Storybook Perfect

Always quirky, sometimes sweet speculative fiction

Year: 2017 (Page 2 of 3)

New Release: Hanabi to Kitsune in Tales of the Sunrise Lands

July 27, 2017 / / 1 Comment

Tales of the Sunrise Lands has just released from Guardbridge Books and one of the stories in this cool anthology is mine: Hanabi to Kitsune (which translates to ‘Fireworks and Foxes’).

The story follows Mayu, a high schooler in current day Japan. In traditional high schooler style she has a crush on an upper classman (notice me senpai, notice me ;p ). She’s managed to catch his eye once at a fireworks festival, but she’s determined to do it again, even going so far as to steal a beautiful yukata from her grandmother’s attic. What Mayu doesn’t realise is her act of theft will result in mythic consequences.

I  had a lot of fun with this one. I got to show off some of my knowledge of kitsuke(the art of kimono fashion), kitsune and a cavalcade of yokai, and got to come up with two more awesome Japanese names complete with matching and meaningful kanji (if you don’t know what I mean but are curious check out this old post on the complexity of Japanese names). I also played around with kishotenketsu story structure, though the end result can be viewed in both a three act way as well as a kishotenketsu sort of way(more on kishotenketsu in a later post).

You might also notice Mayu’s love interest is called Arima-senpai. My beagle, Arima, recently passed away, and though this story was written and submitted long before that, I can’t help but feel it’s a beautiful little tribute to him.

If you’re a fellow Japanophile I hope you’ll check out the anthology. You can find it on Amazon, or buy it directly from Guardbridge Books(if you can, buy it from Guardbridge, it helps support this awesome and ever-growing small press).

Save

Vision Writing Prompt: Opening and Ending Lines

July 23, 2017 / / 0 Comments

I’ve posted another writing prompt on the Vision Writers website. This time I’ve come up with some lines that could be opening OR ending lines and am challenging/hoping to inspire you to pick two lines, make one your start the other your end. Head over to the Vision Writers site to check it out.

Arima’s Goodbye

July 20, 2017 / / 2 Comments

We came back from the weekend away to bad news this week; our beagle Arima had passed away.

Arima was the son of our first dog, Ezri, and like his mother was a pedigree beagle (yep, papers and all). I can remember the day they were born, twelve and a half years ago. T-J and I were so nervous and Ezri probably just wanted us out of her face while she paced and nested and did her thing. We stayed up all night, but the puppies didn’t come till the next morning (I seem to be cursed/curse those around me with long labours ;p).

Arima was named for one of my favourite manga heroes: Soichiro Arima from His and Her Circumstances/Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou.You might be sensing a pattern or anime-derived pet names.

While all the other puppies had homes to go to Arima didn’t, but I was only too glad to keep him with us. Because Arima was bred to perfect breed standards – ideal black saddle and all – we always intended to put him in a show one day, but then next thing you know we have kids and then he has grey hairs and the time passed.

Unlike his namesake Arima was always a mischief. He was a master escape artist (as multiple fees from the local pound when they found him before us can attest), and loved breaking into the house to track down any unattended food. He was also almost always the one to start up a howl, and if you didn’t stop him soon all three dog were howling, then every dog in the street!

The last Christmas we had at our place we served the ham up on a platter, left it on the table to go get the rest of the feast only to find Arima and his mischievous little pack escaped from their area and up on the table scoffing the ham. At least someone had ham that Christmas ;p

In his entire life I don’t think he ever spent more than a whole day away from his mother (actual mother, not me his fur-baby mother ;p ), and even then only because one or the other of them was at the vet. When his brother, Porthos, came back to live with us they became an inseparable pack, which made walks more difficult since leaving anyone behind resulted in endless devastated howling(trust me, we tried many times, particularly after our children were born). I barely have a photo of one of the trio without at least one of the others photobombing. Their pack also includes our cats who were never chased or heckled even once that I noticed.

