable group on social media that stands with you. Almost every romance subgenre references “book boyfriends,” as well. Readers dive into the fandom and enjoy these fictional characters with new content, fan art, book clubs, and discussions. The characters are perfect, swoony, and say and do all the right things (as long as they’re written and edited correctly!) 😉

There’s a segment of romance readers who love sports romance, including hockey. Many of them hang out on BookTok (i.e., bookish TikTok), where they talk about books and literature. I wasn’t aware “hockey is actually the biggest sports subgenre in romance outside of Canada.”1  According to romance author Farah Heron, “BookTok is super horny. TikTok goes through trends with what’s popular in the book environment there. For a while it was all about horny fantasy romance, and then it started going into extra, extra spicy contemporary romance…. Now, hockey is having a moment on BookTok.”

The Seattle Kraken ice hockey team took advantage of this. In the winter of last year, they leaned into the subgenre of hockey romance on BookTok. There’s just one problem with that. Apparently, no one told them BookTok, Instagram, and other social media are like the Wild West.

Nashville influencer Kierra Lewis shared enthusiastic (and sometimes explicit) BookTok posts about the Seattle Kraken and player Alex Wennberg. The Kraken flew her out to see Game 4 of the second–round playoff series against Dallas. She held up a sign during the game with “Krack My Back” emblazoned across it. (A riff on the saying “Break my back,” which references vigorous… well, I’m sure you can fill in the blank.) When the Kraken lost, they flew Lewis home and stopped posting BookTok content. It was just as well, since they had received complaints about the players being objectified.

But it didn’t stop for Alex Wennberg and his family. Although he and his wife had initially joked about some of the attention, it grew to be too much. Explicit posts, particularly from Lewis, became common, with one post describing in detail what she wanted Alex to do to her. His wife Felicia screenshot the post and concluded, “What doesn’t sit with me is when your desires come with sexual harassment, inappropriate comments, and the fact that with the internet, we can normalize behavior that would never be ok if we flipped the genders around.”

BookTok responded with mocking backlash, along with harsh comments about Alex’s play and his marriage (Really? Come on, people. Be better.) He followed up with his own post days later. “As someone who’s been media trained my whole career, I’ve been taught to bite my tongue and leave it instead of making a statement. But it has gone too far for me to stay quiet when people post vile comments on my wife’s Instagram and on photos of our child. … Enough of sexual harassment, and harassment of our character and our relationship.”

Amidst all the chaos, the Kraken unfollowed Lewis. She was upset. “The reason why BookTok even was aware of the Kraken, or h*ll, half these hockey teams, is when they started doing these slo-mos and, ‘Hey, BookTok, look at us, look at us,’ ” Lewis said in her video. (I think she’s missing the point here…)

When Alex let it be known he was uncomfortable because of the “aggressive language”, the Kraken team issued its own statement. “Social media provides us with a great opportunity to connect with new audiences and we originally engaged with the BookTok community in this spirit. However, this is a good reminder that unintended consequences may arise. It is disappointing that a small percentage of online commenters crossed a line.”

Is there anyone here who is at fault? Is it the Kraken team, who jumped at the chance to broaden their fan base? Is it the team members who should “suck it up” and expect this kind of attention? Or is it the influencers, who have blurred the lines beyond what’s considered acceptable? And what can be done to prevent this from happening in the future?

I’d love to know your thoughts on this! Please respond in the comments.

1 https://www.cbc.ca/arts/commotion/what-happened-when-booktok-was-unleashed-on-the-seattle-kraken-1.6936740

All other quotes from  https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/kraken/kraken-have-learning-moment-after-alex-wennberg-and-wife-condemn-social-media-promotion/

Waiting…in the Wilderness

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The wilderness can be unpleasant (no water, no GPS, no path, no toilet paper. I like my creature comforts. Just sayin.’). A Biblical wilderness is similar. Jesus was tested in the wilderness, the Israelites wandered in the wilderness (for 40 freaking years!), and Elijah escaped into the wilderness to die. For the last year, instead of wandering, I’ve been waiting in a landscape of rejection as I try to understand in what direction God wants me to go. Self publishing? Small press? Agents to pitch my work to the “Big Four” (which includes Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, and Hachette)?

