Motifs I Like and Want To Use #1 - The Magic Mirror

Welcome everyone!

Today I want to talk start a series of posts about Motifs I've enjoyed from the literature I've read and how I might use them in my own writing should the occasion allow. I'm going to start with just one.

#1: The Magic Mirror

Thinking of mirrors as portals are as old as mirrors themselves. There's something mystical about their very nature. They reflect reality, but aren't reality - I mean, other than the fact they they are made of glass and silver.

The fact that fairy tales like Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, or Alice in Wonderland use magic mirrors so effectively shows how deep in the psyche the association with magic this common object has.

Personally, I love that. I also love the idea of putting two mirrors facing each other and creating a tunnel that goes to infinity. What adventures could await someone down those dark paths? Alternate settings? Time Travel?

I won't force the use of a magic mirror in my stories. It'll have to arise naturally. I think the plot would have to call for a portal of some kind in order to justify the use of a mirror in that way. However, as I outline out the rest of my Hunter's Rose series, I'll be looking for ways to do this.

It's fun, IMHO, to include ancient and resonate motifs in my stories. I think that makes them more relatable to my readers. I'll expand on that observation more when I write about The Rose.

Anyway, take care of each other out there. :)

Peace,

-Troy

A Podcast I Really Enjoy

Welcome everyone!

One of the things I feel I have to do as a writer is keep educating myself about the art of writing. There are a lot of resources out there, and I think I'll try to highlight the ones I use most in the coming months.

One that I really enjoy is a podcast series called Writing Excuses. Their episodes come out each week and are highly focused on a single topic. They also keep their episodes short, which is appreciated since I (and no doubt others) are very busy.

They have a list of their essential episodes. I'll post that HERE. I think any writer would be well served by listening to what these authors have to say.

Anyway, moving on to a personal update, I was able to meet all my goals for the weekend. It was such a busy weekend. I don't like weekends like that. I really need my downtime. The wedding was wonderful, though. I loved seeing the happiness of the bride and groom. Naturally, it made me appreciate my marriage all the more.

So this coming week, I hope to get more writing done. With the NBA playoffs here, it's not easy to focus (Round 2 of the playoffs has four fantastic match-ups). But still, time to sally forth and slay evil!

Peace,

-Troy

Weekend Nature Post #7 - Quest for the Giants Part 3

Welcome everyone!

When we last met, I was tracking down the legendary giants of Bernheim Forest. I discovered a swamp where they are said to lurk and one of their footprints nearby. This week, as I followed the clues, I knew I must be getting close. The Eye of Sauron was looking down on me, and where there is a great eye floating in the air, evil minions such as giants must be nearby!

Peace,

-Troy

Goals for the Weekend 2019-26-04

Welcome everyone!

This week I am CRAZY busy. I have to attend a wedding AND a wedding shower! Also, there are a couple local activities I'll be involved with Friday evening and Sunday afternoon. Man, I hate it when life gets this busy.

However, I'm still going to try to get some work done. So here are my goals:

-Continue my consecutive days of writing
-Renew my marketing projects which were terrifically successful this week

Peace,

-Troy

What Does Mersha's Weapon Look Like?

Welcome everyone,

A while back I did a post on Tristan's weapon. Today, I was sent a question asking what makes Mersha's a "flanged mace" rather than a "regular" mace.

First, I am absolutely NO expert in medieval and renaissance weaponry. I have a rudimentary understanding, and that's all. So whatever you do, don't take my word as gospel. Investigate it for yourself.

With that out of the way, let me explain maces as best I can. There are many different types from the very basic stone-on-a-stick to super ornate flanged maces. First, here's a spiked mace:

The spikes are meant to help it puncture armor, particularly plate armor. The small metal globe in the center helps to give the spikes some added force as they try to pierce metal. Next is a more basic mace, that has no spikes or flanges at all:

This type of mace would be most useful for attacking an enemy in chain mail armor. Chain mail is great for stopping slashing weapons like a sword or axe and isn't bad at stopping arrows with a broad head either. However, it is no defense whatsoever against a heavy round ball like this. Your ribs are going crack no matter what if you get his with this wearing just chain mail.

Finally, this is how I envision Mersha's mace:

It combines the heavy hitting power AND the puncturing power of the first two into one design. I can't say if a flanged mace like this is the best design for a mace, but it's the one I felt was most appropriate for her.

