Real-life responsibilities hit me all at once in the last week and have really interfered with my writing. Now, I’m not going to lie, before the events of the past week, I was mostly getting in my own way of finishing the first draft of “Jaed and Aston”. But it feels different when external obligations are pulling you away from something you otherwise should be doing. Continue reading “Writing when Life Gets in the Way”
Tag: narrative
Book Review: LIONHEART, by Sharon Kay Penman

Medieval British History is my wheelhouse. I’m not an expert by any means, but learning about the English royalty is actually what first sparked my academic interest in history during high school. Who was the Black Prince and how did he get such an awesome moniker? How accurate were the popular tales about Richard I’s crusade? I just wanted to learn more, and I did throughout college.
Popular History
One oft-lamented aspect of the field of history by academics is the prevalence of popular history, particularly in film, television, and non/fiction. Popular history tends to take a wide, mass-appeal approach to the telling of history. The argument against these forms of history is that they are often more focused on a gripping narrative than on actual historical accuracy or objectivity. This is undeniable in many such works. Continue reading “Book Review: LIONHEART, by Sharon Kay Penman”
Creativity Sessions: Not Seeing the Trees for the Forest
Looking at that picture, most people would hear the water chiming over stones and logs, or imagine the animals that may be hidden behind that line of trees. I look at this picture and imagine the mountain spring that flows down into this river, or the wide expanse of the forest. Continue reading “Creativity Sessions: Not Seeing the Trees for the Forest”
Creativity Sessions: Inner Monologues and Deductions
I love the concept of the inner monologue in writing, probably because I’m constantly up in my own head with thoughts and ideas that I might not express vocally. In writing, though, I think it has to be used delicately. Continue reading “Creativity Sessions: Inner Monologues and Deductions”
NaNo Update: The End is Nigh!
I can’t believe November is over in 12 hours. It’s been a long month. I think I’ll have some real lessons to take away once I’ve verified my final word count tonight, but I’ll discuss those in a later post.
After five days of travel for Thanksgiving weekend, my word count sits at 46,628. Continue reading “NaNo Update: The End is Nigh!”
NaNo Update: My Fingers are Burning
Fuck. Writing 12 days in a row is hard. Writing for another 18 seems impossible. On day 11 of NaNoWriMo, I had written 18,688 words, slightly over the 18,333-word par. Then I started falling behind for the first time this month. I didn’t like my story, I felt like I was writing boring garbage, and I was not in the mood to continue. I didn’t write at all yesterday. Continue reading “NaNo Update: My Fingers are Burning”
Prepare for Battle: NaNo is Almost Here / Programming Alert!
Yes, NaNoWriMo is set to begin at 12am tonight. Will I be waiting at my desk at 11:59:59pm, fingers prone over my keyboard to begin furiously typing at the stroke of midnight? Nope. I’ll likely be at a Halloween party. Continue reading “Prepare for Battle: NaNo is Almost Here / Programming Alert!”
erikleo – A Provisional Narrative
“A Provisional Narrative”
I lay off reading the new
musical criticism and place
it on top of the beat poet’s
manifesto which lies on top
of the novel in the 21st century Continue reading “erikleo – A Provisional Narrative”
The Doldrums of Summer Writing
They are upon this website like the haze that descends upon a blazing, stuffy afternoon. I’m not sure what it is about the middle of summer that makes any productive activity feel like a slog through knee-deep mud. Continue reading “The Doldrums of Summer Writing”
Creativity Sessions: Is Narrative Limitless?
I’ve been reading much more than writing in recent weeks. Now I’m starting to realize that my extensive reading was too deeply affecting how I was thinking about my writing. Continue reading “Creativity Sessions: Is Narrative Limitless?”