novel writing – A Mad Pursuit

January 3, 2018

fantasy, fantasy writing, fiction, novel writing, publication, writing

2017 Publications!

2017 was a pretty big year around these parts. I saw the publication of two novellas and two short stories — all of which I hold quite dear. First, there came Wothwood, a heroic fantasy novella (yes, you read that right… it’s short and it’s fantasy) about the “wood where the world is broken.” While there’s... / READ MORE /

December 27, 2014

editing, publication, writing

novel distance, novel editing, novel writing, queen of none, stephen king, writing advice

On Achieving Writing Distance

Ever since I read Stephen King’s On Writing twelve years ago, I’ve been acutely aware of my biggest fault as a writer: my inability to achieve distance from my own writing. King talks about finishing a manuscript and then putting it away for a few weeks, letting it mellow a bit, in order to return to... / READ MORE /

June 29, 2010

fantasy, indigo and ink, weird, WIP, writing

indigo and ink, novel writing, process, WIP, work in progress, writing

It’s not fun until someone loses an eye.

I grossed myself out today during writing. I don’t know if it’s because the AC is broken and it’s 90 degrees up here and the humidity is through the roof, but I apparently needed to outdo myself in fiction. It was one of those weird moments where I’d planned for the scene to go one... / READ MORE /

June 13, 2010

fantasy, indigo and ink, publication, WIP, writing

birthday, indigo and ink, novel writing, process, work in progress, writing

Birthday goals, and halfway there.

No, this has nothing to do with football. (Or, soccer.) Just a quick one before the D&D game starts. My birthday is tomorrow, and I wanted to play D&D with our amazing group. However, I also wanted to achieve a personal birthday goal; I wanted to hit 55,000 in the WIP which marks the exact... / READ MORE /

June 29, 2009

fantasy, peter of windbourne, WIP, writing

fantasy, fantasy novel, fantasy writing, lord of the rings, magic, novel writing, peter of windbourne, WIP, writing

The self-conscious fantasy epic.

This morning I read a piece in the Guardian called When the Lord of the Rings doesn’t cut it: Confessions of a fantasy junkie, and found it rather amusing. In particular this bit (which makes us all sound a bit like Gollum, I think): I understand the pain of the addict. At the turn of... / READ MORE /

June 15, 2009

aldersgate cycle, fantasy, peter of windbourne, queen of none, WIP, writing

fantasy writing, novel writing, update, WIP, working through writing problems, writing, writing problems, writing process, writing progress, writing rants

Glut, glut, glut.

I am trying to be candid here. I have too many words. Not counting finished drafts, I have somewhere around 230K of unfinished business. This is either work in process (currently I am writing two separate books) or words that need to be edited. This morning I thought I’d total it up, for reasons of... / READ MORE /

May 29, 2009

fantasy, publication, writing

fantasy writing, natania barron, new media, novel writing, on writing, publication, twitter, writers, writing, writing advice, writing tips

What future Natania told past Natania.

No, I can’t really go back in time (if I could, you’d be reading this on a telegraph!). But if I could, there’s a few things I’d tell myself about writing, publication, and and the business of print. Never underestimate the kindness and generosity of other writers. Most of the progress I’ve made this last... / READ MORE /

May 15, 2009

blog, publication, writing

novel, novel writing, publication, rejection, writing, writing process

Novelfail: Facing rejection with grace (or learning to)

I’ve had short stories rejected before, and I like to think I’m pretty good at dealing with it. At least, it’s enough to piss me off a while, but not enough to throw me into the pit and give up writing. The story selection process is extremely subjective, and I can deal with that. I... / READ MORE /

April 28, 2009

writing

fail, giving up, giving up on writing, novel writing, writing, writing advice, writing process

A note on giving up.

It’s okay. Really it is. Set it aside, take a walk. Go somewhere new; get a cup of coffee. Do some yoga, or scream a little. Writing can be such a pain in the ass, you deserve to take give up for a little while. Or a month. Or a year. Or a few years.... / READ MORE /

April 21, 2009

WIP, writing

fantasy novel, fantasy writing, first novel, novel writing, peter of windbourne, writer, writers, writing, writing problems, writing process

Dreams and revelations.

I have written lots of stuff over the years, but my problem is always finalization, finishing. The first finished novel I ever wrote is a prequel, of sorts, to The Aldersgate, occurring in the same world but some 400 years before. It’s called Peter of Windbourne, and it has been sitting in stasis for… oh,... / READ MORE /