Red Rain (working title) – Chapter One: Red Rain [Prewriting]

Hi friends!

Red Rain (working title)

I’m preparing for November’s NaNoWriMo, and while working on the background and world building, I decided to try my hand at some discovery writing. Red Rain is a working title, and will likely change once I find something better (I titled my first chapter Red Rain).

Below is the first glance at this new fantasy world, a weird western with steampunk elements and fantastic gizmos, creatures, and other cool-factor elements that I could come up with. This is exploration writing, and may not appear in the actual first draft of the novel I write in November. Let me know what you think.

Thanks,

~Mark

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This Human’s Heart: Distractions

This Human’s Heart

This Human’s Heart is a blog series where I share my thoughts and insights which may not reflect on my writing endeavors.
Image: Pinterest

Distractions

Sometimes, you just have to throw in the towel. This old heart isn’t up for the roller coaster, it is tired of slogging through the mud… and whatever other metaphor we can quote. Long story short. I’m done.

I’ve been dating, entirely online, and I am finding that I simply don’t have the patience anymore. The challenge of weeding through a list of non-contenders is exhausting. No matter how alone I may be, it is heartily welcomed, preferred even, compared to the ups and downs of trying to present my forward and honest self, only to be challenged again and again. I’d really love someone to accept me for who I am. And have the patience to really get to know me.

Just once.

The Female Perspective: Black Widow, Has Everyone Gone Crazy?

I’m struggling to give my female character Nika Silbersichel depth, without making her wimpy or annoying. She starts out weak, and her character arc is all about finding strength and finding herself (and empowerment) in a man’s world.

My story is a supernatural action adventure story, so just how much personal growth is too much? I like this blog post because it addresses the fact that movie viewers (like novel readers) might just read too much into a character arc than the creator intended.

Because Nika is weak in the opening chapters, does that mean that the critical reader won’t continue with the book because they hate how she acts and reacts to her world, and how she lets men get away with being awful to her? In the 1930s, even with suffrage, women were not given much respect in the culture.

Later in the book, she has quite a few revelations and grows (in my opinion), into a very strong female character. But if the reader sets the book down early on, they will never find out. What do you think? Let me know your responses to this, and to the blog post I’ve shared.

~Mark

Great Stories Community

Welcome! This is a Tri-weekly blog* by Author J.L. Metcalf where I discuss anything and everything that strikes my fancy. If you have ideas on what you think I should write about, please send me an email via my website!

For now, sit back, relax and enjoy the blog!

*All views expressed in “The Female Perspective” are those of J.L. Metcalf, not Great Stories, Inc.

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I would be Black Widow in a second, uterus or no uterus.

I’m going to assume that most of you who read this blog know who Black Widow is, many of you probably know more about her than I do and that’s cool, please feel free to share that knowledge in the comments! That being said I want to address the fact that there seems to be a bit of a firestorm out there about Black Widow’s treatment in the last Avengers movie. Now…

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Return to Turtle Cove – Chapter One: Turtles

Hi friends!

My current project

For my April Camp Nanowrimo project, I am returning to the complete revision of Return to Turtle Cove.

Below is the revised first chapter.

I hope you enjoy.

I would love your impressions regarding the world, the character and any other advice or responses you may have.

Thanks,

~Mark

Kestrel Creed – EXCERPT

Hi friends!

I’ve been editing the KESTREL CREED story, and found myself in need of a little spice.

Here is an excerpt buried somewhere in ACT II part I, presented for your terror enjoyment.

For my Beta readers… POSSIBLE SPOILERS.

I hope you enjoy.

Please feel free to comment.

The Blog Lives

…And I am alive too.

I’ve had this on my to-do list for quite a few months. I also have it on my New Year’s Resolution list. Hey, it isn’t February yet. This is a good thing. Right?

This post is a general update for those of you who have been wondering what’s been going on.

This Human’s Heart: Truth

This Human’s Heart is a blog series where I share my thoughts and insights which may not reflect on my writing endeavors.

Image: Heart-Shaped Rock by speedyfearless on DeviantArt.com

Truth

Everybody has their own truth. Your truth and my truth may be completely different things, diametrically opposed even. Yet still, for each of us, it is the truth. Our truth.

You may think my truth is wrong. It might be, for you, just as your truth might be outside of my belief system, my value system. I may disagree with your political viewpoint or your stance on a particular issue, but that does not make you wrong. Does our differing beliefs make me wrong and you right? Am I an utter fool for thinking the way I do?

Webhosting: I need a little advice

Hi Friends,

I posted this on FB yesterday but got little response. I am hoping for more help by posting it here. Please respond in the comments section below.

Facebook Post: 5/16/2014 11:00 am PST by Mark Adam Thomas.

Wattpad – added stories

Hi Friends.

I have recently discovered Wattpad, a place to find tons of free ebooks, stories, and other pieces of fiction and non fiction. You can download a free mobile app, making your library portable, so you can read just about anywhere. Of interest to me, however, is the option to upload your own fiction and make it available to readers. 

I have added two short stories, ones that I had written a few years ago and submitted to a Steampunk Shakespeare anthology. Both are now posted and available for you to read. These are finished works, and I am happy to share them with you.

I Write Like…

#writing #amwriting

I found this interesting…

Thanks to a Facebook friend, I found a page where you can plug in some text from your novel, and it will tell you which famous author your writing style most resembles. I decided to give it a try. I grabbed some text from my latest, pulp horror novel, copied it and pasted it into the box, and pressed the ANALYZE button. It spat out the result of Agatha Christie. I think I may have read one of her mysteries when I was in high school. Certainly Ms. Christie’s works had little to no influence on my writing… or did it?

I write like
Agatha Christie

I Write Like. Analyze your writing!

Intrigued, I decided to test this program further. I went and grabbed some text from the novel prior to my latest work, a fantasy piece set in an Arabian Nights setting. The result for that text was Anne Rice. I don’t ever recall reading her work, although I did watch that vampire movie. <chuckles>