Author Archives: jane
Subversion Alone Doesn’t Satisfy
Much has been made of how the writers behind the Game of Thrones adaptation enjoyed subverting audience expectations. They talked about it so frequently that it seemed to be not just an outgrowth of storytelling for them. Rather, it was … Continue reading
Posted in Endings, Fantasy, Game of Thrones
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Character Introduction Project: Umbrella Academy
How important is a character introduction, really? Maybe you have a lot to cover in the first few scenes. Can’t you just get rolling on the plot, and trust your readers to bond with your characters a few steps down … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged character, Character Introduction Project, Umbrella Academy
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The Character Introduction Project
What makes a good character introduction? To me the keys are: 1) you want to give your reader some notion of who the character is, even if that notion isn’t yet quite accurate and complete. And, 2) you want to … Continue reading
Posted in Character, Character Introduction Project
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Go Ahead and Scrub my Mouth Out
The recent release of a new app, CleanReader, has created quite a stir in the indie writing community. The app replaces any profanity in a book with euphemisms, offering a choice between Clean, Cleaner, and Squeaky Clean settings. Many writers … Continue reading
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Technician’s Life: Maternity Leave
See this gorgeous face? It is two and a half months old. Which means it’s about time for me to wrap up the maternity leave I’ve so generously granted myself, and return to writing. Getting back in the groove after … Continue reading
Posted in My Life
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Wool
Wool, by Hugh Howey Publication: Self –> Hybrid Genre: Dystopian Sci Fi Verdict: Yes If you keep abreast of the news in self-publishing (or possibly even if you don’t), you don’t need me to tell you that Hugh Howey’s Wool … Continue reading
Posted in Dystopian, Hybrid Publishing, Reviews, Sci Fi, Self-Publishing
Tagged dystopian, hybrid publishing, reviews, sci fi, self publishing
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Technician’s Thoughts: No, Knitting is My Hobby
Since we moved to Seattle, I have been fortunate to make many friends who, like myself, are stay-at-home moms. They are wonderful. They are sweet and caring, and generous with their time. They are, on many days, the linchpin of … Continue reading
Posted in My Life
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Exposition Done Right
The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge Publication: Traditional Genre: YA Steampunk Verdict: Yes Last week I blogged about a book with a disappointing lack of exposition, which prevented me from becoming truly engaged with it. This week I’m flipping the … Continue reading
Technician’s Thoughts: I Only Buy Weird Chocolate Now
Spoilers For: A Trace of Smoke by Rebecca Cantrell I recently finished reading A Trace of Smoke, a mystery by Rebecca Cantrell, in which the narrator, Hannah Vogel, faces a fascinating dilemma. Hannah’s brother has been murdered, and during the … Continue reading
Breathe
Front Page Fatality by LynDee Walker Publication: Self Genre: Mystery Verdict: No I read a lot of genres, but probably my sentimental favorite is the cozy, i.e., the amateur sleuth mystery. These tend to feature female protagonists, cute pictures on … Continue reading
Posted in Mystery, Reviews, Self-Publishing
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