We’ll miss our little boy and it’s evident his pack still misses him too.

the pack sleeping on top of the table because Baron the cat was ‘hogging’ the dog bed beneath (Arima is the one looking at the camera)

Save

Save

Save

Vision Blogging: The Unlikeable Ones

July 3, 2017 / / 0 Comments

photo by Fabrizio Russo

After another great meeting of the Vision Writers Group yesterday I’m all excited by having three brand new members show up as well as several recent newbies come back again. I also LOVE it when newbies are hungry for and appreciative of our feedback. It always makes me so happy 🙂

Once again I’ve done a ‘meeting takeaway’ post over on the Vision Writers blog about my favourite piece of feedback given. This time the advice was on how to make unlikeable characters more relatable. Check it out

The Unlikeable Ones

June Goals Round-Up 2017 + Halfway Mark Check

July 1, 2017 / / 0 Comments

Ha ha, I forgot to do my May goals round up and with it list my June goals, but I’ll run them down and their success(or not) here together.

  • Do some beta feedback for people who’ve betaed for me – this was a bigger job than anticipated. I betaed two entire novels; 170,000 words. It took almost all of my May
  • Complete my self edits of Mudgerwokee and send it on to my editor for the professional edits – done and sent. Contract is signed, just waiting for the edits to come back sometime in July/August.
  • Fix my damn shift key – I haven’t fixed it really, apparently it’s beyond repair (or reasonable cost to repair). I’m currently circumventing the issue by plugging our desktop pc’s keyboard in.  All up I preferred the duct taped laptop to the no shift key laptop ;p
  • Finalise the print version of Darkest Depths for Vision Writers group – price comparison done, so then I had to check and tweak our file to meet the company’s specs. Now all that’s left is figuring out how many copies each person wants and getting the payments together, then upload and print.
  • Finish revision on Glass Slippers – I got a little bit further, figuring out what sort of story it was going to be, therefore which feedback to use, but didn’t really start much pen to paper/fingers to keyboard work.
  • Start writing the first draft of Nothing Charming – frankly, I didn’t touch it 🙁
  • Recommence submitting my short stories that are ready – I submitted Foxworth to the Writers of the Future contest, and a couple of works published last year to a ‘Years Best Australian Fantasy and Horror’ anthology, but came up against the wall due to the fact I don’t have many more short stories that are polished enough for sale or are of a saleable length. I’ve been writing a lot of novelletes/novellas(10,000 words+) lately, and they aren’t as easy to sell to traditional markets
  • Clear up the Vision Writers Group Boards – there was a lot of information up there from various stages in the groups life. 21 years is a long time and a lot of changes have happened in many aspects of the group, but old data kept popping up and confusing newbies. I’ve gone through and checked almost all files on the board and updated any that needed it. It took almost a week, but I did it!

Harley & Xander hard at work on her birthday presents

June was a little lacking because the first week was devoted to organising Harley’s Moana-themed birthday party (which was awesome, I made kakamora cookies, Tamatoa cupcakes, and a Moana Dolly Varden-style cake, and she was so cute in her Moana party dress), and then I splashed my arm with oil frying up Xander’s favourite fish. The splatter burns were mostly on the inside of my arm, meaning typing and using a mouse would rub my burns on they keyboard/desk. I popped blisters by refusing to give up though, because each month I seem to be afflicted with *something* which limits my productivity.

In July my goals will be:

  • Mudgerwokee edits when they come in – the editor said they should come in during July or August, but it’ll be top of my list when it lands in my inbox
  • Help promote the release of the anthology Tales from The Sunrise Lands which contains my short story Hanabi to Kitsune(Fireworks and Foxes) – I’m super excited about this one because my story will be the first in the anthology!
  • More Vision Writers work – including some tidying of the website, updating links, getting and keeping the ball rolling on the print version of Darkest Depths, and writing a promotional piece for the group to be featured on another website.
  • Edit and appropriately name ‘Kitsune In Spaaaaaace’ – I backed a cool project on Kickstarter and one of the bonuses was a short fiction critique to be given on a piece of mine in September, so I need to have something polished for that
  • Commence and ideally complete edits on Written By The Stars novel so I can get some beta feedback to finally allay my worries about the novel and get it ready for submitting to agents.

 

And now for my mid-year check up on my yearly goals.