I’d submitted several stories and my most current manuscript with no takers. When I received anything at all, it was a rejection. Very nice rejections, but it was still a no, thank you.  (I still appreciate a response of any kind since some agents are now responding to queries by ghosting.) I began wondering–maybe this was it for me. A three-book series and several short stories were more than I’d expected when I started out. Don’t be greedy, I told myself.

This waiting isn’t writer’s block. The stories keep coming. I’ve plotted three retellings, as well as three books for an urban fantasy series. Despite the recent rejections, or maybe because of them,  I struggled with self-doubt and the pressure to “write more fast.” The message to every writer out there is to produce more books as quickly as possible so your readers don’t forget about you. Just a bit hard when we’ve been dealing with events like graduation, a family member’s death, and an upcoming surgery–all within the same month.

I hadn’t taken into consideration the time or energy needed for my child’s major surgery. We’d reserved the hotel room, attended all the pre-op appointments, and completed the necessary tests. We were ready. I took my laptop with me (I thought I’d be able to write in the waiting room. *cue hysterical laughter*) On a Friday,  my husband and I camped out in the hospital waiting room, sat on uncomfortable chairs, drank subpar tea, and ate too-salty pretzels. For six hours. She came through surgery fine, and we drove home four days later. At home, we rounded up comfortable pillows and blankets, and charted medication to help her with pain management. (One of the most stressful/painful things is watching your child struggle with pain despite your best efforts.) She’ll be fully “recovered” in 12 weeks. In hindsight, I see how God didn’t want me to focus on querying and writing when my daughter needed my focus. After all, my kids are growing up and plan to move out (despite the promise I extracted from them both when they were six years old to never leave. Lol!)

Things are slowly returning to a new “normal” as I set up a routine that doesn’t coincide with a school district schedule. I’ve found a peace with where I am. The wilderness doesn’t always have to be horrible. I’m discovering it can be a place of renewal.

Have you ever had a season in your life that was difficult, isolating, or that failed to make sense to you? How did you handle it?  I’d love to hear about it.

Integrating a New Language and Culture into Traitor: Guest post by Laurie Lucking

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Today we have author Laurie Lucking  sharing a little more about building language and culture into our stories. Her new book Traitor, book 2 of Tales of the Mystics, is available for pre-order! (and I’ve read it–sooo good! 🙂 ) Thanks, Laurie!

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I know I’m probably (okay, definitely!) a bit biased, but I adored the setting I created for the first book in my series, Common. Castles, gowns, carriages…wandering manicured gardens, reading by candlelight, taking a gentleman’s arm to be escorted to dinner. Enough chivalry and manners and banquets to make my fairy tale and Jane Austen-loving heart brim with joy. 🙂

But while the technology constraints of my fantasy world, along with the formality associated with royalty in general, caused many of these elements to carry over into Traitor, I wanted to fashion a distinctive new culture for Princess Penelope to immerse herself in when she travels overseas to fulfill a new betrothal. After all, Penelope’s natural beauty and elegance cause her to fit perfectly into her own society (at least until her involvement in a traitorous plot made her the subject of gossip and contempt). In order for her to grow and truly step outside her comfort zone in Traitor, I needed to expose her to something new and foreign.

Much of my inspiration for Delunia came from Greece, Italy, and other Mediterranean countries. The weather is sunny and hot, the people are affectionate and boisterous, and everything from the colors to the flavors is a bit more vibrant. Prim Penelope is initially overwhelmed by the clamoring sounds and vivid hues of her new home. But over time, she comes to see the beauty in the art she’d passed off as garish and the gardens she’d dismissed as wild and unkempt. She loosens up enough to learn the lively dances and visit the bustling marketplace, and she can’t deny the practicality and elegance of a more streamlined style of dress. But she doesn’t think she’ll ever adjust to the Delunians’ insistence that soon-to-be-married couples should show affection, especially since Penelope has no intention of falling in love with her new fiancé! She struggles to find a balance between the desire to embrace her new home and the fear of losing her former identity and connections to her family.