Anyway, I hope this helps you imagine the story a bit better. Take care of each other out there :)

Peace,

-Troy

Pushing Through A Tough Scene

Welcome everyone!

I'm on 16 consecutive days of writing new content! Woohoo! However, not all is good news. I'm struggling at the moment with a scene I shouldn't be.

Without giving any spoilers, I'm writing a part where the characters are facing a series of diverse challenges to get to a remote location. This should be a lot of fun to write since it involves so many different angles of adversity.

But it's not. When I read my notes, the whole thing looks hokey to me. It doesn't feel "real" enough. It's not as if there aren't lasting consequences for the challenges. There most certainly are. Permanent ones, and usually that's enough to interest me.

Right now, though, it isn't. So what does one do? Keep writing is the answer. Even when you look at what you're writing and think it's garbage, you keep going. Even if you think you'll rewrite everything, keep going. Giving up the worst option, so I'm not going to take it.

I'll finish this scene soon, then I'll come back and make it good once the book is finished. Sometimes, the words come effortlessly. Sometimes you have to strive for them. This is one of those cases where I'll have to strive.

I wish the words were coming easier, but hey, we can't get everything we wish for. Right?

Peace,

-Troy

Moving On with Book 2 Artwork

Welcome everyone!

I've started the process of getting artwork done for Book 2 in my Hunter's Rose series. While the book is not finished yet, I do have a solid idea of what I want illustrated.

I've received a good deal of positive feedback on the roses that are included in the interior of the novella. Therefore, you can expect to see five more in Book 2. None of the roses will be a repeat from Book 1, so new artwork all around.

When it comes to setting illustrations, Book 1 had three: The Lodge, The Mines, and The Six Axemen. For Book 2, I may increase the number of setting arts to five. I'm not sure about that yet, but it's looking good.

It can take up to two weeks for each piece, so that gives you an idea about the timeline I'm looking at. I really want Book 2 to be out next February or March, so it makes perfect sense to me to start working now. I wish I had started sooner on Book 1.

I also want to do a better job of building up to my book launch. The launch for Book 1 went much better than I ever imagined, but I think that was mostly because of the wonderful people who support me. I want to hold up my end better for Book 2.

Anyway, that's just a brief update on where I am. Oh, and I've now worked on my sequel (actually writing, not just revising) for 15 consecutive days. Some days I've gotten 1500 words, and some days I've only done 100. But I've gotten something.

And I'm very glad about that.

Peace,

-Troy

A Busy, Productive Weekend

Welcome everyone!

I hope all of you had a good weekend. I sure did! Last week I got to talk about taking in art, and this weekend I took some time to do just that.

My daughter loves going to the movies to see animated films. I took her to see Pilgrim's Progress on Saturday. It's based on an old story written in the 1600's during a time of extreme religious upheaval in Europe.

I'm a sucker for anything fantasy, and so is she. We had a great time, as I always do with my kid. After that, we went to a pottery shop where you can make your own bowls and vases and whatnot. My daughter made a small vase and a bracelet. The experience ties in nicely with my books.

Finally, I got a lot of writing done. It was at least another 1500 words. Maybe more. I forgot to keep count. I did, in fact, get my marketing problems fixed, and I can already see improvement in sales. Amazing.

Anyway, these next few weekends are going to be insane for me. I've got a wedding coming up for a family member, tons of stuff from work to catch up on, and more writing and revising to do. Wish me luck, 'cause I'm gonna need it!

Peace,

-Troy

Goals for the Weekend 2019-04-19

Welcome everyone!

So, what do I have to get done this weekend?

1. I need to fix some of my marketing projects. I screwed them up this past week, and it hurt my sales.

2. I need to continue writing. I'm going to be super busy, but it is my goal to get some writing done each day.

3. I need to contact one of my artists and start getting the illustrations for book two finished. I'm really nervous about this one.

4. Rest my mind. I'm wiped out right, and I need to get some extra sleep.

Peace,

-Troy

The Importance of Taking In Art

Welcome everyone!

Writer's Block happens to everyone. For some it will be fleeting, for others it will linger. I move in and out of it, but lately I've been able to push past it and get my consecutive days streak up to 13.

