Here's another sneak peek of my upcoming YA fantasy novel, Everdream. Kynan has just entered the Dragon's vale, seeing for the first time just how much damage a dragon can do. Please let me know what you think in the comments. He moved as quickly as he might, though the uneven ground and the shrouding… Continue reading Everdream: The Dragon’s Vale
In my upcoming Young Adult Fantasy novel Everdream, one of the most important characters spends the whole book sleeping. Queen Aderyn, young Prince Kynan's mother, may be Dreaming quietly throughout her son's quest, but her story is the catalyst for his journey and for a change that will change the face of Everdream and the Wake… Continue reading Queen Aderyn
In my new YA fantasy novel Everdream, in the middle of the land of Tyernas, on a hill overlooking a wide river, stands its capital—the home of the king, Castle Cairdrist. Aside from the odd rare trip with his father, Cairdrist is the only place Kynan has ever known. At first glance, Cairdrist looks much… Continue reading Castle Cairdrist
In this sneak peek of my YA novel Everdream, Kynan learns a little more about the mechanics of the dream world. As always, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments. They made camp in a shallow cave under a massive overhanging boulder. It was warm enough in Everdream, he'd noticed, never to need… Continue reading Everdream: Mechanics of a Dream
In my upcoming YA Fantasy novel, accessing the magical realm of Everdream isn't as simple as falling asleep. There's a bit of magic involved—a set of magic words...and a talisman. The talisman is personal to the Dreamer. It must be something that has deep significance to the bearer, and is best something small and portable.… Continue reading The Talisman
Have you ever read a book where you felt like you were actually living the story with the character? Have you read one where the character felt remote and lifeless? I can guarantee the reason for both is showing vs. telling. Telling is the old style of writing—the reader is an overseer in the room,… Continue reading 5 Ways to Turn Showing to Telling
If you’re writing a novel, you need a setting. If you’re writing a fantasy novel, your setting needs to be an epic world. Whether you’re writing fantasy, historical fiction, or even something in your own backyard, you need to immerse the reader in that world without drowning them. There are a lot of novels… Continue reading 5 Ways to Build an Epic World
I’ve always been a daydreamer. More often than not, as a child, it got me into trouble. But the more I’ve thought about my wool-gathering habit as an adult, the more I realize that my greatest strengths rely on this sometimes misunderstood state of mind. Here are some ways I think we’ve got daydreaming wrong.
Autumn has always felt like the true beginning of a new year for me, after years of back-to-school programming. So it follows that fall is a perfect time to start something new in my writing, especially with Nanowrimo coming up again in just over a month. Now, you might be what they call a “Pantser”… Continue reading Plotline Prep for Planners & Pantsers
Ever get to the place in your writing where you just want to play it safe? I think every writer gets there. Doesn’t every writer have a manuscript that’s too blah because you were too scared to go where you should have gone? Or a manuscript that’s gathering dust because you’re too scared for anyone… Continue reading 5 Leaps of Faith for your Writing
Erin E. M. Hatton 