Cozy-adjacent fantasy author
Here’s another bit I cut out of a very early draft of Talio’s Codex. Originally I deleted this scene for length, and then I decided it was better left out. First mention of ‘personal grease’ (lubricant). Cale’s original name was ‘Ched.’ This scene was intended to be a compare-and-contrast between Cale and Pazli: while sex…
Here’s a bit I inserted into a late draft of Talio’s Codex, but decided to remove. After their eventful evening in Aurania on the committee junket, Talio decides to seek spiritual counsel at the local Incarnite Temple. This played up the theme of religious difference and Talio’s lack of belief, and finally showed at least…
For those who are unfamiliar with him, the Marty Stu (or the female version, the Mary Sue) is an unwelcome character trope in fiction. He’s flawless, fearless, is beloved by all the other characters, and has the answer to every problem. Readers can’t stand him, for good reason. When you’re writing a main character who…
I got halfway through the first draft of The Library at Eventide last summer and gave up. It was too much of a downer. One of the main character’s parents passed away. The world was post-apocalyptic. The other main character was struggling with a chronic illness. There was a heavy, unpleasant feeling of sadness and…
Reusing material you’ve already written is a huge help during revisions. Don’t get rid of anything permanently! Whenever I delete a scene, or even a part of a scene, I tuck it away in a OneNote notebook in case I’ll need it later. In the case of Talio’s Codex, there was an entire pages-long scene…
Yesterday, I got an email from my publisher (Space Wizard Science Fantasy) that they were good with the developmental revisions for Talio’s Codex. After two years of writing, I feel like it’s finally finished (but not yet published – that’s coming in July). Exciting times. I’m going to go back over some early notes and…