A Divine Intervention – When You Care Too Much I (Simael’s Past)

After a massive storm, he found her buried under masses of rocks and fallen trees… Her beautiful mocha-colored skin was bruised and scratched; her wounds were severe…

She was unconscious, her long, mahogany mane was tousled and dirty, and her clothes were ripped. He tried to free her with as little effort as possible, he was scared he could make a mistake, and the damaged pieces of buildings, natural disaster rocks, and wood could fall onto her and injure her even more.

While he was working, she surprisingly opened her eyes, which showed breathtaking pale green, light, mint-colored irises…

He hadn’t paid attention for a moment, and since he considered himself safe, she caught a glimpse of his powdery white wings – and started screaming.

Simael swung around and stared at her, a movement that wasn’t exactly soothing to her since her cries got even louder and shriller.

Finally, Simael lost his patience and harshly barked at her: “I’m trying to help you, woman. Would you mind at least not causing my hearing any damage?”

Hearing his words, she closed her mouth, her breathing was still heavy and filled with apparent fear, but finally, she gave his ears a rest.

While hiding his wings in a friendlier tone, he introduced himself: “My name is Simael. I discovered you here and hoped I could free you and take you to get medical care as quickly as possible. If that is a problem for you, please let me know.”

She eyed him curiously, his voice seemed to have calmed her down a little bit, and she replied shyly: “No… that’s… I’m sorry… I’m grateful for your help. You’re Simael, the Moon Angel?”

He looked at her closer. “I am.” He replied shortly. “And you are?” She tried a smile. “My name is Gwendolyn. I’m sorry, Archangel. You scared me for a moment. I didn’t expect ever to meet one of you. I want to shake your hand, but currently, I’m a bit handicapped.” Simael nodded curtly. “I understand.”

He kept working until she was free of debris, then bent over her. “Do you feel any pain?” She nodded. “In my shoulders, chest, and head. Below my belt, I cannot feel anything.”

Simael got worried. “That doesn’t sound good.” I might want to take you to a healer rather than a doctor, it seems?” She nodded. “Yes, I would appreciate that.”

Simael contacted his brother, Raphael, without a word, asking for healing support. Only a few minA female angel showed up only a few minutes later, a healing backpack. The woman on the ground looked scared. “What’s wrong with me?” She wailed.

The angel smiled. “I just arrived. Give me a moment to examine you, please. I hope I will be able to tell you more after that. – My name is Caylee, by the way.”

“Gwendolyn.” The angel bent over her. “Nice to meet you.” She examined Gwendolyn carefully and then got up. “I doubt it’s too bad, Gwendolyn. I want to discuss a few things with my fellow angels. I’ll be right back.” Gwendolyn nodded weakly. She seemed to feel horrible and looked dreadful.”

Caylee stepped to Simael and stared him in the eyes. “This isn’t a human being. She’s a supernatural form, but for my life, I cannot determine what kind of being she is. I wish we had a Demon Tracker here.” Simael smiled. “I knew she was supernatural. She caught a glimpse of my wings and addressed me as ‘Archangel.’

Caylee frowned. Not as ‘Angel,’ but as ‘Archangel’? That’s odd.” Behind them, someone giggled. “It’s not so odd when you consider Simael’s look. No other angel looks like him, and as a supernatural creature, she would know that Moon Angel is Sim. So, that’s not witchcraft.”

Simael smiled. “Hi there, Callie.” He introduced Gwendolyn to ‘Caliandra.’ “She’s one of our oldest experts in Supernatural beings,” Simael explained. The breathtaking Newcomer indeed had a few gray streaks in her hair, but her face was youthful, and she nearly burst with energy.

