Beta Reading Update
I am happy and proud and excited to announce that as of a couple weeks ago, I have had a beta reader finish reading Rissa Must Die, Forbidden Ember, and The Acolyte’s Heresy all the way through! My level of excitement is off the charts. Here is a preview of changes I am making and a behind-the-scenes of what really happens after a beta read.
Awesome, Amazing, Anachronistic
In my everyday life, “awesome” and “amazing” are some of my favorite words to describe something that is, well, awesome or amazing. Yet, I worry that using these words in my novels will ruin the cohesive, otherworldly vibe that I have carefully curated. Anachronisms and the Tiffany problem are the Scylla and Charybdis of writing words like “awesome” and “amazing.”
Distinguishing Voices and Switching Code
In the previous post, I talked about how I stumbled into writing dual POV novels because the way my character arcs worked, I needed at least one character my readers could root for (and not just pity) from the very beginning. However, that introduced a new challenge: how do I write POV characters to sound differently enough from each other? If I was going to do this, then I was determined to do it well. But how?
How It Begins…
It always starts with a death, plot-wise, and always the character arc, plotting-wise. Before any other plot element, I need to know how the POV characters are transforming. Because the plot is how the character is forced to transform. Once I hone in on that arc of transformation, really, the climax scene, then I build the rest of the story around getting my POV characters to that point.
Research and Writing Advice from a Political Scientist / Fantasy Author
My “day job” is advising political science students on their research theses. It struck me today, that all the fiction craft I had been studying while I was unemployed actually has applications for researching and writing theses! First, your research question is your promise. Don’t promise what you can’t deliver! Second, so what? Raise the stakes!
The Power of Beta Reading
As someone born and raised in the Unification church who then left, I offer unique and original insights on religion throughout my novels and cast of characters. But sometimes, I need someone who did not share my upbringing to point out just how different my perspective is. Serena’s arc is the one that most directly draws on my experience growing up in the Unification church, so I will draw on her example to illustrate my point.
So You Want to Be a Beta Reader?
I would be absolutely delighted if you are interested in being a beta reader. This blog post is specifically to help you understand my expectations/what would be most useful for me before you reach out, and a handy page for you to come back to if we decide to work together.
Is there a “Correct” Reading Order?
A purist – someone who hates any and all spoilers – should read it in the chronologically correct order, of course: Rissa Must Die, Forbidden Ember, then The Acolyte’s Heresy. But if you are not a purist, then I do think you can jump into any of my novels that catch your attention first, though perhaps I might suggest the order in which they were written.
My Writing Journey
A behind-the-scenes of the approximate timeline for each novel – and what was going on in my life and thought process at the origins of each.
Welcome to Kazarah and Aeona!
And how shall I greet you, dear reader? This is no simple question in my world. Major themes include religious diversity and religious sectarianism – so, each character would greet you differently when they meet you based on which sect they adhere to.