The Enchantment of a Forest

My husband and I bought 7 acres a little over two years ago now with the dream of building our forever home and establishing a hobby farm/homestead. Unfortunately, we’ve had to wait that bit longer thanks to covid, but there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel and we’re hoping things might finally get underway in the second half of this year.

One aspect of the land is it’s completely treeless. There is a border of struggling conifers along the train line at the back of the property, but otherwise, there isn’t a single tree on the entire 7 acres. We have grand plans to rectify this, but I do sometimes wish we had even just a small grove of trees already established.

Because who doesn’t love a forest? And in particular a fantasy forest full of wonderful surprises, odd little plants, and of course all the amazing creatures likely to be living there.

The magic of a forest full of fairies and fantasy folk

And who doesn’t love the idea of fairies living at the bottom of the garden?

That’s partially why I created Iatriel in The Ancient Wish. Forests seem to be magical in and of themselves, so the idea of there being a tiny society living within the forest is what created the Squifflets. Fairies are perhaps traditional, and a classic, but I gave Squifflets the attributes of beetles and had them living in abandoned webs to differentiate them a little more.

Fairies at the bottom of the garden

I don’t think it matters as to the location of a forest, there’s always that sense of magic whenever you step into one.

As for a forest of my own, it might take a few years to establish, but I definitely plan on having some kind of forest, fantasy or otherwise, growing on our property.

Let me know what you think in the comments below:

Name(required)

Email(required)

Message

sEND

Δ

Australian Dragons

Dragons have fascinated fantasy buffs for centuries. Powerfully magical creatures who could breathe fire, fly, and was often the case had amassed a hoard of gold.

What you might expect a Blue Dragon to look like

There are no dragons in The Ancient Wish but don’t be disappointed, this was a deliberate move because I wanted to think of my own fantasy creatures. It’s one of my favourite parts of writing – inventing previously unknown creatures and their place in the world. Check out my blog entry on 3 Steps to Creating Your Own Unique Fantasy Creatures:

3 Steps to Creating Your Own Unique Fantasy Creatures

Though there are no traditional dragons in The Ancient Wish, there is a kind of dragon being the Blue Dragon, or Glaucus Atlanticus, a delightful little creature that is usually found in temperate and tropical waters and in Australia from southern Queensland to northern Victoria. They feed on venomous siphonophores such as the Portuguese man-o-war and bluebottle, making them highly poisonous.

Blue Dragon: Glaucus Atlanticus, are found on the coast of Australia

As a child, we often holidayed on the NSW south coast where we saw these gorgeous creatures floating along the water in abundance.

It was these memories that inspired my creation of the mysterious being, Ondraj. Of course, Ondraj is a leviathan by comparison, but for something that held so much joy, how could I not include it in my story?

Please be aware that the Glaucus Atlanticus is a highly poisonous creature and is best observed rather than handled.

Do you think the Glaucus Atlanticus is as awesome a creature as I do? Let me know in the comments below:

Name(required)

Email(required)

Message

sEND

Δ

Happy New Year! Welcome 2022!

Where on earth did 2021 go? Weren’t we just ringing in THAT New Year?

I start this year in a new job which I’m very excited about, and I have big plans to do with my writing and publishing more journals under Lady Beattle Journals.

And while I can easily SAY I have big plans, that means doing something about it, meaning setting goals.

How do you set your goals? A mental list? A whiteboard? Sticky notes on walls?

I have a chalkboard. I’m a bit of an old soul at heart and adore things ye olde which probably stems from my love of steampunk.

There’s something rather nostalgic about a good old fashioned chalkboard

I don’t like calendars, and I prefer to see my goals every day rather than have a list hidden in an app on my phone, or buried as a file on my laptop.

Anyway, yes, I use a chalkboard which I lovingly scribe on with chalk my to-do lists, deadline dates, ideas, even random stuff that I need to remember. It all goes on my chalkboard, which oddly enough is currently completely blank.

But New Year, clean slate! I have so much happening I’m ready to fill it with exciting stuff to make 2022 productive and full of accomplishment.

