Not a very well-kept secret, but The Agartes Epilogues was supposed to be a JRPG that I co-wrote with my husband (then boyfriend) way back when I was just 16 years old. Some of my readers have since commented on the JRPG feel of the series–big tentacled monsters, angst, fantastic hairstyles (actually, not really–I’ve toned it …
Read more “The World of the Agartes Epilogues: Worldbuilding”
Epic fantasy formulas are usually thus: An ordinary young person, (usually a boy, but also sometimes a girl), discovers something unique about him or herself: a hidden talent or a prophesy, or maybe they can swallow swords while juggling cats, I don’t know. And it turns out that this secret is what saves the world. …
Read more “The Character-Driven Epic: The Hero’s Journey and the Drive to Succeed”
I‘m releasing a few short stories on The Agartes Epilogues on Wattpad. This is a work in progress, so expect more over the coming weeks. Some of these, notably Jagged Slate on Blue and The Griffon’s Requiem, are pretty old. I’ve updated them to fit the current lore (yes, I heard myself, and yes, I’m …
When I say writer, I, of course, mean creative writer, the kind who works with fiction and has tea-parties with make-believe personalities. The cliff is typically the point where you no longer have to make the decision between burger-flipper and writer. Yes, you may earn slightly less as a writer in the long run, but at least …
Read more “Being a Writer Is Like Being Told To Climb a Cliff With A Spoon”
A quick thought, as I progress through my day: how do you keep your sanity when your writing starts to hit too close to home? The Agartes Epilogues is often funny, sprinkled with a lot of my characteristic black humour, but it is also deathly serious–perhaps one of my most serious novels. The themes run deep. Poverty. …
