I'm plugging away at Sons of Alba. Here's my latest scene featuring a bit of a heart to heart between Donnchad and Liosa: This was one such occasion, as he crouched beside Mac Crinan and Mac Bheatha in the bracken, watching breathlessly as Thorfinn sighted along his drawn arrow at a calmly grazing stag. Then… Continue reading Tuesday Critique: Donnchad and Liosa in the woods
Tag: writing
Monday Motivation: Get Back Up
We all get knocked down sometimes. For me, it was just this weekend. I made the mistake of reading a review that wasn't terribly favourable. My heart plummeted into my stomach and my first thought was: "Why should I write anything if people won't like it?" Thankfully my little pity party didn't last long. Looking… Continue reading Monday Motivation: Get Back Up
Writer Wednesday: What to do with those random ideas …
Any writer knows ideas don't always come at convenient times. A brand new character might pop into your mind while working on a deadline for something else. You might dream up a fantastic plot twist that simply doesn't work with your current wip. These idea mushrooms murder focus. But they're valuable, all the same. How… Continue reading Writer Wednesday: What to do with those random ideas …
Tuesday Critique: Donnchad and Liosa
Here's what I've been working on: a sneak peak of Sons of Alba, the sequel to Daughters of Alba. In this scene, young Donnchad has recently arrived at Sgain, the royal capital of Alba, to be fostered at the court of the Ard Righ. Donnchad stood politely still as the two older men conversed, but… Continue reading Tuesday Critique: Donnchad and Liosa
Writer Wednesday: Immerse Yourself in Setting
Writing historical fiction has changed a lot over the past decade. I know this because I wrote Daughters of Alba ten years ago with only the benefit of a handful of books from my local library. Now that I'm writing Sons of Alba, I'm finding a plethora of information on the web that simply wasn't… Continue reading Writer Wednesday: Immerse Yourself in Setting
Monday Motivation: 5 Reasons to use a Timer
You wouldn't think something as simple as a timer could revolutionize the way you work. But when I discovered Flylady.net about 10 years ago, the timer was the single most useful thing I picked up from her highly useful system. Now I'm not much of a last minute person, so I thought using a timer… Continue reading Monday Motivation: 5 Reasons to use a Timer
Writer Wednesday: How to deal with word-count restrictions
Ever read a story that felt too rushed? I don't mean those great books that you wished never ended. I mean the ones where you get to the end and say "what just happened?" I've read some bestselling authors who clearly faced the pressure to get a book in under word count and on time.… Continue reading Writer Wednesday: How to deal with word-count restrictions
Critique Tuesday: Jennie Under Siege
It's finished! My first draft of Legacy of Faith is finished after nearly a decade of research and writing. To celebrate, here'a an excerpt. This is the very beginning of the siege, when Jennie goes into the Peking foreign legations and anticipates the trouble to come. June 20, 1900: Peking, China The foreign legations of China… Continue reading Critique Tuesday: Jennie Under Siege
Critique Tuesday: John and his Enemy
I just finished this excerpt from my wip Legacy of Faith this afternoon. This is an imagined encounter based on a real life enmity between John Mackilligen, the Covenanter (illegal Presbyterian) and John Paterson, the Bishop of Ross. 1670: Ballachraggan, Ross, Scotland. John Paterson, the Bishop of Ross looked down his prominent nose, narrowing his heavy-lidded… Continue reading Critique Tuesday: John and his Enemy
Writer Wednesday: How to clean up your dialogue
One of the biggest complaints my editors have had about my raw writing is the use of dialogue tags. Here are some of the tips they've given me for polishing it up. Use tags only when necessary. "He said"/"She said" is not needed as many times as you might think. Use it to establish your… Continue reading Writer Wednesday: How to clean up your dialogue
Erin E. M. Hatton 