The monster is coming. You hear its shuffles down the hall. The door won’t budge. No way out! We’re all familiar with this trope. Seen it a hundred times in movies, books, TV. On some level we know what will happen. Yet somehow, whenever this moment arrives, it sends a…
How Obscure Mythologies Can Become Powerful Story Characters I can’t claim expertise in urban fantasy yet – only written one book in it (so far!). So, when working out the storyline for “The Stiamaq Emerald,” I had to figure out a good solid plotline without too much complexity. First major…
I did plan for some character histories from “The Stiamaq Emerald.” As this is the first, I figured I’d start with a reader favorite! A number of you love Meilianna. It’s not hard to guess why. Even my beta readers thought she was a blast. I don’t often write such…
Where Did “The Warrior” Come From? Nobody needs help picturing this archetype. It’s one of the biggest the world over. At some point in every great story, characters must fight. Whenever they pick up a weapon, prepare a spell, or steel the mind, the Warrior is there. To fight is…
Years ago I learned the surprising history behind a certain English word. (It’s in the list below…can you guess?) The curious story of its evolution stuck with me. Almost without looking I came across more such words, each with strange origins. Since you too enjoy a bit of the curious,…
It could finally enter. It had invaded the boy’s dreams for weeks now. On and off, small touches, whispers and promises slipped into his growing mind. The entity could make the pain in his legs stop. It could bring Daddy back home. It could give them all the money they’d…
Hello, my name’s Chris Dirkins, with the Extra-Normal Podcast. We’re here with Roy, a genuine ghost, who’s agreed to talk to us about…Roy? You there? Yep, right here. Er, where? Oh right, you can’t see me. Here. Oh, I see, you’re on the chair. I just heard the thump. There…
Writing of the newest novel proceeds apace. I’m still in the first third of the book, but it’s making good headway. I want to reach 30,000 words – a little less than half the book – by June 1. That way I’m on track to finish, edit, get a cover,…
The infamous writing prompt. Meant to provide a creative ‘floor’ from which the writer may spring forward! (Little DST humor there.) Thing is, I find writing prompts amusing, but not helpful in their intended purpose. I don’t use them to start writing. Instead, I sometimes use them to plug in…
Writers sometimes struggle with sayings. By ‘sayings’ I refer to proverbs, quotes, pithy comments, and the like. Do we use them in a story? Not use them? Use a bastardized or hilariously-twisted version of them instead? In some cases a good saying can draw the reader in. Other times, a…
