Woman at Work, Part 21

What’s Happening? We’re all in that “how did it get to be December?” phase around here. But, we have a lovely light snow falling outside, just in time to get our holiday tree today. That should be fun.

What I’m Working On. Getting the ball rolling with the Minstrels of Skaythe finale, The Tale of the Drakanox. As per usual, I started it off in the middle of some action, and immediately discovered that I need to back up or the action won’t make sense. I’ll find my way in soon enough.

What’s Next? I’m working on a post for a blog visit right now. That’s something to look forward to. I also have a few end-of-year chores to work in, like adding up my expenses vs. income. Big thrill, right?

Fun and Games. I’m about 2/3 through with Dragon Age: Inquisition, looking to stretch it out until Christmas because there’s such a likelihood that I will get a new video game then. In addition, Animal Crossing has just updated with a batch of new content that I’m happily exploring.

I wish you all peaceful holidays — and time for some writing, too!

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Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my web site, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.

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The Chopped Ending

This is something I’ve been running into a couple of times lately when reading short stories. You get to the end and it just… chops off. Literally, at the bottom of a page, there is no story left. Turn the page, and the next story begins. It left me irritated and confused. Where’s the rest of it??

This happened three or four times in an anthology I’m currently reading. The first instance, I wondered if it was a glitch of some kind. Maybe they rushed through the proofing process and didn’t realize pages had been dropped.

But it kept happening, so that makes me wonder if it’s some sort of writing fad. To just chop the ending off and, I don’t know, make the reader puzzle out what might happen next? And then they’ll think you’re all edgy and stylish? If so, that doesn’t work for me.

Has anyone else noticed this?

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Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my web site, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.

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The Day Before

It’s the day before Thanksgiving, here in the USA. (Other countries celebrate on different days, to be sure.) So there’s a lot of bustle with travel plans for many of us, and cooking ahead of time for those who are hosting. I’m fortunate enough to have the day off, and even now, there’s an apple pie calling for me to make it.

I’m hearing the first few reviews for Prisoners of the Wailing Tower, and they make me happy. Okay, just hearing that someone I don’t personally know has read one of my e-books is enough to make me happy! But, having kind reviews is always a boost. They are inspiring me as I gain speed with The Way of the Drakanox, my next Minstrels of Skaythe novella.

Holidays can be intense and fraught, so I just send you my wishes for a pleasant day (whether or not it’s Thanksgiving Day for you).

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Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my web site, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.

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Updated Site

In addition to getting Prisoners of the Wailing Tower ready for publication, I’ve given my web site a full revamp. It’s something I do every couple of years, just to keep my public persona fresh.

So if you’re interested, wander on by and take a look! It’s always a work in progress, which means there’s the possibility of broken links, missing images, and so on. If you do find such a thing, I’d love to hear about it so I can make repairs.

Thank for your help!

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Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my web site, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.

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Woman at Work, Part 20

What’s Happening? I have the very mundane task of signing up for medical and dental insurance. Yes, it is as thrilling as it sounds. Especially when I answer security questions exactly as I wrote them down, but the system insists I got them wrong and there doesn’t seem to be an obvious way to get customer support. Computers are wonderful, aren’t they?

What I’m Working On. Production has begun on Prisoners of the Wailing Tower. I can do a lot of the setups while also making final corrections, so I hope to have it up for pre-order soon.

What’s Next? Early work is under way on the next Minstrels of Skaythe novella, where it all gets tied together. Since it’s very early work, there isn’t much more to say there.

Fun and Games. My other games kept crashing, so I’m off on a new playthrough of Dragon Age Inquisition. In Animal Crossing, I decorated my village for Hallowe’en and went trick-or-treating. A good time was had by all.

That’s it, just a quiet month around here. How about all of you?

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Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my web site, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.

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The Process, Part 2

Last time, I shared a cold write from a group at my school. Today I’ll show you the true first draft, as I begin to expand and develop the themes. Here it is.