One of the reasons I've found that I have writer's block is that I'm not taking in enough art. I'll get wrapped up in my job, news, sports, or whatever, and not take time to indulge in the things I love (I do love my job, but it's work, not art).

When I feel like that, I try to watch videos, read books, gaze at illustrations, or something to engage the creative parts of my brain. I find a few hours of doing that really helps break down the dams holding back my writing. 

I also notice my writing is better when I'm taking in art. My imagery is more vivid, my verbs are stronger. It just helps to have art coming in while art is going out.

So if writer's block is something you struggle with, don't fight it. Go enjoy a TV show, movie, painting, book, music, or whatever and let your mind wander aimlessly for a while. It just might help you ;)

Peace,

-Troy

The Trick About Writing A Sequel

Welcome everyone!

Work on my sequel book is coming along well. I have written on it for 12 consecutive days, so now it's becoming a routine.

The hard part at the moment is wanting to focus on writing while the NBA playoffs are on. I'm a huge NBA fan, so I hate to miss any of the games. But priorities. Finishing my book means more to me that watching the games, so I have to make the sacrifice.

Anyway, I've done some research into what people want out of Book 2 in a series. It turns out, they want the same thing only different. While that might seem paradoxical, it makes a certain amount of sense. Readers want the same type of story but with different challenges and different outcomes.

I think the best example of this type of thing was the second book in the Harry Potter series. It's essentially the same story as the first:

• Rotten step-parents set up the status quo
• A strange messenger summons Harry to the school
• People hate on Harry the whole time he's there
• Mysterious attacks happen in the school
• There's a hidden room where Harry confronts He Who Shall Not Be Named in some form

Honestly, if the first book in the Harry Potter series had been named, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" would the title still have made sense for that book? I think so. 

So in Book 2 for my series, the plot will have some similarities to book one. However, the challenges faced by the main character and the outcomes at the end will be vastly different. 

I do feel this is the best route to go. The repetition of a familiar plot line gives the reader what he/she enjoyed in the first book. The change to the obstacles, enemies, and consequences gives the readers something new to tickle their brains. 

I'll be back with more updates as things go along. Everyone take care of each other.

Peace,

-Troy

Reflections on my Weekend Goals

Welcome everyone,

I was able to complete my goals over the weekend. I barely made to 1500 words, but still, I made it. I've got my first request for art for Book 2. Hopefully, I can work that out with the artist. The thing is, though, I'm not even thinking about that now. THIS is currently consuming my attention

This is completely awful. I've had the honor of visiting that cathedral on two occasions, and both times it was a transcendent experience. To be inside something so old and so beautiful was inspiring. I am so sad for Paris right now. Let's hope no one was hurt.

Peace,

-Troy

Weekend Nature Post #6 - Quest for the Giants Part 2

Welcome everyone,

I'm still searching the forest for the fabled giants of Bernheim. I searched the woods for any clues. I knew I was getting close when I discovered one of their footprints:

The search will continue next weekend!

Peace,

-Troy

Goals for the Weekend 2019-04-12

Welcome everyone!

It's Friday!!! I'm thankful, and I bet I'm not alone on that. It looks like I'm actually going to have a lot of time to myself this weekend. I need to do some work around the house. Warm weather has brought a lot of yardwork with it, but I don't mind. I was getting sick of all the cold.

Anyway, what do I want to accomplish this weekend WRT my writing? Well, here we go:

-Compile ideas for illustrations for Book 2
-Revise outline for the series as a whole not that Book 1 is done and Book 2 is approaching completion.
-Write at least 1500 words.

If I can do all that, I will have a great weekend. I hope your weekend is productive and relaxing. I'll see you on Monday.

Peace,

-Troy

1600 Words

Welcome everyone!

I've managed to discipline myself to get at least some writing done each night starting last Friday. It seems holding myself accountable to all of you is real incentive not to be lazy!

I get about 60-90 minutes each night to do my writing, a little bit more on the weekends. Most nights, I'll get anywhere from 500 to 1000 words done. There were nights when I was writing my first book where I maybe only got 100 words written. I struggled, at times, with what words to use or checking to make sure I followed a very rigid plot structure. As time went on, I got faster, especially as I internalized the rules of writing, but there still nights I just didn't feel it.