I also took on the challenge of introducing a new language in Traitor. Though I’ll be the first to admit I’m no J.R.R. Tolkien—I only came up with translations of words I actually needed for my story. 🙂 I took the Delunian language as another opportunity to give the country a unique feel, both in the sounds of the words and in their meanings. For example, poloi ipa asteria is a traditional Delunian phrase for bidding someone goodnight and translates to “sleep under a blanket of stars.” Let’s just say, when spoken by her new fiancé, it has more of a romantic impact on Penelope than she’d care to admit!

Teaching Penelope the new language and having her gradually incorporate it into her own speech patterns offered another way to show her slow acceptance of and acclimation to Delunia as her home. Plus, it offered some additional opportunities for character development along the way as she deals with the frustration and awkwardness of not being able to communicate with the people around her!

Thank you so much for inviting me to share about my series today! I hope you have as much fun exploring Delunia as I did creating it! I’d love to hear about some of your favorite fantasy worlds and languages!

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Thanks again for stopping by, Laurie!  Want to learn more about Traitor? Here’s the blurb!

Princess Penelope has finally found a way to redeem her past mistakes-if only it didn’t require betraying her new fiancé.

Princess Penelope has been the object of gossip and ridicule ever since she returned home in disgrace following her failed engagement to the Crown Prince of Imperia. When her father offers a new start in a country far across the sea, she has no choice but to accept.

Even if it means another betrothal, this time to a total stranger.

Penelope arrives in Delunia determined to avoid bringing further shame upon her family. But her devoted, caring fiancé makes it harder to guard her heart than she anticipated, and rumors of dark magic haunt her with memories she’d rather keep buried far beneath her pristine exterior.

When a poverty-stricken village outside the palace gates looks to her as their hope for a brighter future, Penelope embraces the opportunity to make amends for her transgressions. But in order to help, she must manipulate her new fiancé, putting her reputation on the line once more. And her heart.

Can Penelope rise above the failures of her past, or will she forever be branded a traitor?

Don’t forget to stop by the other sites on the blog tour!
  • Monday, 19th, “Redeeming a ‘Villain’ in Traitor” Laura A. Grace, www.lauraagrace.com
  • Tuesday, 20th, “Connecting Companion Novels in the Tales of the Mystics” Pam Halter,  www.pamhalter.com/fairiesfantasyfaith
  • Wednesday, 21st, “Visual Post: Characters of Traitor” Anne Wheeler, www.anne-wheeler.com/blog
  • Thursday, 22nd, “Integrating a New Language and Culture into Traitor” J.M. Hackamn, www.jmhackman.com
  • Friday, 23rd, “Author Interview with Laurie Lucking: Traitor Blog Tour” Riella Cristobal,  www.booksandeverydaylife.home.blog
  • Saturday, 24th, “Interview with Traitor Author Laurie Lucking” Amelia Nichole, www.amelianichole.com
  • Sunday, 25th, “Review of Traitor” Breny Maurtua, www.brenyandbooks.home.blog
  • Monday, 26th, “Dive-in Review: Traitor” Cathrine Bonham, www.cobonham.com
  • Monday, 26th, “Review of Traitor” Laurin Boyle, www.laurinboyle.wordpress.com
  • Tuesday, 27th, “Welcoming My Second Book into the World” Laurie Lucking, www.laurielucking.com
  • Wednesday, 28th, “Visual Post: Traitor Storyworld” Jenelle Schmidt, www.jenelleschmidt.com
  • Thursday, 29th, “Celebrate Laurie Lucking’s New Release Traitor Tonight” Michele Israel Harper,  www.MicheleIsraelHarper.com
  • Friday, 30th, “What’s Coming Next in the Tales of the Mystics” Peter Adler, www.arsilverberry.com/blog

Spark: Firestarting & Neurodiversity

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Today as part of the StoryQuest Academy Clean Fiction Blog Tour, I wanted to share some of the inspiration behind The Firebrand Chronicles (includes Spark, Flare, & Burn).

And don’t forget to comment on the posts for a chance to win some bookish prizes!