  • Publish at least three more of my Retailored Fairy Tales – Glass Bones just came out and is an RFT, and Groundskeeper has been sold but may or may not be published this year (depends on the publisher). So I have one, maybe two so far. I was originally planning on doing the Charming stories, but I want to have several prepared so I can release them relatively close together. I don’t want to publish anything that’s not ready yet, and with my current pace, I might not be able to produce the right quality, as such this one *may* get bumped. It’s certainly one of my lowest priorities
  • Finish first draft, complete edits, and get to beta readers ‘Skeleton Romance’ (also give it a real title ;p ) – first draft completed, but stalled on edits partially due to self-doubt (I really need to kick my paranoia in the ass I think, but it’s not so easy as it sounds)
  • Continue writing and traditionally publishing stories  – well under way, Glass Bones is already out, Hanabi to Kitsune will be out later this month, Mudgerwokee is due for release in November and Groundskeeper is sold. I do need to put some more effort into writing shorter stories for traditional publication though.
  • Continue learning – I’ve been to a Joanna Penn panel, listen to at least six different podcasts on writing and publishing every week, have gone through an online course and am going through a long to-read list of writing books (currently reading ‘Save The Cat’) so this goal is going just dandy.
  • Continue being an awesome president of Vision Writers Group – I always worry I’m not doing enough on this one, but I’ve been working on the print version of our last anthology, updating the membership files on the board and website, writing promos, getting our book in catalogues and new members have been coming in and not always running away so I’m not failing dismally at least.
  • Write at least three more Retailored Fairy Tales – this is what I’ve been lagging on most, though it’s the thing I want to do most – isn’t that weird…
  • Complete a novel (as in to the point I can resume submitting to agents) – this is probably the most important. I currently have no polished novel out there ‘doing the rounds’. I need to focus on this which is why you’ll notice on my July goals list is the task of finishing edits on Written By The Stars and getting it out to beta readers.

So I’m not cutting any goals just yet, but I am reorganising what’s at the top of my list and what’s at the bottom. I also need to buckle down a bit harder. Pop some blisters if I have to because I need to get moving! Let’s do this thing!

Vision Blogging: Wrongly Accused

June 17, 2017 / / 0 Comments

Another month another writing prompt over on the Vision Writers website, check it out to get your creative juices flowing.

Writing Prompt: Wrongly Accused

April Goals Round-Up 2017

May 1, 2017 / / 0 Comments

My goals and their results for last month were:

  • Help promote the release of the anthology WARRIOR (which contains my latest short story: Glass Bones) – newsletter, blog, social media. Even made my mum read it ;p
  • Revise Glass Slippers – started, but this is a bigger job than anticipated. I’ve compiled all the feedback, but I need to analyse what I really want the story to be, so I know what to include and what to not, then figure out all the hows  (I’ve started some of that, but still more to do)
  • Revise Charming Rivals – did not even start this
  • Begin the first draft of Nothing Charming – nor this
  • Finish the first draft of Light In The Deep – completed the first draft yesterday (by the skin of my teeth) at 10,800 words
  • Do a bunch of research on tension – I read a bunch of articles, read (and re-read) some sections in writing books on it, and read a couple of novels touted by others as good examples of the use of tension. Overall I think I’ve got a much better grasp on it, but I’m still struggling with how exactly I broke the tension in the scene this problem was brought up in ;p

Considering I was up against school holidays, floods and funerals, toothache and toddler tantrums, a swollen arm and my shift key won’t work (no kidding, after the latest toddler attack on my laptop neither of my shift buttons work.  At all, I’m either using caps lock or copy and pasting symbols from other documents ;p ), I think I did pretty damn well.

This month I need to:

  • Do some beta feedback for people who’ve betaed for me – this might be a big job, or small, depending on how much feedback the stories will need. I guess I’ll just have to see.
  • Complete my self edits of Mudgerwokee and send it on to my editor for the professional edits
  • Fix my damn shift key. No seriously you have no idea how maddening it is writing without one
  • Finalise the print version of Darkest Depths for my writers group so we can finally get this up and happening
  • Finish revision on Glass Slippers
  • Start writing the first draft of Nothing Charming

Those last two are really going to depend on how much time the first goal ends up taking up ;p I’m also hoping to face just a little less adversity this month – but you can never count on that ;p

I also have a stretch goal of putting some of my old short stories that are long since out of their contract period up for individual purchase, but we’ll see how things go.

Vision Blogging: Tongue Twisters To Life

April 17, 2017 / / 0 Comments

Another writing prompt over on the Vision writers blog today. i hope you have fun with it 🙂

Writing Prompt: Tongue Twisters To Life

Tackling A Tough Ending

April 14, 2017 / / 0 Comments

Last year I started a novel (well it was supposed to be a novella, but it got out of control) I’ve given the working title of ‘Skeleton Romance’ (I really need to give it a proper name). It was a joy to write, and – as often happens when in the throes of writing – I chased the muse.