That part hasn't changed so much now that I'm working on the sequel. There are nights I just can't get any inspiration and my writing is slow. Other nights, I know exactly what I want to do, and I can bang out half a chapter in no time. Last night was one of those nights.

I was winding down my day. The sun had set, and I was just doing some cleaning up around the house. All of a sudden, images of a particular scene started flooding my mind. I saw the characters from my book in vivid color, fighting. It was an intense moment, something that the overall plot of the series had been building towards.

Then the characters started talking. The words were perfect for the moment. All the history and animosity and fear between them came spilling out in my mind. I dropped what I was doing, sat at my computer, and began to write. I didn't move for an hour and twenty minutes. Just tap-tap-tap on the keyboard.

When I finished the scene and looked at the time, I was like, "Wow!" I had lost all sense of reality other than the one I was creating for my book. The scene is rough, I didn't bother with correct grammar or spelling. I'll fix those problems later. I just poured forth what I was seeing onto the page. And I love it. It's perfect.

There is, though, just one problem. It's not for Book 2. Or even for Book 3. It's a moment in Book 4 (as I have it planned for right now) that will be a momentous shift for the whole series. It's shocking and unexpected.

I don't normally write my books out of order. That seems risky since so much could change between now and when those words actually get published. But the words were too good, too strong to lose to forgotteness. I had to put them down. The way my mind works, I never would have remembered them when the time comes.

So, I got over 1600 words typed in 80 minutes depicting something you won't see for years. I know that's quite a tease, but I believe the wait will be worth it. When that chapter finally sees the light of day, it will be a special moment for me, for you, for the characters. I can't wait.

Peace,

-Troy

What Does Tristan's Sword Look Like?

Welcome everyone!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of one of my young readers getting in touch with me and asking a very natural question. He wanted to know what Tristan's sword looks like.

I did my best to describe it in the book. In fact, here's the excerpt from Chapter 3:

The blade was wide and had a single, curved edge and a majestic inscription on both sides. Red leather wrapped the bronze handle. The pommel was in the shape of an intricately sculpted rose, silver in color. 

Later, I also mention that the blade is wide and heavy. That isn't a whole lot to go on, especially if one is not all that familiar with swords. I'm fairly certain that my young reader is not alone in wondering what the main character's weapon looks like, so I though this would be a good time to post a picture of one.

Before I do, however, I need to say something about swords and historical accuracy. There is a lot of disagreement in and among historians and artisans about what these weapons actually looked like for sure. Some survived to the modern era, and some did not. There are contradicting images in paintings and tapestries, so it can be difficult at times to say whether a particular design did or did not exist for sure in a certain historical era.

Also, bear in mind that designs changed subtly over the course of years. The medieval period and early Renaissance span a thousand years, and within that time there was an incredible about of adaptation and innovation. Small communities added their own flair to weapons and armor, so again, it's hard to nail something down as definitive for the whole period.

Finally, my book is fiction. It's not intended to be historically accurate. I try to express weapons and armor and fighting stiles with as much believablility as I can, but it would be very time consuming to establish all of that with exacting historical detail. So I don't bother. For me, story takes precedence over historical correctness, and as long as I don't ruin the suspension of disbelief for the majority of my readers, I will sacrifice a certain amount of verisimilitude in the interests of narrative.

With all those caveats out of the way, this is approximately how I envision Tristan's sword in Book 1:

If you'd like to see how one was possibly used in combat, below is a video of a reenactor using a paramerion and buckler in combat (Tristan uses a much larger shield, but this video is instructive none-the-less):

Hope that is enlightening!

Peace,

-Troy

Goals Met

Welcome everyone!

Friday I set a goal to write on my sequel each day during the weekend. That was an ambitious goal since I have done very little writing the last few months.

The business end of publishing a book turned out to be far more of an all-consuming project than I ever imagined it would be. I never thought about how launching a book in four different formats would require so much coordination and promotion from me!

Working that side of authorship has been fun, but writing is where the true joy is. It's hard to put into words just how engrossing it can be to enter your own imagination, peek into a world you created, and then set down on a computer or notepad what you see. There is no other entertainment quite like it.

Needless to say, I've been missing that in my life. I'm happy to report, that I accomplished my goal and wrote each and every day this past weekend! I finished two chapters, which is around 5,000 words or so.

