Athene’s Blog
Time in the Reign of the North Forest Series
I took two main approaches on how to manage time in the Reign of the North Forest series.
Time in Stories
Time is a fickle thing when it comes to my reading preferences. If I find a book captivating, it doesn’t matter how the story treats time. I've never DNFed (Did Not Finish) a book because of time issues.
Point of View and Tense
Everyone has a preference which Point of View (POV) and tense to read and/or write in.
How I Stay Motivated to Write
Writing is a tough gig. Developing an entirely new, believable world and characters, in a plot that engages the reader is, quite simply, hard.
Book and Chapter Titles
I'm going to start with the easy one first: chapter titles. I love chapter titles, and I love seeing them in the page header. I refer to them while reading, guessing the meanings behind them.
Working on Multiple Projects
I have a lot of ideas rattling around in my brain.
How I Get Over Writer’s Block
My writing pace is fairly slow, but this isn't necessarily due to writer's block.
My Author Internet Searches
There is an ongoing joke in the writing community that the FBI would have a particular interest in the internet search histories of authors. I thought I would share some of the most common or strangest things I research when it comes to writing my stories.
How I Create Depth in My Smaller Supporting Characters
I've noticed a trend in my reading. I crave knowing more about supporting characters in a book. When I don't get this—even with an otherwise great book—I feel a bit cheated.
Why I Included a Prologue in My Novel
I really dislike prologues.
Yes, I read the title of this blog. And yes, I like my prologue—only because it serves a specific function for my novel. I’ll explain.
How I Create Fictional Names (Non-Character)
I thought I would talk about how I come up with names in my books. I won't be getting into character names because my guess is that is another blog post, but I will talk about naming flora, fauna, technology and the like.
Why I Chose to Write a Political, Science Fiction Series
I wrote a blog post less than a year ago about what motivated me to write the Reign of the North Forest book series, but I touched on this only briefly. I feel it's time for another reflection.
Creating Flora and Fauna
One of the reasons I love writing in the Science Fiction and Fantasy (SFF) genre is the creativity associated with fictional animals. I thought I would share a bit of insight into how I do this.
My Experience with Professional Editing
I've delayed writing about this topic for a couple of reasons. I wanted to wait until after my second book was professionally edited, but also, there are many opinions on editing.
Trigger/Content Warnings
I am very glad I learned about this particular topic in my publishing journey.
How I Rate Books
I didn’t understand the importance of book reviews until I became a published author. Since I've been posting my reviews on social media, I thought I would share some of my considerations when I rate and review books.
Piracy Sucks: My Recent Author Experience
This one is a bit of a downer, folks. Sorry. At the risk of sounding like I am marginalizing a serious issue, this blog's title best captures my feelings on my recent piracy experience.
Reading Insights from an Author
Life makes more sense now—well, at least in terms of my reading experiences. Now that I am a published author, I've made a few insights into my reading habits.
Creating My Novel’s Characters
It's interesting being a part of the publishing world now and getting a peek into author life. Every writer is different in terms of their style, process, and strengths and weaknesses.
“I’ve Got Paper Everywhere!”
This month's blog is about something I had only put general thought toward as I was going through the publishing process, but it's practical tip.