It’s been almost a year and a half since I started blogging, and even though it has had its ups and downs, here lately I’m seeing my numbers drop off slowly and steadily. It makes me wonder if this blogging thing is really all it’s cracked up to be. I won’t quit. No way. I … Continue reading »
Tagged with J.R.R. Tolkien …
Tolkien on Inspiration
Today’s post is fortuitous in that Tolkien is again in the news. Yesterday NPR ran a story about an ancient Roman ring that may have been the inspiration for The One Ring in Tolkien’s Middle Earth epic. You can find “The Vyne” here, but the summary of the story is that Tolkien was brought in … Continue reading »
Real Locations in Fictional Stories
My current WIP is set in Noble, Oklahoma, and since I am very familiar with this small town I am able to easily write about the sights and sounds of the town without much trouble or much research. Research for me basically falls to interviewing local police about procedures in various situations that might arise … Continue reading »
What’s In a Name: The Importance of Choosing the Right Character Name
When I sat down to write the outline for This Broken Earth, I knew that I had to choose very important names for each of my characters, names whose meanings had messages all their own. When choosing the right name for a character, consider two things: 1. Baby Name Books – I usually browse through these … Continue reading »
Today’s Birthday Gift Was Amazing!
Today I turned 42 years old, and jokingly I tell my friends that I am now the meaning of life, the universe and everything. As we get older, birthdays invariably run together, and we only celebrate the decades. I remember as a child I anxiously awaited my birthday because there would probably be a party … Continue reading »
Well, the World Didn’t End…But In My New Book It Did
Today is the release date for Book 3: Babylon the Great the third installment of the This Broken Earth trilogy soon to be released together as a print edition in January. For now, you can get your copy on Amazon only as Nook is having “techical difficulties” for some reason. I uploaded on Wednesday, but … Continue reading »
Guest Post: Free Tools for the Frugal Writer
The following post comes to us from Bob Evenhouse over at Part-Time Novel. He gives us several great websites for writers that can’t be missed! Enjoy! As a writer, I’ve discovered that there are a thousand different tools at my fingertips. Most these tools boast the ability to take a writing vagabond like myself and … Continue reading »
Tolkien’s 5 Tips for Creating Complex Heroes
Tolkien’s letters are rich with information about J.R.R. Tolkien’s writing process. I wrote a post last week about Aragorn being Tolkien’s example of an epic hero, and someone posted: “But Frodo Baggins is the hero of the LOTR trilogy, right?” I would argue that he is not, but only one of three or four characters who together … Continue reading »
Tolkien’s 10 Tips for Creating Epic Heroes
One of my most popular posts is Tolkien’s 10 Tips for Writers, in which I glean from J.R.R. Tolkien’s letters of his wisdom about writing. Today I will delve into his letters again, but will focus on the epic character Aragorn and ask Professor Tolkien how he created great characters. 1. Motivational Mirrors – Tolkien … Continue reading »
Tolkien’s 10 Tips for Writers
I have long been a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien. Every year, when school dismisses for summer break, I read The Lord of the Rings. This year I will read it to my children and do all the voices for them. Tolkien was a brilliant writer, but what if we could sit down with him and ask … Continue reading »