I stuck to my plot outline quite faithfully actually, just I found myself adding in extra stuff. The primary addition was my two antagonists. Now when I look at the story I know it’s all the stronger for their unplanned appearances. The problem though is since I never planned them, I also hadn’t planned how to resolve their conflicts.

Just like bullies in real life, it isn’t so easy to deal with bullies in fiction. I didn’t want to fall back on stereotypes for their motives, nor wrap them up in a way that a real teenager might try to do and then find themselves in deep water. This is why I stopped when I was essentially 3/4 of the way through the novel. I knew I couldn’t proceed without resolutions for both antagonists.

As the year passed and I wrote other things flashes of inspiration came here and there until now, when I have enough to wrap them both up, but am now faced with figuring how to weave the romantic ending and the resolutions of the two antagonists together.

In case any of you out there are writers or just curious This is how I’ve done it.

Step 1: arc outlines on index cards

I wrote out my original plot outline ending from the point I stopped to the end (which I’ll refer to as the romantic conclusion) on index cards, one scene per index card. Then I wrote the major antagonist’s conclusion as I envision it scene by scene onto cards, and the same again for the secondary antagonist.

Now I’ve got 10 cards each with their own scenes on them. When the kids are NOWHERE NEARBY (crucial in case the caps lock isn’t a hint) I spread these out on the rug in front of me.

Step 2: Lay out original arc

First I lay out the romantic conclusion, because it’s already got its flow and order. Then I look at my to antagonist conclusions and look for where they would piece in nicely to the romantic conclusion. For the most enjoyable end I need both of them wrapped up just before the final conclusive romantic scene, but depending on how it all reads, putting both conclusions side by side just in front of the final romantic scene might be awkward from a pacing and timing perspective.

Step 3: Insert other arc’s scenes

I also look to see if some of any of the antagonist conclusion scenes can be merged with any of the romantic scenes. for example, information to defeat on of the bullies might be stumbled across while the characters are actually doing something that propels the romantic arc forward. Now instead of having to write two separate scenes, I merely have to add a little to an already outlined scene.

Ultimately I had a lot of fun with this, figuring out my concluding outline, and I had so much fun finally finishing my extremely unusual romance filled with teen angst, sexual identity, and suicidal thoughts (because what romance doesn’t include considering suicide?)(the story really isn’t a romance anymore ;p more a coming out/coming of age).

Save

New Release: Glass Bones in WARRIOR

April 4, 2017 / / 0 Comments

With a Kickstarter campaign that well over doubled its initial goal and surpassed all its stretch goals, the release of WARRIOR from Ink & Locket Press has been much anticipated. Now at last you can grab your copy — if you weren’t already receiving a copy for backing the campaign ;p

I’m excited to say my story Glass Bones is one of the twelve within these pages.

Glass Bones is about Mizzy, a Lake Maiden’s Champion(and lover), and how far she will go free her brother from the curse of Glass Bones he was born with.

After years of approaching wizards and witches for help only to be disappointed, Mizzy and her brother, Bran, have spent yet more years of traveling the world gathering magic rings. Now they are collected the pair can finally go to the world beyond Gate Eighteen, a place where gossip claims there is a cure for everything. But rumour isn’t always right, and everyone knows there’s consequences with any magic.

Interested in the rest of the anthology?

“I was a hard-boiled soul with a blood-stained dress. I was a warrior, right from the start.”
– Unnecessary Risks

A werewolf stalks the streets of London, fighting for her humanity. In Ancient Rome, a gladiator battles monsters for the man he loves. In alien-infested Ontario, a metal-lunged soldier fights for guns and glory—and the girl of her dreams.

In worlds far and unknown, a cursed man fights rumour and raiders to save the children who have no one else. A big, buff, wingless fairy wrestles with a fiery portal to save her Great Tree from demons. At the lost temple of the Red Desert, a human sacrifice fights for her life.

Facing aliens, demons, curses and armies, twelve unstoppable heroes must find the strength to defeat their enemies with wit, weapon and a warrior’s heart.

These short stories all feature heroes who identify within the LGBTQIA spectrum.

Go ahead and buy your copy of Glass Bones in WARRIOR today from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk .

Save

Save

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2025 Storybook Perfect

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