Have you set your 2022 goals? Let me know in the comments below:

Name(required)

Email(required)

Message

SEND

Δ

A Promise is a Promise

*Beware, this blog entry contains spoilers for The Ancient Wish.

I’m sure you know what a promise is. To put it bluntly, it’s a kind of contract. I have said I will deliver something, and because it’s a promise – pinky, or otherwise – I am obligated to ensure that promise is fulfilled.

Surely, a pinky promise is a binding as a signed contract!

It’s true of a book. If I, as the author, was to give you, the reader, a promise, I absolutely must fulfill.

A promise in a book is not as literal as it sounds. A promise is introducing something, be it a character, an item, or a location that you have hinted will be significant to the story.

The most famous reference being Chekov’s Gun, which goes into more depth regarding the elements of a story, and can be found here.

But to summarise, if a gun is placed in a scene it must at some point be used. There’s no point showing the reader a special jewel, a lost map, or be told to ‘beware’, if none of that is going to actually happen.

You might not always be aware of promises, and if you’ve read The Ancient Wish there are several, the most prominent being the medallion give to Max by Roo. Another is Max bumping into Pettalind in Vargrell, and I guess the most obvious being the wish itself that everyone in Abnyr has all but forgotten about.

Full of promises!

If none of these items came into play later on, I’m sure you would have been very disappointed and wondering what the point of introducing those items was in the first place.

Promises are always at front of mind when I’m writing because I think they keep you intrigued as you move through the story.

What do you think of promises in books? Let me know in the comments below:

Name(required)

Email(required)

Message

sEND

Δ

What’s in a Name?

Be aware, there are spoilers contained here regarding my book The Ancient Wish.

When I get an idea for a story, and start figuring out all the bits and pieces needed to get it onto the page, one of my favourite parts is giving characters names.

Giving characters names is as fun as dreaming them up

Usually, it’s the main character who’s first cab off the rank, but sometimes, or more rarely, they will come ready with a name that pops into my head when I first start thinking about them.

Admittedly, when I started writing The Ancient Wish, Maxena Saltash wasn’t my first choice. From memory she started off as Juniper, then Wren, until I had the world building a little more under control and I really had to find the name I was happy with to move on.

For me, a character will often name themselves, or I’ll be doing something completely different to sitting and writing, and the name will present itself. Max’s last name, Saltash, was a street name I saw and really liked the sound of. The name Max I’d heard from a TV show. It was for a female character, and again, I liked the sound of it, but I wanted it to be a little more unique, and eventually settled on Maxena.

Hazel, named himself. I knew he was to be called Hazel so the long string of his name came after that since that was in keeping with his Squifflet culture.

Peng was another who named himself, but his name was more a tribute to a celebrity having difficulty pronouncing another word. I thought it was cute, and knew that would make a perfect name for my down trodden Ahlenwite.

Side characters, like Sava, Faul, and Dulk, were names that came to me as I was writing the story and created the characters as I went along. Same with Pettalind, but she came along during the editing stages. Even so, she promptly named herself, a series of sounds and letters that I found appealing and agreed that they suited her.

I am often pouring over baby name websites, mostly looking up what is unusual or something that sounds really cool. In my actual working life, I come across a lot of various names, and sometimes, these too sound amazing, so I’ll make a note of it and the kind of character to use it on. I believe my character names, especially ones I’ve dreamt up myself, are a huge part of my writing style, and a genuine reflection of my actual my writing voice.

I might have put The Cursed Gift on hiatus for now, but I am always thinking about it, and a big part of that is coming up with character names.

What do you think, have I done my characters justice with their names? Let me know if the comments below:

Name(required)

Email(required)

Message

send

Δ

Write Your Guilty Pleasure

You might hear someone talk about their ’guilty pleasures’. These are things one enjoys behind closed doors, because for some crazy reason it’s not seen as a good thing to love a biscuit with your cup of tea, or watch whatever reality TV show that might otherwise be seen as…bad.

By all means, if YOU love it, watch that awful TV show!

But who said pleasure had to be something you should feel guilty for? It’s the same with writing. If you enjoy writing about historical settings specifically in Scotland, or that the main character has a special piece of jewellery, that there’s magic, or vampires, or a convoluted enemies to lovers plot, then why feel guilty about that?