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I’m a firm believer God gives each of us a special gift that makes us unique and distinctive. This fact and the question “What if…?” inspired the beginning of my YA portal fantasy trilogy the Firebrand Chronicles.

What if God’s gifts were more dramatic than being a good teacher or a great speaker? Don’t get me wrong—those are valuable gifts (especially the speaking gift—I’m often unclear or awkward!) But what if God gave each person a highly visible gift, like firestarting or control of the weather? Could being able to control time be used for good or evil? How would individuals use these talents?

These questions were the basis for Spark, book one of the Firebrand Chronicles. I added another component to the main character due to my youngest daughter. Around the time I was writing Spark, she was diagnosed with ADHD (inattentive). This means rather than being hyperactive and loud, she was more often distracted and unfocused. I learned how ADHD affects children—lack of focus, impulsivity, and low self-esteem are often present. I couldn’t even imagine how an impulsive, distracted teen would handle firestarting, but I was interested in exploring it.

The YA fantasy landscape lacks characters with ADHD, especially girls. Percy Jackson’s ADHD and dyslexia are mentioned briefly in Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief then explained away. In fact, few literary characters at all, male or female, are neurodiverse (this term covers ADHD, autism, Tourette’s, dyslexia, as well as a host of other disorders). Adhdaware.org.uk says 30%-40% of the population is neurodiverse, and the CDC says 11% of American children have ADHD. The YA fantasy genre doesn’t reflect this.

In response, I created Brenna James who struggles with ADHD while also being the Chosen One. I wanted my daughter and other neurodiverse kids to know they weren’t broken or damaged; they are creative, out-of-the-box thinkers who process the world differently. They can ride a griffin, battle the evil villain, and use their gift to save the world.

Because some YA reads more adult than young, my series is clean yet with lots of nail-biting action, some snark (because snark is a teen’s second language), and a touch of romance.

 

Here’s a little more about Spark:

Brenna James wants three things for her sixteenth birthday: to find her history notes before the test, to have her mother return from her business trip, and to stop creating fire with her bare hands.

Yeah, that’s so not happening. Unfortunately.

When Brenna learns her mother is missing in an alternate reality called Linneah, she travels through a portal to find her. Who knew portals even existed? But Brenna’s arrival in Linneah begins the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy, including a royal murder and the theft of Linneah’s most powerful relic: the Sacred Veil.

Hold up. Can everything just slow down for a sec?

Unwilling yet left with no other choice, Brenna and her new friend Baldwin pursue the thief into the dangerous woods of Silvastamen and beyond. Exactly what Brenna wanted to do for her sixteenth birthday. Exactly. When they spy an army marching toward Linneah, Brenna is horrified. Can she find the veil, save her mother, and warn Linneah in time?

And more importantly, why on earth doesn’t this alternity have Belgian waffles?

Spark (and the entire Firebrand Chronicles boxed set!) is available at Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Spark-Firebrand-Chronicles-Book-One-ebook/dp/B06Y1DSKRB) and anywhere else books are sold.

 

 

Check out the rest of the blog tour participants below!

March 1st Story Quest Academy
March 2nd Ellie Naomi
March 3rd Julie Gilbert
March 4th Jasmine Natasha
March 5th Liz Delton
March 6th Mark Hansen
March 7th Ian Vroon
March 8th Story Quest Academy
March 9th Nicholas Kotar
March 10thJ.M. Hackman
March 11thMark Hansen
March 12th Courtenay Kasper
March 13th Debbie Schreffler
March 14th Story Quest Academy
March 15th Steven Guglich
March 16th Laurie Lucking
March 17th Julie Gilbert
March 18th Meg Dendler
March 19th Nicholas Kotar
March 20th CourtenayKasper
March 21st Story Quest Academy
March 22nd Molly Casperson
March 23rd D.J. Edwardson
March 24th Marty C Lee
March 25th Molly Casperson
March 26th Mark Hansen
March 28th Story Quest Academy
March 29th Debbie Schreffler
March 30th Nicholas Kotar
March 31st Molly Casperson

Happy Release Day!