Caliandra shook her head and frowned at Simael: “You had to use the word ‘old’ in my introduction, didn’t you?” Simael’s eyes widened. But Caliandra laughed. “Well, it’s true… But I’m just playing with you, Simael. Let’s have a closer look at Suri. I have seen similar eyes before, and the ones here are brown with a yellowish glow. It seems the girl has origins she’d like to hide.” Caliandra looked at Caylee. “Did you pick up a particular smell when you examined her?” Caylee nodded. “She smelled a bit like cold ashes.” Caliandra sighed. “I thought so.” Caylee frowned. “I don’t follow you; I’m sorry. What’s the obvious that I oversaw?” Simael smiled. “I had to learn all that too. The flames within Suri’s body show nowhere but in her eyes, and her smell indicates one race that normally is frowned upon. Some angels consider them demons, but in Hell, they’re not welcome either since their skills are much higher developed than demon skills – and brains. These creatures can be dangerous to angels, even Archangels if they’re old enough.”

Caylee’s eyes widened… “Oh.” She said, a little helplessly. After a moment, she added. “I don’t know if I’m willing, under these circumstances….” Simael interrupted her sharply. “I called you to assist Suri and help her because she’s injured. I don’t care what you are ‘willing’ to do… I gave you an order, and no matter the circumstances, I expect it to be fulfilled – and pronto, if you please.” He turned away from her and walked for a few steps; soon, his body had disappeared between the trees. Caylee, who had stared after him, turned to Caliandra. “I’m not used….” Caliandra held up her hand and interrupted the younger angel: “I’m not interested in excuses. I’m an old, very old angel, my child. And I’m now giving you some much-needed advice: We are angels! If you want to stay one, you better improve your attitude.”

Caylee’s eyes were big. “I proved a long time ago that my skills….” Caliandra interrupted her again. “I’m not talking about your skills in healing. I’m talking about your behavior. As an angel, we do not show any preference when it comes to our good Lord’s creatures, no matter what and who they are! We are unique in many ways, but God created humans and all supernatural forms, and we are to love one as the other. We are helping where our help is needed, and we sure don’t show any kind or form of bullying or neglect. I recommend you’ll remember that next time you deal with Simael. He has been bullied and doesn’t take that behavior lightly.”

Caylee nodded. “I understand. I appreciate your help, older sister.” She bowed politely and retreated to go over to Suri. “Madame. I think the trauma of being hit has caused you partial paralysis, but I’m almost convinced it won’t last. If you let me carefully touch your spine and torso, I could make sure you don’t have any internal bleeding or injuries and maybe find out more. I understand if you don’t want that, but I’m convinced it would help. Also, it could take some of your pain.”

Suri nodded, her eyes wide and dark. “I’d appreciate that. Thank you very much.” Caylee started to work on Suri and helped her to control her pain. Also, she ensured that Suri was comfortable treating the beautiful woman. After the treatment, Caylee informed Suri: “I knew it wasn’t so bad. Thank God you don’t have internal bleeding; your organs are intact, and everything works fine. But you have a swelling that puts pressure onto your spine and partially causes numbness in your lower body half. We will have to wait for a while until the swelling goes down. Your mobility should return soon. If not, let Simael call me. I’ll keep on working until we get this fixed.”

Suri smiled. “Thanks so very much. I don’t know how to thank you.” Caylee returned the smile. “Don’t fuss. You need help, and this is only a little bit I can do. Let me get Simael for you.”

Simael had carried Suri to one of his hiding spots and had provided her with a beautiful haven, a breathtaking view, food, and exciting conversation. They spent several weeks together in the house on the cliffs when Suri finally asked him: “Archangel, I think I’m all but cured. I don’t know how long you want to keep me imprisoned here, and I start feeling like your pet.”

Simael was shocked. “I’m sorry to hear that, Suri. I didn’t expect you to feel like I’m holding you, hostage.” He said stiffly. “I would never hurt you, and I thought I’d help you recover.”

Suri shook her head. “I recovered a week ago. I’m still waiting for you to tell me what you want from me?”

Suri laughed. “You’re interesting… in a conversation, yes, sometimes. But the fact is, we both have merely nothing in common. After I started singing your feathers, I thought you would figure out I’m not at the right place here.”

Simael shrugged. “I didn’t… Well… why the discussion. I’m not holding you prisoner here, Suri. You’re free to go whenever you feel like it.” He gestured toward the door. “Goodbye.”

She found herself standing outside, somewhere in nowhere… there was no phone reception, and the next street seemed seven to twelve miles away.

