At the end of February, I will have been writing Mirror of Sparrows for two years! Somedays I get discouraged at the pace I'm going, but then again, I'm super excited about something else: time, study and effort have completely transformed my approach to writing, and I no longer write, read books or watch movies the way … Continue reading Transformed perspective
Mirror of Sparrows
What if this doesn’t work out?
This morning, rather than diving into my regular writing routine, I did nothing. Actually, that's not entirely true...I allowed my brain to become paralyzed with fear. What if writing this book doesn't work out? Here is the mental list that has been running through me brain and then my responses to myself (that's sort of weird, … Continue reading What if this doesn’t work out?
Why I love to write!
There are many reasons why I love to write, but three of the main ones are: it's amazing to create something out of nothing, you can write and re-write as many drafts as you want, for as long as you want, and, it's really fun to put your characters through crazy adventures! Thank you for … Continue reading Why I love to write!
Scene structure
Mirror of Sparrows update, with a focus on journals (thank you Erin and Ben), my amazing freelance editor, Ellen Brock, and my attempts at scene structure. Wishing you a very happy new year! Thank you for watching!
Pomodoro
I write everyday (well, almost everyday). But, with the busyness of parenting, teaching and my ensuing lack of energy, on some days it can be challenging to write. Now, add random commitments, household tasks, insecurity and writer's block to the mix. It's a wonder I ever get any writing done. Pomodoro has helped me a ton. Not … Continue reading Pomodoro
Journals
These journals are my friends on the writing journey. I pour my devotions, inspirations, heart breaks, outlines, character descriptions, lessons learned, you name it, in them. The first one, the blue one with white flowers, I stole from one of my daughters (I think it was originally from my mom), and is the one I … Continue reading Journals
Writing Christian Fiction
People think I'm pretty laid back, but that's only most of the time. Occasionally, I have high standards, and either the ordinary becomes extraordinary, or I become super irritating and somewhat irrational. The former is when I apply my high standards to myself. The later is when I try to apply my high standards to others (usually … Continue reading Writing Christian Fiction
Video 3, Mirror of Sparrows, setting
This is a little video about my thoughts on the setting in Mirror of Sparrows. The land of Correnstrait started out as mere backdrop, but it has taken on its own significance. In fact, the "personalities" of Northern and Southern Correnstrait give cool opportunities for the characters to come alive and develop.
Video #2, Mirror of Sparrows
Some days, you wake up and nothing seems to get done...and after I made this video I realized I filmed it the wrong way...oh well! it was for lack of caffein : )
Learning about myself
It's amazing how writing can teach us about ourselves. In an earlier draft of the novel, my protagonist pursued all the wrong people, and my editor called me on it. Why would anyone want to read about someone so naive, illogical and misguided? That was a major eye opener, not just for the story. I … Continue reading Learning about myself
Vanessa Fowler 