I recently heard about a writing strategy that answers to the pleasures you enjoy in life and if a book (or TV show or movie) has those pleasures you’re more inclined to read it (or watch it).

I was thinking about everything I loved to write about. I started a list of all the things I enjoy, such as world building, choosing character names, and descriptions of food or clothing. I found that top of the list, the one thing I had to absolutely have in my stories above all else, was fantasy. I can’t write without it being there in some way shape or form.

I can’t help but write fantasy

And it doesn’t stop there. I continue to add to this list whenever I’m writing, or reading for that matter. That way if I’m ever stuck for an idea, I can go through my list and find instant inspiration because I know I’ll enjoy writing about it.

Let me know in the comments below what your guilty pleasure is that you no longer have to feel guilty about:

Name(required)

Email(required)

Message

SEND

Δ

My Why

In my world, there are two kinds of people: writers, and non-writers. Let’s face it, you either do, or you don’t. And depending on which side of it you fall, quite often the big question of it all is WHY?

Why DO writers write?

Believe me, it ain’t for the money!

More often than not, this is how I am…thinking

Recently, I was wallowing in a lot of self doubt, and seriously struggling to write because the words just didn’t want to come, and I was forever staring at the same paragraph. Then, this question cropped up and it really got me thinking…why DO I write?

Why do I sit and tap away at the keyboard for hours at a time wondering how Person A is going to meet Person B and by some miracle they will go on an adventure that readers, like yourself, will find entertaining?

Truthfully, I find there’s nothing more rewarding than the process of world building. That, for me, is the pinnacle, the part I crave the most, perhaps even my strength. Mind you, I love dreaming up various characters, and getting my hands dirty in the plot details. Because unless you’re new here, my genre of choice is obviously fantasy, I adore thinking up new fantastical beasts, and magical systems, or beings who have new and interesting powers. I can spend hours happily wondering about how to make a particularly challenging part of a plot work! I love every aspect of the writing process, even my weird way of writing – see my post about being a patchwork writer here.

My writing style! Random thoughts that get wrangled into a story

I could also say it’s in my genes. It was only a few years ago I found out my late grandfather was an avid writer. I dearly wish he was still around so we could converse as writers, but the point here is, there’s even an element of writing in my blood.

Was I destined to be a writer? Who knows? I certainly wouldn’t have said so in high school. Back in those naïve days I had very different plans, but when I look back, I was still writing. It seems every atom within me is driven to tell a story of some sort, and I figure, hey, why not?

So what is my WHY…?

Because I have to.

If you’re a writer, have you ever asked yourself why? Let me know in the comments below

Name(required)

Email(required)

Message

SEND

Δ

From a Spark to a Flame

As an author, one of the most common questions asked is ‘where do you get your ideas from?’ It’s a simple enough question, but it doesn’t come with an easy answer.

Ideas come from everywhere.

For example, my idea for the name of the city – Poel Ohneon – in The Ancient Wish was me playing around with the letters of the name of a work colleague. You’re welcome to try and piece it together, but I didn’t end up using all the letters, and it was first and last name.

Perhaps the easiest place to start to find ideas is to read. That’s my usual go to when I first have the spark of an idea and I want to fan the flame of it into an actual story.

The spark of an idea can flourish into a flame of a story

I think I started The Ancient Wish with the idea of a girl finding a magical creature, but what then? So I scoured bookshops – both physical and digital – to find books of a similar genre that might give me further ideas to expand the story.

It would be understandable if you pointed a finger and shouted plagiarism at this point, but that simply isn’t the case. I’m not lifting another author’s work line by line to add to my own story – far from it. What I might do is think, ‘oh, I like that, but what if it was more like this?’ and there you have it, another idea to join the first, which often leads to the third and fourth and so on.

Perhaps my favourite part in all this is the world building. I don’t usually have trouble forming that solidly in my mind, and as an author I find it to be my strength.

Let me know what you think in the comments below:

Email(required)

Message

SEND

Δ

Planner, Pantser…Patchworker?