Suri turned around, half expecting that Simael was staring after her on the stairs to the porch. But the house was gone, and so was the Archangel. Only a few sparks reminded her that there had been some magic involved…

She stared at the sky and swore, “You will pay for that, Archangel. You can’t do that with me and then think you’re getting away with it. You’ll regret that.”

Far away, in the ‘Great Hall,’ Gabriel calmly said to Zachariel: “Aleja jacta sunt…”

To be continued

Picture courtesy of: Google.com

Feeling Sorry For The Bad Guy

For a while now, I have thought I have a twisted brain. I watch movies – and feel bad for the villain. There must be something wrong with me. Of course, I know, a villain is a villain, and all the evil in the story is coming from that end. I know, and I agree, there must be punishment. But my nature keeps considering if there wouldn’t be a ‘better’ punishment than the one they were going through…

Let me explain what I mean by providing you with a few examples:

Movie – Van Helsing

We have one ‘villain’ in that movie that my heart was bleeding for. Prince Velkan, brother to Princess Anna, was turned into a Werewolf to be used for the vampire Dracula’s dark and evil purposes. The Prince didn’t have a chance. He was shot by Van Helsing’s silver bullet and died in his sister’s arms in sunlight when he was turned back into a man.

I know, that Werewolf followed Dracula’s orders, plundered, scared, injured, and killed people! He did, what his Werewolf nature made him do.

But none of that was his fault. He was tortured by Dracula’s servant, hit, abused, hurt, injured, and had to give in to dark magic malpractice. And still, there was no happy ending for him. He died. Wasn’t that worth a few tears?


Movie – The Witches Of Eastwick

We all know him: Daryl Van Horne, bewitching three single women in the small town of Eastwick, Alexandra, Sukie, and Jane. He walks into their world and shakes up their lives. The affair between the four of them ends up in a possessive, controlling relationship that threatens to destroy the happy ‘foursome’, the population of Eastwick, and in particular, the friendship between the three women. In self-defense, Alex, Sukie, and Jane pick up the dark stranger’s dangerous magic and turn it against him in the hope of making him leave and disappear out of their lives as he had shown up. Unfortunately, his powers are far stronger than theirs, and in the process, their former ‘little devil’ shows his true face… the one of the big devil. And he fights back. With the help of a wax-doll and a kitchen fire, the three women manage to win the fight, which ends up in their opponent’s disappearance after he had melted from an over-dimensional monster into a gnarled little ridiculous caricature of himself. The big epic ‘battle’ ends with that slowly spinning, odd little gnome disappearing with a quiet ‘pop’ into nowhere, leaving back only a few sparkles. I had a lot of fun watching these scenes for the longest time, but still, I felt that tiny sting of regret to see the mighty antagonist being exposed to ridicule. I cannot explain it. I have been laughed about too often not to confuse ‘a simple joke’ with malicious exposure to ridicule, apparently even if it’s the one of a villain.


Movie – Beetlejuice

Most of us know the movie. Beetlejuice, who ‘helps’ dead people do whatever necessary to make them comfortable in their afterlife. Of course, he only helps others to gain access to the world of the living. In the movie, it’s the Maitlands he sends advertisements to, calling himself a bio-exorcist. The Maitlands are recently deceased and don’t know anything about the complicated bureaucracy in the afterlife. Desperately trying to get the new owners out of their house, they meet Lydia, the daughter. Finally, Beetlejuice is freed, only to, of course, turn everything upside-down and try to use Lydia for his advantage. In the end, Beetlejuice is sent back to the afterlife, and in the waiting room, he enrages a powerful medicine man who turns him into a shrunken head. Of course, I know how selfish and obnoxious Beetlejuice is. (By the way: what a phenomenal acting performance, Michael Keaton!). But still, I think, in this case, I ‘suffer’ from the same feeling as I do in the former example. I feel sorry for the shrunken head. It’s, in a way, so funny, but also, it’s ridiculous; and ‘poor’ Beetlejuice now has to go through eternity like that, with everyone laughing about him? I feel bad for him, and I’m not sure why…