My hope is that I can continue this momentum the rest of the week. If you want a secret to being a writer, here's one: make writing a consistent habit that you do at the same time and in the same place each day. If you can manage that, you'll have a greater chance at success.

So here's to good habits!

Peace,

-Troy

Weekend Nature Post #5 - Quest for the Giants Part 1

Welcome everyone!

I heard there were giants in a nearby forest, and I was determined to investigate. Necessary research for my writing, you know. I heard rumors that they were located past a swamp, so I traveled to the forest of Bernheim and found the swamp I was looking for. Thankfully, the mosquitos weren't out just yet.

No giants here at the moment, but the quest will continue next weekend.

Peace,

-Troy

Goals for the Weekend 2019-04-19

Welcome everyone!

This weekend I hope to get more writing done. I've heard plenty of writers say that the key to making progress is to make it a habit, and I'm here to affirm their assertion. It has to be a daily exercise. So, with that in mind, I hope to do this:

Friday: Write
Saturday: Write
Sunday: Write

If I can do that, I'll be thrilled!

Peace,

-Troy

On to Book 2!

Welcome everyone!

So I'm banging away on Book 2 now. The main adversary of the protagonist is hinted at in Book 1, so I'll give you a clue to look for if you read it.

About midway through the book, I spend a little extra time having the characters dwell on something that's irrelevant to the main plot. It's subtle and innocuous, but a sharp reader would go, "Why's the author spending time on this thing right now?"

Well, naturally, the reason is to foreshadow events in Book 2. Whenever I've read a book series, I've always found the most enjoyment in realizing that one book hints at events in the next book. For whatever reason, that gives my reader-sense the tingles.

So, obviously, I'll be doing a lot of that in my series. I did my best to cut out anything not essential to the story arc as a whole, so what you see between the covers is all relevant to where the characters are going.

Anyway, I hope these seeds prove as enjoyable for my readers as they were for me. I guess we'll find out one way or the other!

Peace,

-Troy

A Great First Week!

Welcome everyone!

So, last week I launched my debut fantasy novella, The Huntsman and the She-Wolf. It has far exceeded my expectations!

I want to shout out a thank you to my community, friends, and family that have made this possible. Without all the support and encouragement I've gotten, I don't know if I could have accomplished half of what I've done so far. You guys are the best!

Alright, I promised numbers yesterday, so let's get down to numbers. As a self-published author, I am disadvantaged in a lot of ways. I don't have an audience network built up yet, and I don't a whole department dedicated to promoting my book. It's just me.

That said, with the help I've received, I've had an incredibly successful first week. Any new, inexperienced self-publishing author would be proud of these numbers, I would think. I know I am. So here they are:

• 88 paperbacks sold
• 56 hardbacks sold
• 19 eBooks sold
• 209 Kindle Unlimited pages read
• 15 audio books sold on Audible
• 4 Five Star Amazon reviews
• 1 Five Star Audible review
• 1 Five Star GoodReads review
• 7 Books signed in person so far

Normally, authors are really tight-lipped about their sales. I want to publish my number so that anyone who comes after me has something to measure up against. So in total, I've been lucky enough to sell 178 copies so far.

For a nobody like me, that's a fantastic start. That's just seven days worth of sales! Now, I imagine it will slow from here since the initial rush is over. However, the trendlines for April are already looking good. If I can get a few more reviews, I think a solid rate of sales is attainable.

Once again, I just want to say thank you to everyone who's gotten a book, reshared my posts online, and left reviews. You are helping me out SO MUCH, and I am humbly grateful to you. Look at what we've done together!

I'm looking forward to what comes next, including BOOK 2, which I'm currently working on now. Wish me luck! ;)

Peace,

-Troy

I Feel Like I Neglected You Guys!

Welcome everyone!

I didn't have a post Friday and there wasn't a Weekend Nature Pic this week either. I've been on vacation! A very brief one anyway.

My family and I traveled to Audubon Park and spent a day there, then explored other regions of the Ohio River nearby. It was very fun and very relaxing, but it meant I didn't have access to my blog the whole time.

Tomorrow will be a big day. It will mark one week since I launched my book. I'll do a rundown of all the numbers I can manage then.

Anyway, since I cheated you out of a nature pic, here's one of me enjoying myself at Audubon:

Peace,

-Troy