This is a slightly surreal day for me.  Spark was published in 2017, Flare in 2019, and Burn in 2020. But when I learned there would be a boxed set, with all three of my books plus some extra stories included, it was hard to  imagine. Today that news is a reality as the Firebrand Chronicles boxed set releases!

As mentioned, in addition to Spark, Flare, and Burn, there are also four stories inside which I had such fun writing. Let me tell you a little more about them.

“The Peddler”–a story that takes place between Spark and Flare as Brenna travels to Linneah to celebrate the winter holiday Sonatalis. And of course, Baldwin’s ex Gari is there.

“The Midnight Unicorn”–this gives the reader an inside peak into shapeshifter Anna’s search of One Maiden Chasm for new Stones of the Spring (and an internal heart-search on her long-standing crush on Erhardt).

“Beyond the Greatest Adventure”–this takes place immediately after Burn. Aideen Siriol’s sword (now carried by Brenna) is no ordinary sword. The readers and Brenna learn her sword has a story and powers of its own.

“The Helix”–this story shares a glimpse into Brenna’s world three years after the conclusion in Burn. Did you know griffins mate for life? We finally get the full story on how Arvandus met his mate Astraya.

                 

I did some quick math and realized the total of the extra stories is equal to a novella, so the set is like four books in one. 🙂 To celebrate in style, I arranged a #Firebrandbox challenge on Instagram and Facebook. Participate and gain chances to win a prize pack (pictures above^^^)–a large fire-print, padded book sleeve from the Etsy shop TrueNorthExclusives, a “jasper” pendant like Brenna’s, a snarky magnet (the quote could’ve come from Brenna’s journal!), a dragon figurine inspired by the story “Beyond the Greatest Adventure”, and a paperback copy of Spark OR Flare. Just go to my post today on either IG or FB to learn how to enter!

And if you’re in the mood for more prizes and Firebrand trivia, join me at the Fellowship of Fantasy’s Facebook page on Thursday, the 14th. I’ll be visiting, talking about Spark, and having some games and giveaways. Stop by and have fun with us!

Anyway, I hope you’ll celebrate with me today as this boxed set releases into the wild. Happy reading, and as Arvandus would say, “Fly true!”

The Firebrand Chronicles Boxed Set

I’ve got interesting and exciting news–the Firebrand Chronicles will be released as a boxed set! *cue the confetti, marching band, and awkward cartwheels*

After Burn was released, there was a flurry of emails between me and my publisher discussing this. I got to work and wrote four short stories about Brenna and beloved side characters. It was a lot of fun to flesh out the world of the Jasper Territory a bit more. I’m thrilled to share it all with you!

The three books of the Firebrand Chronicles will release with the four short stories on January 11, 2021 (just one more reason 2021 looks better than 2020) 🙂

We’ll be planning a fun release week, and I’ll be putting together an Instagram challenge. And for those of you who avoid IG like the plague? If I can expand the fun to Facebook, I’ll do that, too. 🙂

Keep your eyes on this website for more information coming soon. But if you want to be kept in the loop, come to the Facebook group The Pryomaniacs or sign up for my newsletter (the gray box on the right). We have giveaways, updates on upcoming books, and other bookish stuff.  We’d love to see you!

 

Not Perfection, But Direction

Hi, welcome to Jilligan’s Island! Today we have author Tabitha Caplinger visiting!  Her upcoming book, The Wolf Queen, not only has a beautiful cover but an intriguing story. What’s it about? Glad you asked!

Ylva was raised by wolves. That is the story her clan tells of their Wolf Queen. The truth is far more miraculous. Her Gift, bestowed by the Light, enables her to see deep inside the hearts of men. Prince Rohan considers the Light mere superstition and only believes in what he can see with his own eyes. But a great evil is infecting the Four Realms. The battle between the Light and the Darkness is no longer bound to human hearts, and words Ylva and Rohan thought were just legend are being whispered again. The dragon is rising.

Sounds amazing, right?  I love learning about the “stories behind the stories.” You know, those things only the author can tell you? Tabitha has some interesting thoughts on choices, living chosen, and how it all ties together in The Wolf Queen.