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The Lonely Dragon, by Lucy D. Ford

A very long time ago, there was a dragon who lived near the top of a high mountain. Her silver scales barely shimmered, her lush mane was ragged, and her sharp horns had become blunt. Yes, the dragon was very old. She was also very lonely.

Sometimes people from the valley below would creep into her lair, hoping to steal from her hoard. The dragon didn’t really mind. As she grew older, she had also grown wise. When she heard the sly slip of footsteps, she would set a trap for them.

Once the thieves were caught, they would tremble and cry. They thought the dragon was going to punish them. But all she did was bring them tea and ask about the goings-on in those valleys down below. Sometimes the people told her their problems and she would give them good advice. When the tea pot was empty, the dragon would let them go back to their homes.

After a while, people stopped sneaking up the mountain to steal from the dragon. They just came to talk to her. She told them tales from long ago, and if they told her their problems, she still gave them good advice. Even mighty kings and wizards might come to seek the dragon’s wisdom.

The dragon was still very old, but she was no longer very lonely.

There’s still work to do here, but I like the way it’s coming together.

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Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my web site, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.

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Lo, Another Snippet!

A snippet from Prisoners of the Wailing Tower.

One fun snippet was not enough, so here’s another little taste from Prisoners of the Wailing Tower.

What do you think?

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Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my web site, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.

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Next Novella

I’ve started work on the next Minstrels of Skaythe novella, which is tentatively called The Fall of Dar-Gothull. Honestly, I’m not sure about that title. It might give away too much. “Gosh, what do you think will happen by the end?”

Anyway, there isn’t much to report as yet. It’s mostly exploratory work right now.

The whole premise of Minstrels of Skaythe is that this group of renegades (so called because they reject the cruelty of Dar-Gothull’s oppressive regine) had to split up and each one used their own strategy to find safety as they could. To get going on the finale, I have to figure out where these characters were at the end of their novellas, who their allies were, and then basically claw back what they thought they had achieved.

Fun!

The other thing I need to get a handle on is who the viewpoint characters should be. After five novellas, there are a LOT of characters. It would be great if all of them could return, and we see what they’ve been up to in the several months since their last part of the story. Repeat appearances are one of the great things about a series.

At the same time, I don’t want to repeat exactly the same POVs. Those who told the story before have had their arcs and their growth. The readers already know them (I hope?). With this volume, the telling needs to continue through new eyes. These characters may previously have appeared, but they have their own growing to do.

For this while, maybe until the end of 2021, I’m going to be hopping around and exploring all the avenues. I’ll probably also do a total re-read, as well, to avoid inadvertently skipping important details. Ultimately, I’ll keep what I can use, store the rest (I never dump work if I might need it later) and start my somewhat vague process of plotting and writing the actual next novella.

Onward!

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Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my web site, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.

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Bad Moon Rising 2021

It’s my day on Bad Moon Rising, where I’m talking about my second Minstrels of Skaythe novella, Dancer in the Grove of Ghosts. I hope you’ll wander by and check us out. Here’s the link!

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Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my web site, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.

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The Fun Begins, Part 2

As previously mentioned, I’ve been working on the cover copy for Prisoners of the Wailing Tower. I thought I would share what I’ve come up with.

Alemin only wanted to help an innocent. Instead, he was caught by the dreaded hunter-guards. Now he finds himself flung into the Larder, where the very walls are steeped in nightmares and his fellow inmates are dangerous killer. Worse, the warden has far too many questions about Alemin’s friends, the Minstrels, and their subversive lifestyle.

On the outside, the renegade mage Lorrah receives a vision of her friend’s capture. She’s desperate to save Alemin, but the Larder is a prison for the most vicious criminal mages in all of Skaythe. They say if you aren’t mad when you get there, you soon will be.

Luckily, Lorrah is not alone. She has help from the fierce women warriors of Badger Squad. Yet even their combined forces might not be enough to get Alemin free from Dar-Gothull’s Larder!

Well, what do you think? I’d love to hear about any strengths or weaknesses you spot.

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Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my web site, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.

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