Movie – Pride & Prejudice

Now, in Pride and Prejudice, I picked Fitzwilliam Darcy’s two proposals mainly. In the 2005 movie, the first one set up in the rain, Elizabeth Bennet rejects him mentioning his arrogance, the destruction of her sister Jane’s growing love connection to his friend Bingley, and his contempt towards Mr. Wickham. Of course, at this point, she doesn’t know the entire truth; she only believes she knows it. Elizabeth overheard Mr. Darcy talking to his friend Bingley at a ball and hurting Elizabeth’s feelings and pride. She had never even taken his timidity and the pressure and high expectations of his family and society into consideration. Without knowing him, she yells his flaws into his face and lets him stand in the rain. Having hurt Elizabeth’s feelings by saying she was ‘barely tolerable, and not beautiful enough to tempt him’ was indeed no masterstroke on Darcy’s side. Still, he didn’t know she was listening. Does that make him a ‘villain’? No, I don’t think it does. Why is he still in this blog? Well, I detested his behavior towards Elizabeth, her sister Jane, and their family (and I’m not saying he wasn’t right!). However, I still somewhat cringe to see him standing there embarrassing himself, drowning in arrogance, smug self-importance, and rainwater. Yes, for a moment, I felt the tiniest string of malicious glee. And still, I felt terrible for him. Elizabeth’s words got him off his high horse, and he was lucky not to break his neck, figuratively spoken. The following events in the movie revealed quite some truth to Elizabeth and also changed Mr. Darcy. He, the second time, carefully considered his words to propose to Elizabeth… and she accepted. ‘Changing the villain’? Maybe, in a way, even though I still wouldn’t use the expression ‘villain’ in connections with Fitzwilliam Darcy’s name. Everyone knows the bad one in this story is Wickham… and a very young, foolish sister called Lydia.


Movie – The Mummy returns

I admit, the Mummy and the Mummy Returns are a couple of my favorite movies, and if I want to be entertained without thinking much, I turn them on. Here we have Imhotep, High Priest of a Pharaoh of the old Egyptian empire, who desired the Pharaoh’s lover, Anck-sun-amun. When the Pharaoh finds out about the affair, he has them both ‘eliminated,’ together with Imhotep’s priests. Imhotep himself was killed with the most horrible of all curses, the ‘Homdai.’ Unfortunately, tomb raiders, under the seal of archeology, find the sarcophagus and bring the High Priest back into the world. All Imhotep tries to do is getting his lover, Anck-sun-amun, back. He kills some of his grave robbers by ‘sucking them dry’ to re-create himself. He brings the old Egyptian plagues back to the world and tries to kidnap Evie, who, together with Rick, tries to get Imhotep back to his grave. That plot is absolutely sufficient for two movies. In the first movie, Evie and Rick fall in love with each other; they’re married and have a son in the second one. Of course, there is a lot of magic involved, re-incarnation, and humor. And then, towards the end of the second movie, ‘The Mummy Returns,’ things get really sad for Imhotep. Remember, we watched two films in which the re-incarnated Mummy kills at will, bewitches groups of people, uses his power to kidnap, torture, scare people, and even steal a child to bring back his ancient lover. For three thousand years, he had loved her. Even in his death and eternity, he never forgot her, and finally, she’s here, with him. He did, what he had to do, what he always wanted! And then the world is crumbling around them. The temple they’re in starts to collapse. He and Rick are held by the Underworld when the ceiling starts to crash. Even though Rick yells at his wife to get out, save herself, Evie doesn’t listen. Under the highest risk of her own life, she crosses the falling temple and throws herself to the ground to pull the love of her life out of the Underworld’s claws. Imhotep has to watch the horror to see his worst opponent being saved, and he desperately calls his only love: “Anck-sun-amun! Help me!” And that selfish, shallow, dumb chick screams ‘No!!” turns around and runs for her life… (Of course, she gets what she deserves only a few seconds later, but that’s only a detail.). What’s far more significant is the immeasurable disappointment in Imhotep’s face when he finds out that his love was far more extensive than hers and that the woman he fought for has shamefully let him down. After a last look at his enemies, he surrenders and lets himself fall backward to disappear forever, where he once raised from. That disappointment, the horror on Imhotep’s face, when the truth dawned on him, that’s what made me almost cry. I know he had murdered and pillaged… and still, I feel sorry for him. What’s wrong with me?


