Writing -

12Jun 2017 by Dianna L. Gunn

How to boost your creativity even when you’re exhausted

Writing

Most people go through at least one bout of insomnia in their lifetime, and for us writer folk, these bouts seem pretty common. I personally struggle with frequent bouts of insomnia followed by brief periods of oversleeping, and have for most of my life. It's a lot better now than it used to be, but I still struggle to fall asleep before 2AM most nights. Of course, insomnia isn't the only thing that can cause exhaustion. Working too much, spending your free time with toxic people, job hunting, apartment hunting, these things tax your mind and soul. Mental illness and a variety of other disabilities also bring frequent exhaustion. When we're exhausted, sometimes we have to admit that we've been pushing ourselves way too hard and take a few days…

29May 2017 by Dianna L. Gunn

Why reviewing books you love is so important

Writing

[caption id="attachment_3155" align="aligncenter" width="188"] One of the most recent books I loved[/caption] I've written about why it's so important to review books you love in the past, but I thought I'd revisit the subject now that I've released my first book, Keeper of the Dawn. This is a slightly altered version of my original article, which you can read here. Why you should review books you love When it comes right down to it, the thing that drew most of you to this blog, the thing that convinced you to start writing, was most likely a love of books. We all have books we're passionate, both well known and almost unknown. I have at some point been touched deeply by books from every genre, but the genres that have impacted…

15May 2017 by Dianna L. Gunn

#AuthorToolboxBlogHop: Using the internet to find beta readers & critique partners

Writing

[caption id="attachment_3121" align="alignleft" width="200"] One site where I've found critique partners in the past[/caption] Last month for the #AuthorToolboxBlogHop I talked about how to receive feedback on your work. In the past couple of weeks it's come to my attention that many writers I know are still struggling with a completely different problem: how to get beta readers and critique partners so they can actually receive feedback. So today I'm going to share a few things that have worked for me, and a couple things other people have suggested. (more…)

01May 2017 by Dianna L. Gunn

The power of paper

Writing

Millions of businesses around the world have paper free offices, and more are making the switch every day. And it makes a lot of sense, especially when you consider how deforestation contributes to climate change. Most of us also type a lot faster than we write by hand--I know I certainly do. So we write on our computers, we work on our computers, we socialize on our computers. We do virtually everything with our computers, and while they do have limitations, scientists are pushing against those limitations every day. There is, of course, nothing wrong with this. Computers are a tool. They are one of the most useful tools humanity's ever invented. We can do thousands of things with them. Most of those things can be done in a matter…

19Dec 2016 by Dianna L. Gunn

Accomplishments of 2016 + Creative Goals 2017

Goal setting

The world in 2016 has been a bit of a shit show(yes, I know I'm being generous here), but I've made massive leaps and strides in my writing career, and as much as I am concerned about where the world is headed from here(into fire and brimstone?) on a personal level, I'm extremely excited for the new year to begin. But first I'd like to take a moment to honour all the things I've accomplished this year, because acknowledging our past accomplishments is as important as creating goals for the future. So here goes, my 2017 creative accomplishments: 1. Edited Good Bye & Submitted It Spoiler Alert: I got the contract! Good Bye, a YA fantasy novella I've put many years of love into, is set to release in April 2017. 2. Edited Moonshadow's Guardian & started working…

06Sep 2016 by Dianna L. Gunn

What are you going to accomplish in the last four months of the year?

Goal setting

Somehow the first eight months of 2016 have already passed us by, and if you're anything like me you've created a list of everything you've accomplished this year and you can't decide if it's an incredible amount of work or not quite enough(the real answer, I suspect, is a little bit of both). But one thing's for sure: there are only a precious few months left to reach as many of our goals for the year as possible. Now is the time to start working towards these goals with ferocious determination. And one of the best ways to motivate yourself is to announce your goals to the world, so please share your goals for the rest of the year in the comments section -- but first let me tell you about a…

16Aug 2016 by Dianna L. Gunn

Making immortal characters feel real to your readers

Learning the craft, Writing

Many of the most fascinating characters in fantasy are immortal--the vampires Lestat and Armand immediately pop into my mind--but so are many of the most shallow characters, especially villains(I'm looking at you Sauron). I myself struggled for years to find the true voice of Riana, the cursed demigod who is the main character of Moonshadow's Guardian, the fantasy novel I'm currently preparing to self publish. There are countless examples of immortal characters who have all the feelings of a cardboard cutout or who mindlessly serve a single purpose even when it's doomed but it is possible to write an immortal character your readers will like, even love. You just have to be prepared to put in some extra work. This article will explain how to develop immortal characters who have lived…

09Aug 2016 by dlgunn

16 Quick character exercises

Writing

I(and many of the writers I follow) subscribe to the theory that character is the most important part of your novel. The most memorable part of a good book is almost always the characters, but it's more than that. Your characters, their emotions, actions and reactions are the driving force behind the story, even in story with a highly external plot. It's why our books so often change dramatically from the outline during the first or second draft--because we've gotten to know our characters and realized they wouldn't act the way we originally imagined. So how do you get to know your characters? There are almost as many different methods as there are writers. Hell, I'd go so far as to say there are as many ways to develop characters…

15Jul 2016 by Dianna L. Gunnn

Author Spotlight: James Stryker

Author Interviews, Writing

It recently came to my attention that I've read a disturbing lack of books about LGBTQ+ characters and that my recent reading list contained a total of 0 transgender characters so I reached out to Twitter looking for books with LGBTQ+ characters to review. James Stryker was the first author to respond to my call for LGBTQ+ characters with his novel, Assimilation, a story about a person who is resurrected in a body with a different gender. But don't let me attempt to explain the book, here's a blurb to do it for you: She was far away, this woman he'd been. He knew her child's and husband's names. He could see their faces. But Natalie was a ghost. Natalie Keller was a happy, attractive woman in the prime of her life:…

22Jun 2016 by dlgunn

Attitudes towards LGB characters in your fantasy land

Diversity in books, Editing, Writing, Writing

Fantasy is a genre full of tropes, many of which I love: castles, dragons and magic are just a few of my favourites. Some of the tropes, however, aren't so pleasant. Many fantasy societies closely resemble the medieval English culture they are modeled after, including not just the castles but the strict class structure and the oppressive laws. Main characters tend to rebel against these structures(even when it makes no sense for them to do so) but they are almost always there. But... Why? Why can't our fantasy societies have different morals? They can still have castles, can still have kings and courts of nobles, without needing the entire moral code. In fact, as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't make sense for most of these societies to have such identical morals. Most fantasy…