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If you hang around me or my social media at all, you will eventually hear or see the words, “You are powerful, chosen, loved, and never alone.” These are words I firmly believe. Why? Because I believe that each of us was created on purpose, for a purpose. I think that is why we like hero stories and Chosen One tropes. We want to be the hero. We want to be chosen. I believe we already are.

Maybe we aren’t chosen to save the whole world from an apocalypse, but we are chosen to speak life and light to the people around us. We all can live chosen.

That thread, living chosen, is the thread that ties all my books together. Whether it’s urban fantasy, paranormal romance, dystopian, or a little Viking-inspired fantasy coming soon…each and every story carries with it a piece of what it means to me to live like we are chosen for more.

The Wolf Queen focuses on the idea of choice. It’s ultimately a story about how the choices we make can guard our heart and keep it full of light or can let the darkness creep in and take hold.

Ylva was given the ability to see into human hearts and determine whether they were ruled by light or darkness. Looking into our own hearts isn’t so easy. We have to be intentional about opening our eyes to the choices we are making, big and small. We have to be careful to listen to the Light and walk in obedience. When we can’t see our hearts, He can.

To live chosen is to guard our hearts, to consider our choices with care. Why? Because the state of our hearts will determine the state of our lives. When we are full of light, we will reveal that light in our attitudes and actions. When we are full of darkness, it will taint our perspective and defeat us before we even get started in finding or living for our purpose.

Now, this isn’t about being perfect. I’m also a youth pastor and something I say all the time to students (and my pastor husband says it too) is “It’s not about perfection, but direction.” We will make bad choices. The next choice is what will matter most. Will the next choice take us back toward the light or will it pull us further toward the darkness?

I know, all the light and dark talk feels ominous. You could think of it differently if it helps. For you, it could be a choice between peace and anxiety. Or a choice between love and fear. Perhaps it’s a choice between gratitude and complaining, or insecurity and confidence. Depending on the circumstances, those choices could be easy or indescribably difficult. But they are choices we make that will lead our hearts and lives in a direction. Are the choices we are making leading us in the direction we want to go—the direction God wants us to go?

We were each created on purpose, for a purpose by a God who wants to help us discover and live that purpose out. It starts in the heart—with a heart yielded to Him and choosing to follow His leading.

In The Wolf Queen, there is a saying—a battle cry of sorts. “May the Light lead you, and the Darkness fear you.” That is my hope for you. Guard your heart. The Light will lead you. The Darkness will fear you.

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Thanks so much for sharing, Tabitha! If you’d like to be notified when the preorder is available, check out this link: https://www.blueinkpress.com/pledgetobuywolfqueen.html

About the Author

Tabitha Caplinger gets way too emotionally invested in the lives of fictional characters, whether it’s obsessing over a book or tv show, or getting lost creating her own worlds. Tabitha is the author of The Chronicle of the Three Trilogy, a Christian urban fantasy, and a lover of good stories and helping others live chosen. When she’s not writing book words, she’s reheating her coffee, binging a new show or teaching God’s Word to students. Tabitha, her husband and two beautifully sassy daughters desire to be Jesus with skin on for those around them. They live to love others…and for Marvel movies.

TO FOLLOW TABITHA ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

Website: https://www.tabithacaplinger.com 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TabCaplinger/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Tab_Caplinger/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tab_Caplinger

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/Tab_Caplinger/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12824805.Tabitha_Caplinger

 

 

Writing a Series vs. a Standalone

I’ve heard authors ask, “Should I write a series or a standalone?”

My first answer would be to write the story in your heart. DO NOT WRITE TO TRENDS – say it with me. Do not. By the time that story’s written, revised countless times, edited, and polished, that royal Tasmanian zombie-shifter prison quartet trend will have flashed and died.

But if you can see your story going either way, here are a few truths regarding series and standalones.