I’ve been writing for a very long time, and I have numerous files and printouts of old stories I started hammering out; many of which were left abandoned. Over the years I’ve gone back to them, and some even generated ideas on how they might be revived.

Throughout all of this, for the most part, I wrote chronologically; start with the first chapter, move onto the second, get to the third and so on and so forth. It wasn’t until I started taking my writing seriously some twenty or twenty five years ago, that I found this method of writing wasn’t working for me.

I’d get all the ideas down, then hit a wall when the ideas stopped.

You’ve probably heard of writers being referred to as Planners or Pantsers, well there’s also a third type – the Patchworker.

Planners generally outline their story down to the tiniest detail, then sit and write from chapter one, through to chapter whatever, everything accounted for, everything as they’d planned.

Like a calendar, Planners are able to write in chronological order

In all honesty, I do envy this trait, but it’s one I’ve tried and I just cannot do it.

Pantsers just want to get on with the writing, so they’ll sit and start. No plan, everything is written in a kind of organic flow where they start with chapter one, move to chapter two, think of something that needs to be added to chapter one, so make a note, reach chapter sixteen, remember a detail from chapter five, make notes again to add something to chapter twenty seven, and so on. Again, usually in chronological order. Not always, but that’s the vibe I get in my experience.

Let me introduce you to the Patchworker. A Patchworker has the general gist of the story, might know the ending, usually doesn’t, but what they do have is a series of played out scenes in their head that will contribute to the story in one way or another.

Like the Pantser, a Patchworker just wants to write, and may even start with chapter one, but that’s usually as far as being chronological goes. They are itching to get those scenes down, so they get stuck into writing them, regardless of where they might fit in the actual story. Their characters usually come to them fully formed, often with a name already attached, or they’ll introduce themselves while the scene is being written, and they’ll get added into the action.

This is how I write. I am a Patchworker.

Like sticky notes on a wall, or pieces of fabric, a Patchworker brings scenes together to form the story.

I will write several scenes completely out of order, I’ll have no idea where they belong, but I know they will be included.

Fast forward to the part where I’m editing, and these pieces all get stitched together, I’ll edit them so they make sense – this is obviously done in chronological order, but what I end up with is a finished product fit for publication.

I don’t know how Planners are able to work everything out and not answer that call to just get writing. I also don’t know how Pantsers are able to sit and write from start to finish knowing where the story is going, all I know is I have stories in my head, images of scenes and characters that appear to meld together, but until I get them down I can’t see the sequence.

Are you a Planner, Pantser, or maybe even a Patchworker? Let me know if the comments below:

Name(required)

Email(required)

Message

SEND

Δ

Hitting a Snag

If you’re Australian like me, you’ll know a snag is something to be enjoyed in a slice of white bread at the local hardware on a Saturday or Sunday morning. For everyone else, a snag is an obstacle to overcome, or a protrusion you catch your clothing on.

Another snag on the barbie!

Though it’s not the official term, you can also hit a snag in writing. I won’t say it’s anything like writer’s block (I don’t really believe in that particular phenomenon anyway), however I do know that while writing you can come across a snag that pulls you up and you’re having to consider how to get around it.

I hit such a snag recently while writing The Cursed Gift. I was happy I’d managed to get the first five chapters relatively sound (FYI, I am a lot further along than that), but I needed to check for a detail and reread those first five chapters…and almost put myself to sleep, they were so boring.

This was my snag. The story itself was beginning to take shape, how do I then go back to the start and make it more exciting without disrupting the rest?

Funnily enough, I enjoy these kinds of challenges, and I had an idea on how to fix it. I realised I’d been too focussed on getting Max from A to B, I didn’t stop to think that her journey should be a little more interesting. Also too, with fantasy, a lot of world building can be included that will only make for a far more intriguing story as these details come to light later on. I’ll talk about Promises in another blog post.

A character’s journey should never just be a straight line

So whether your purpose is to get to the local hardware for a Sunday snag, your character’s journey needs to have a little more sizzle.

Let me know what you think in the comments below:

Name(required)

Email(required)

Message

SEND

Δ