Do you ever feel bad for a villain? Do you feel odd when you see punishments for the bad? What story is it? Tell us about it in the comments!

7 Tips to Balancing the Humor and the Heavy – Written By Charles Yallowitz

I like to included humor in my stories.  Yet, I don’t want them to be seen as comedies.  I like to touch on heavy topics in my stories.  Yet, I don’t want them to be seen as serious dramas.  That means I need to have both and keep things balanced.  That isn’t nearly as easy as some people believe.  You can’t throw the two around whenever you feel like it in the hopes of creating an equilibrium.  Humor and heavy can clash like battling titans instead of uniting like pieces of a puzzle.  So, what are some ways to handle this?

  1. Whichever one is going to be the main tone of the story should be introduced from the beginning.  If you want to have a serious story with humorous sections and conversations then you need to set the heavy stage.  If it’s supposed to be a comedic tale that moves into serious territory then start with the funny.  You do have a runway to work with since the opening is more character and world introduction, so the tone may be neutral first.  Eventually, you need to decide on who gets the bigger slice of pizza.

CONTINUE READING HERE

The Best Fiction Story Ideas Come From A Simple Question – Written By Derek Haines

Derek Haines informs us on his blog about the fact that the best fiction story ideas come from one simple question. Thanks so much, Derek!


on Just Publishing Advice:

If you are writing fiction novels or short stories, you need story ideas.

Nothing happens on a blank page, and looking at it is the worst way to start writing.

A lot of writers use creative writing prompts, but they aren’t the best way to come up with original ideas.

Some writers wait for the muse to arrive, which usually works on a very unreliable schedule.

In This Article

Fiction story idea germs

Famous authors and small ideas
Ask yourself simple questions
Avoid writing prompts
Summary

Continue reading HERE

An Hour Of Relaxed Reading

For the first time since I moved, I felt the need for an hour of relaxed reading.  In my former home, I had a deep enjoyable bathtub which I filled up with wonderfully warm water and bubble bath and spent an hour or 90 minutes in the tub, reading an amazing book.

I prepared everything for another relaxing hour today, book, glasses, scented candle, water…

I was looking forward to the tub and the reading… until I realized, the tub was far too small for me. It might be good for a bath after being dirty and muddy… but it definitely is not comfortable enough to read in… not five minutes, not even three minutes…

That means, I will have to read somewhere else than in the tub – or I move into a home with a big corner-tub.

Picture courtesy of Google.com

Do you ever read in the bathtub? If yes, how long are you staying? How much do you enjoy? Do you read your e-reader or do you prefer regular paperbacks? Let us hear about your reading preferences in the comments. We are curious.

 

Does Everyone Really Love A Bad Boy? – Written By Charles Yallowitz

On ‘The Legends of Windermere’ blog, written by Charles Yallowitz, I found this excellent blog post about bad boys and how they really are used. Thanks for the great post, which I think to me is quite helpful, Charles.


A while back, somebody suggested I write a few posts on the ‘Bad Boy’ concept. I agreed thinking it shouldn’t be too hard. Now, I’m sitting here trying to figure out what I was thinking. Seriously, this feels like it’s outside of my ballpark because ‘Bad Boy’s in my mind don’t really appear outside of romances and dramas. Then again, I’m using a very narrow definition. Let me try to enhance it by some stream of consciousness writing.

Continue reading here

Author Spotlight – Alethea Kehas

Welcome!

1. When did you start writing?

I was a closet writer for most of my life. When I was a child and teen I would journal my thoughts, dreams, and other musings. Then, I would rip them up and throw them away so no one could see them.

2. What motivates you to write?

When I wrote my first book, my memoir, my motivation was to heal myself. Now, I write to help others heal and find their inner truths.

3. What genre do you write in and what made you chose this particular genre?

I write fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. At the moment, my focus is on my visionary fantasy series written for the middle-grade to adult audience.

4. What is your goal in writing? Do you have dreams where your writing should take you?

I did have a dream, a few years ago where I found myself on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday show (which I confess I don’t watch) with Elizabeth Gilbert. That’s always lingering in the back of my mind, but seriously, my main goal is for my writing to reach the eyes of those who might benefit from my words.

