Oak Among Basalt - Photo by D. Fritz Pliny the Elder (who lived in Gaul, 1st century CE) was the first to write about the Druids use of oak trees in their religious ceremonies. Later, Christian churches were built in oak groves (most likely because some of those locations were pagan sites of worship). Oak …
I've been thinking a lot about gratitude lately. As a writer, I'm grateful I have a flexible schedule, a comfortable place to sit and create and decent computer equipment. That wasn't always true. Being grateful was something I resisted or struggled to feel. Remember (especially if you're a boomer) your parents telling you about the …
Continue reading Gratitude for Breakfast – Start Your Day with a Power Meal of Joy and Abundance
A while back, I worked as a used/rare book buyer for a locally owned bookstore. I was fortunate to apprentice under one of their most experienced buyers. You can probably imagine what a rush it was to have a job that paid me to go through boxes brought in by customers and scour for treasures. …
Continue reading Treasure Hunting in Bookland – Tales from a Used/Rare Book Buyer
Do you remember the first comic book you ever bought? I can picture the creaky metal comic stand in front of the neighborhood market that I passed on my way home from school, still feel the touch of my fingers on the covers, remember the thrill of picking out one to take home. I still …
Continue reading Fantasy Writer Seeks Comic Book Heroes for Action and Adventure
Smashcut. Sounds fun doesn't it? Gonna 'Smashcut' that chapter! Not a screenwriter, so it was new terminology to me; describes an abrupt cut from one scent to another); a neat little tool that I’ve apparently used unknowing in my fiction writing. And something similar: a classic Jump Cut (cut between the exact shot, creating the effect of …
I’m sure you’ve seen them…the questions on Twitter about peoples favorite apocalyptic (or if you prefer, dystopian) novel. It got me to thinking about how and when this bent in fiction got started. I admit, I was a bit surprised. You’ll see some pretty famous names from the beginning: Mary Shelly (not THAT novel, but …
With Halloween behind us, I've been thinking about the fascination we have with monsters. They attract us in all forms, from literature to movies to on-line gaming. I'm not a big fan of horror, but I love a little dark with my fantasy. My current WIP doesn't have any traditional monsters (just some dragons allies) …
Continue reading I’ll Take a Little Monster with my Magic. Please.
How does going to your local brew pub, grabbing some noshes and listening to an author discuss their latest books & writing process sound? Awesome? Yeah, that what I said. Outstanding way to help promote indie authors! I recently visited family & friends in Madison, Wisconsin & attended a monthly Books & Beer event. The …
So what do you think? Hate them or love them? Think its old school? Don’t care? Personally, I’ve never been bothered by prologues. I think they can add dimension and interest at the beginning of a story that might be hard to build in elsewhere. Besides, George R. R. Martin (Game of Thrones) has shown …
So what does a fantasy writer need with a bunch of old cookbooks? In my defense, of course, I have a cookbook project planned. I want to resurrect the old recipes from the basements, attics and secondhand stores of America. No modern, fancy ones with glossy pictures by famous chefs for me, but the ones …
Here's the dilemma...how "dark" you should go with your evil characters. I realized that my "bad" character is certainly dark and wicked...But is she EVIL enough? One thing I've learned over the last two years of crafting and completing a first draft (Cave of Whispers, due out late 2019), is that (mostly) there are no rules. …
Continue reading Evil is as evil does…but is it evil enough?”
It was my first WorldCon. Yes, I was a total noob. Made all the noob mistakes: trying to fit too much into every day, forgetting to eat, drink enough water, staying up way to late, etc. But I wanted to relish every last morsel…and I did. It’s taken me over a week to decompress and …
Continue reading “What I learned @WorldCon76” or “That was crazy amazing!”
A little over three years ago, I decided to fulfill a lifelong dream to write a novel. My current fantasy story idea came from a dream image, so that's how it began. I sat down, asked my characters what the image was about and started writing. They haven't let me down. The story has found …
Continue reading I need a what? Can’t I just write? ::sigh::
J.L. Henker, Author 