On Prose

I am not a very eloquent writer, and when it comes to the process, there’s a lot I struggle to explain. I’ve been doing this for so long that a lot of it comes down to instinct–I write something because I know what I’m trying to express, or maybe I’m don’t but I’m reaching for …

Back to the Saddle We Go

It’s 1 am and I’m out of metaphors. Seriously, though, whose brilliant idea was it to write a half-million word epic fantasy trilogy, complex plot and all, and somehow tighten it around a character-driven, thematically heavy narrative? Oh. Right. I thought The Agartes Epilogues was pretty challenging. That one was a plot-heavy story that then throws it …

When They Tell You Your Story Is Irrelevant

It usually happens this way: someone nonchalantly asks for suggestions for women authors/women main characters/diverse main characters/LGBT authors/etc. etc. Someone, always, somewhere, will say, “I don’t care what the author’s race/religion/colour/sexual orientation/favourite dog/favourite ice cream/favourite sexual position is, all that matters is a good story.” I generally avoid getting into discussions like these, simply because oftentimes, …

Hello, 2018!

Earlier this week, my husband asked me what our plans were for 2018. It was a serious question, not a casual one. It had been a tough few years, with life looking like we’d been walking on a tight wire fifty feet off the ground. I can’t even pinpoint the exact moment when it all …