5. Do you ever suffer from writer’s block and if yes, how do you deal with it?

Not so much writer’s block as writer’s motivation. When I give myself time sit down and open myself up to the stories that want to come forth, they most often make their way onto the page without too much difficulty. I let my characters take over and discover from them, which means I sometimes have to do my research after I write the words. It makes the process fun and exciting, giving up the reins, so to speak. It’s like putting together the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle without ever looking at the picture on the box cover.

6. What advice would you like to give new, hopeful authors?

Write from the heart. Open yourself up to the stories tucked inside of you and write what wants to come forth. The rest can be figured out later.

7. Please, tell us about your work.

I have two published books so far, a memoir called A Girl Named Truth and the first book in my visionary fantasy series, The Labyrinth. My memoir is a journey of healing my truth and reuniting with my estranged father. The Labyrinth is book 1 in the Warriors of Light series and is part of a larger endeavor of empowering youth to find and embrace their inner gifts and truths through a metaphysical adventure with six shapeshifting teens who are tasked to repair the broken lines of light in Earth. There is a companion website, warriorsoflight.club, and a monthly newsletter that allows kids and teens to deepen their exploration of self and life, while finding a safe and open community to be their authentic selves. I am starting to take it out into the word through workshops and events and hope to add some interactive games to the website in the future.

Thank you for being my guest. It was such a pleasure to have you here!!


Alethea Bio:

Alethea Kehas is the author of A Girl Named Truth and The Labyrinth. She has an MFA in creative writing from Goddard College and is the owner of Inner Truth Healing & Yoga. Once a year she follows her heart to the ancient lands of Albion and listens to the stories of the stones.


Connect with Alethea:

Author website: https://aletheakehas.com/
Warriors of Light Club website: https://warriorsoflight.club/
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AletheaKehasAuthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warriorsoflightclub/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/Aletheakehas/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@AletheaKehas
Blog: https://nottomatoes.wordpress.com/


Alethea’s Books:

The Labyrinth: https://www.amazon.com/Labyrinth-Warriors-Light-Alethea-Kehas/dp/0692123571/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1532298501&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Labyrinth+by+Alethea+Kehas

 

 

 

A Girl Named Truth: https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Named-Truth-Alethea-Kehas/dp/0692921575/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505436573&sr=8-1&keywords=a+girl+named+truth

When Someone Has Already Written Your Book

Evie Gaughan writes about story ideas and that they might already have been written. Thank you for your very interesting and informative post, Evie!

Evie Gaughan

book_of_rose_flower_pink_soft_nature_hd-wallpaper-1562660‘There is no such thing as a new idea’, Mark Twain once wrote. Which is bad news for anyone trying to be original! But as he goes on to say, we can create new and endless numbers of new combinations. Still, what if you find that you keep coming up with ideas that have already been done? I’m reading a charming little book at the moment, ‘How To Fall In Love With A Man Who Lives In A Bush’, (quite easily, it seems, apparently Austrian men aren’t up to much) where the protagonist dreams of becoming an author. The only problem is that every story she comes up with has already been written …. by Charlotte Bronte or Stephen King!

It’s something of an occupational hazard for storytellers – even when it comes to choosing a title for your book. A quick search on Google will reveal that your…

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Author Spotlight Ari Meghlen

Welcome!

1. When did you start writing?

Firstly, thank you so much for having me on your blog.

I’ve been writing since I was given unsupervised access to pens. 🙂 I believe it was around the age of 8 years old. I loved making up stories and a teacher gave us an assignment to describe a friendly monster under the bed. I wrote not only a description but a story about him. And I haven’t stopped writing since 🙂

2. What motivates you to write?

I don’t really need motivation to write. It’s just what I was born to do. I am forever caught by scenes, character or plots that just fill my head until I need to get them down. It’s like writing relieves pressure in my mind and gives space to all the new ideas slipping in.