  • Historically, authors are told to write series. Series sell better. If you’re shooting for traditional publishing, it shows agents/publishers you have more than one book in you. Readers like following characters they’ve read about before. (This last point is a double-edged sword. More on this later.) But if there isn’t an arc there, and you aren’t interested in adding or fleshing out secondary characters, don’t force it. Some stories might only be one book long. That’s not a crime. In fact, lately, I’ve hesitated to buy or read a book in a series. Every story seems to be part of a series (says the author who wrote a trilogy. Ahem.) Sometimes I just want to read a well-told, juicy standalone. Sometimes I just want to write a well-told, juicy standalone. But…
  • There’s a benefit to sticking with characters you’ve created, tortured, and triumphed with after just one storyline. I found this especially true with the Firebrand Chronicles. I grew to really know and love Brenna, Baldwin, and Arvandus. Spending all that time with them made me imagine what else could happen to them. After finishing a story, I usually imagine different connecting points between characters and plot. Even my short story “Everwild” (which is in the anthology Mythical Doorways and is FREE, BTW…) is already a four-book series in my head. I have plenty of adventure and mayhem planned for half-fae Flint and full-fae Lila. I just can’t get all my projects written as quickly as I’d like.
  • At the outset, writing a series requires more planning. Detailed notes are imperative—a “bible” for your world, with the characters, their backstories, descriptions, towns, magic system, tech level, money system, languages, belief systems, etc. You won’t remember it all—trust me. Take copious notes and keep them with you while you write. A map is good too, even if it’s one scrawled on notebook paper (which is what I have for my current WIP. I’m not crazy about it, but it’s working—for now.)
  • Over the long haul, world-building is generally less work. Although there are detailed notes being listed in your notebook bible, you create one world. That world lasts for the duration of the series. For each standalone, the author must create a new world. Every. Single. Time.
  • I mentioned how much readers like following characters they’re familiar with. I’ve found some readers don’t want to buy a book and then wait a year for the next installment. So they’ll wait. (*Raises hand.*) Many will wait until all the books are out. You won’t see sales. Don’t let that discourage you. Keep writing the next story. If you’re self-publishing, you could avoid this problem by doing a rapid release (which is writing all the stories, editing and polishing them, and then releasing them in quick succession, usually no more than six months apart.)

Don’t feel you have to create a series if it’s not in you. There’s a place for everyone at the table, both series writers and standalone authors.

Going Deep in Your Story, Part 2

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There are plenty of ways to go deep into the story you’re telling. Many people think going deep refers to deep point of view, which I covered in last week’s post. Today, I want to discuss ways to add richness to your storytelling by going deep in other ways.

One way is to use all five senses (smell, sight, taste, touch, and hearing). Yes, I know this is a basic rule. But think…in this digital age, when was the last time you put your phone away and just looked?  Learn to be an observer of people and environments. People watch. What do you notice? What about your environment? What color of blue is the sky? How does the snow look when it falls slowly?

Take a scene you’re currently working on. Have you included what the character experiences? The purr of a sports car? The stickiness of a fast-food counter? Smells are sometimes overlooked, but I love these lines from Rudyard Kipling: “Smells are surer than sights or sounds/To make your heart-strings crack…”

Sometimes I’ll include the sixth sense, intuition (sparingly). You know that feeling of knowing when someone’s lying or when your hair rises on the back of your neck? This sense is great for creating tension.

I can imagine you’re thinking, “But I can’t write the story and include all of that at the same time—it’s too much!” You’re right, it is. So just write the story first. One of my favorite quotes is by Terry Pratchett: “The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.” Spill everything onto the page. Don’t edit, don’t fuss about word choice. It doesn’t need to be pretty—you can add the five senses in the following drafts.

Something else you can include in the second draft (& third, and fourth, and fifth, and…) is descriptions. Metaphors and similes add to the mood of the story as well. Make use of them (again, sparingly) through the character’s eyes. For example, a high society woman wouldn’t say or think someone was “as happy as a pig in slop.” Stay true to your character so the reader can stay in the character’s skin.

Show, don’t tell, how someone feels. Telling is much weaker than showing.

Shari felt anger sweep over her. Instead: Shari clenched her shaking hands into fists.

Ron was ashamed. Instead: Ron blushed and turned away.

The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi is a great resource to use. It matches actions to feelings to help you make the shift from telling to showing.

Enjoy going deep in your next story!