"That’s the thing about evil. You don’t need to be it to do it. It doesn’t have to consume all of you. It can be small. All you have to do is let it exist." Title: Steelstriker Author: Marie Lu Genre: YA Fantasy Pages: 384 pages Publication date: September 28, 2021 Since I enjoyed Skyhunter, I, … Continue reading Book review – Steelstriker (Spoiler Free)
Tag: battle
We can’t tell a “single story”
So, I watch Ted Talks from time to time. One of them caught my eye recently, and I decided to share it with y'all. It's called "The danger of a single story" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Toward the beginning, she mentions how: "All my characters were White and blue-eyed. They played in the snow. They … Continue reading We can’t tell a “single story”
Book review – Reflection (Spoiler Free)
“I am Fa Mulan, a girl who would sacrifice her life for her family and for China. I am a girl who journeyed into the Underworld to save her friend from dying. I am a girl who has fought battle after battle to finally recognize herself in the mirror. And now I do.” Title: Reflection … Continue reading Book review – Reflection (Spoiler Free)
One of the greatest mistakes
I've mentioned that beta readers are useful on here before, which most of them are. But some can be harmful. A beta reader edited my novel a couple of years ago. He didn't read through it all though, but instead tore it apart and asked me to write it again. I thought through his advice … Continue reading One of the greatest mistakes
A creative way to get to know your characters
Vivid characters are an essential part to any story. Without strong characters, the story can seem uninteresting and fall apart. Understanding your characters is a good way to develop them. One creative way to explore your characters is to find songs that describe them. For example, I have a character named Victoria who's fighting on … Continue reading A creative way to get to know your characters
Battles with the word “said”
Many writers love the word said. They use it for every dialogue tag they can. But writers can overuse it. Said gives the reader nothing about the story. But there are other words that expand upon it, letting the reader know more about the characters and plot. These other dialogue tags include: Announced Boasted Commented … Continue reading Battles with the word “said”
Writing every day
Writing every day used to be an ideal, a goal. I thought I must be getting somewhere if I improved my skill every day. I had to be. How else was I going to get better? I'd write even if it wasn't good writing. To practice was to improve. It didn't matter what was on … Continue reading Writing every day
Writer vs writer
What if you can choose your battle? You can choose which person you’ll fight while they critique you. One’s a writer like you. Your weaknesses are in the spotlight. An average reader stands behind the other door. This reader sees your weaknesses sometimes but never points them out if you’re good enough. Which do you … Continue reading Writer vs writer
Robin LeeAnn 