3. What genre do you write in and what made you chose this particular genre?

I write Preternatural Urban Fantasy, more traditional Fantasy though I’ve also written sci-fi and some crime as well as Police Procedural stories. I have always been drawn to fantasy and sci-fi. It’s what I love to read and watch as movies. But I never like being tied to just one genre. Mainly because the ideas I get stretch over multiple genres.

4. What is your goal in writing? Do you have dreams where your writing should take you?

My dream is to write full-time. I don’t care for great success or wealth (the latter would be nice if it happened). I just want to do what I love full-time.

I would love to see my work published, but I have no interest in rushing that just to see something I wrote in print. I have a specific level I want to get my writing to before I publish.

I want someone to read my stories and escape within my worlds, to connect with my characters and the ultimate… would be for someone to love my characters the way I love my favourite author’s characters.

5. Do you ever suffer from writer’s block and if yes, how do you deal with it?

I call it Creative Constipation and yes, I’ve suffered badly. I will often take a step back from writing as it can come on due to burn-out. I will watch movies in the same genre I am currently writing and when I’m ready to go back, I will do writing exercises.

This usually involves trawling the internet for random photos or pictures and then writing about them. It can be something as simple as just literally writing out exactly what I see in the photo, to describing a mood, coming up with what happens next etc. I think of it like greasing the wheels in my head.

6. What advice would you like to give new, hopeful authors?

Advice? Let’s see:

1 – Never refer to yourself as “aspiring”. If you write, you’re a writer. Own it.

2 – Writing is hard but that’s okay. It’s awesome and worth it, but don’t think it’s a cake-walk because it’s not.

3 – Never stop writing – there will be a lot of people who want to tear you down. This can even include friends and family. If you want to write, then let nothing stop you.

4 – Work at it. Writing gets better with practice. Don’t just write something fast and publish. There is already too much rough, unedited, barely-polished stuff out there. Take pride in your work and make it the best it can be. Better that it takes time and be great, than you rush and it be lacking.

5 – Learn to take criticism. It’s hard and we all hate it. But suck it up, Buttercup it’s part of the process. Learn to distinguish between good, solid critiquing and random, unhelpful criticism. Don’t lash out when someone offers feedback. Take a breath, step back and see what they say. They might just help your story grow. And remember, in the end, you’re the writer – you don’t have to use the feedback if you really don’t want to.

6 – Lastly, understand that if you want to be a writer and sell your work, that there is a business side to it. So, start early and learn about things like networking, marketing, branding etc. The more you learn the better position you will be in.

7. Please, tell us about your work.

My Preternatural Urban Fantasy is in it’s 2nd draft and with my Alpha Reader at the moment.

I am currently working on a new, more traditional fantasy set in a world called Ly’rium. The first book focuses mostly on Thea, one of the long-living Imorie. Having been kept hidden in her family estate for years, she is finally reaching the age where she can take control of her own life.

However, that freedom is suddenly snatched away when she marked as a Potential. Now Thea is forced to fulfil a gruelling, mentally and physically-challenging trial to test her inner power. If she passes, she will become one of the Blessed. If not, her mind will broken in the maelstrom leaving her a shell of herself.

Thank you for being my guest. It was such a pleasure to have you here!!


Connect with Ari:

Website – https://arimeghlen.co.uk/
Facebook Author Page – https://www.facebook.com/writerarimeghlen/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/AriMeghlen
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/ari_meghlen/

7 Tips for Naming Your Characters

J Young-Ju Harris has published an interesting blog post about how to name your characters. I think this comes in handy at times. Thank you for this article!

J. Young-Ju Harris

namingtipsheader

Naming characters is an important part of character creation. It determines how your characters will be known moving forward. Some people find this aspect of the character creation phase to be very easy or mostly intuitive. For those of you who don’t, here are some of my suggestions on how to go about coming up with names for your story’s cast.

1.) Differentiate Your Names

My cardinal rule for naming characters is making sure that none of the names look similar on the page. Having characters with names that appear similar can either cause the reader to slow down to make sure they know who is taking action, or, worse, it can cause the reader to become confused and lose the thread of what’s going on.

I actually think that J.R.R. Tolkien made this mistake when he named his villains Sauron and Saruman. If you’re reading quickly, the two names…

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