I just want to talk a bit about how this book came to light. It started out as a short story in 2003 (during my 11th grade in high school) which was called The Black Dog. My English teacher at the time had asked us to submit “anything”…short story, poem, whatever…for marks. So I cobbled …
Like with most writers, I started out writing from the point of view of semi-Mary Sues–characters who were essentially somewhat blank, passive, and no more than tools that the reader can use to project themselves into the world. I think I’ve always known not to create outright Mary Sues, so I ended up with a …
Writing, by its very nature, requires a sort of delusion…one that convinces you that you have something to offer to the world. The levels of delusion vary, but I think it’s safe to say that writing is an ego-driven activity. There are many writers whose egos can rival a gun nut’s. I met a lot …
Not that anyone’s counting (well–except me), but I have now, to date, “finished” over eight manuscripts (of mostly crap). That is–eight full-length novels, numbering at least 50,000 words each. Most are closer to or over 100,000 words. Note that I am also not counting manuscripts I haven’t officially ‘ended’–I have a few more of those …
I finished Aina’s Breath, the sequel to Jaeth’s Eye, this weekend. Finished it, despite a full-time job, kids, personal stress, and other things. I’m not sure how. I think I’ve acquired a permanent tic in my eye, and my fingers have been shaking more than usual, and I’ve significantly forgotten what it was like to …
