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Adventures in Indie Publishing

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Walkabouts of the Great Wyrm: Part Fourteen

Atir Ailgenan rearranged the materials on his desk for the ninth time, muttering to himself: “A stitch in time will save nine, a stitch in time will save nine….” Walkabouts of the Great Wyrm: Part Fourteen | @MDellertDotCom

Seventeenth Day of September

Atir Ailgenan rearranged the materials on his desk for the ninth time, muttering to himself: “A stitch in time will save nine, a stitch in time will save nine….” Then he closed his eyes, cracked his neck left, then right, and took a deep breath.

Brâtir Niall waited, lips pursed, until Atir Ailgenan opened his eyes again.

The good Atir had just returned from…

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Walkabouts of the Great Wyrm, Part Thirteen

Gefyllanith awoke, shivering. It was dark, and chilly. Autumn was coming. He lay still upon the tomb. I dozed off, he realized. How unprofessional of me. Walkabouts of the Great Wyrm, Part Thirteen | @MDellertDotCom #Dragons, #FantasyFiction

Sixth Day of September

Gefyllanith awoke, shivering. It was dark, and chilly. Autumn was coming. He lay still upon the tomb. I dozed off, he realized. How unprofessional of me.

The tomb was silent, the spirit within quiescent.

Gefyllanith squinted about him, licked at the air with his tongue. No prey. The rueful thought disappointed him. The hunger grew within him once more. How long was…

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Walkabouts of the Great Wyrm, Part Twelve

The mound had been raised millennia ago, a simple construction with some decoration, the tomb of an ancient soldier... Walkabouts of the Great Wyrm | @MDellertDotCom #Dragon #Fantasy #Fiction

Fifth Day of September

The mound had been raised millennia ago, a simple construction with some decoration, the tomb of an ancient soldier, consisting of a narrow passage made of large stones and one or more burial chambers covered by megaliths and soil.

“Are you basically optimistic or pessimistic?” said the chronicler.

“Must you follow me everywhere?” Gefyllanith sighed.

“I…

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Meet My Character: Aife the Gladiatrix

Meet My Character: Aife the Gladiatrix | @MDellertDotCom #fantasy #fiction #charactersketch

Author’s Note: I am currently completing the first draft of a new novel manuscript, tentatively entitled The Conjuror’s Conundrum. I’m happy to introduce Aife daughter of Gwaeddan, a character from this new draft. Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think of Aife in the comments!

—Michael E. Dellert

Aife daughter of Gwaeddan is the only female gladiator in the city of Difelin.…

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Walkabouts of the Great Wyrm, Part Eleven

Gefyllanith frowned. How did I come to be in the mountains? Walkabouts of the Great Wyrm, Part Eleven | @MDellertDotCom #fantasy #fiction #dragon

Twenty-First Day of August

Gefyllanith frowned. How did I come to be in the mountains?

The Cualu Mountains formed a large continuous upland area to the north and west of the Gyff estuary. Composed primarily of granite under an envelope of mica-schist and quartzite, corries and ribbon lakes lay hidden within the deep valleys, and copper, lead, and even gold could be mined from the depths.…

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Meet My Character: Lord Holmlaugr Islet-Heir of the Jómódringa

Meet My Character: Lord Holmlaugr Islet-Heir of the Jómódringa | @MDellertDotCom #fantasy #fiction #charactersketch

Author’s note: I am currently completing the first draft of a new novel, tentatively entitled, The Conjuror’s Conundrum. I’m happy to introduce the central protagonist of this manuscript, the Lord Holmlaugr Islet-Heir of the Jómódringa. Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think of Lord Holmlaugr in the comments!

—Michael Dellert

Holmlaugr is an impoverished patrician nobleman of…

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The Unreliable Narrator

Why might a first person narrative prove unreliable? The Unreliable Narrator | @MDellertDotCom #fiction #writingtips #characterPOV

Why might a first person narrative prove unreliable?

Perspective is an important part of the writing process, and selecting the correct perspective can make a lot of difference in the tone and style of the subsequent story. First person is a particularly challenging perspective to work from, because of the unique relationship between the reader and the fictional narrator. The first-person…

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Writing Without Fear

Writing Without Fear | @MDellertDotCom Do you believe in writing without fear? #writinglife #fear #passion

Do you believe in writing without fear?

Absolutely not. Fear is a fundamental emotion, and it transcends species. Every living thing knows fear. I know fear, you know fear, our neighbor knows fear, the dog knows fear, and the cat acts like it doesn’t care but also knows fear.

This is what makes conflict possible. For someone in the story, the stakes are always life or death, or at least…

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Eight Ways to Improve Your Writing

Eight Ways to Improve Your Writing | @MDellertDotCom How can I improve my writing skills and creativity while writing a book? #writinglife #writingexercises #creativity #commitment

How can I improve my writing skills and creativity while writing a book?

As with anything, skills can be improved with practice and exercise. I set aside an hour in the morning to exercise my craft, before settling down to work on my novel for another hour or two.

A random selection of writing exercises can be found below, and more are available on the internet. Just google, “writing…

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Walkabouts of the Great Wyrm: Part Ten

The vagabonds had wandered into the sanctuary’s fields two days earlier, dazed and stumbling, the girl half-carrying, half-dragging the man, and muttering about talking snakes as big as houses... Walkabouts of the Great Wyrm: Part Ten | @MDellertDotCom

Twenty-Fifth Day of July

Atir Ailgenan clucked his tongue. “Four, was it? So many?”

Brâtir Niall nodded. “That’s what the girl says, Atir. The other one still can’t speak; just rocks back and forth, his eyes wide and white.”

The vagabonds had wandered into the sanctuary’s fields two days earlier, dazed and stumbling, the girl half-carrying, half-dragging the man, and muttering about…

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The True Cost of Self-Publishing

What are some important things I should keep in mind in terms of the cost it’ll take to publish a book? The True Cost of Self-Publishing | @MDellertDotCom #selfpublishing #businessofwriting

I’m currently working on a book I wish to publish in the future. What are some important things I should keep in mind in terms of the cost it’ll take to publish a book? Would it be cheaper to do Traditional, or Self-Publishing?

A lot of folks will tell you that self-publishing is free. Others will point to the expense of vanity publishers with shock and dismay. The fact is that true…

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Walkabouts of the Great Wyrm: Part Nine

Daylight lingered late in the July sky, but shadows gathered as the clouds grew tinged with pinks and purples in the west... Walkabouts of the Great Wyrm: Part Nine | @MDellertDotCom #FantasyFiction #Dragon

Twenty-Second Day of July

The half-dozen vagabonds sat about their cook fire, scrounging pickled beans from the bottom of a cast iron pot. Daylight lingered late in the July sky, but shadows gathered as the clouds grew tinged with pinks and purples in the west.

Beggars by profession, they had given up on the markets of Athwick—too crowded anymore, and the latest beggar riots had brought an…

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The Boggy Middle

How do I withstand and continue to write at the 'boring' part in my novel? The Boggy Middle | @MDellertDotCom #storystructure #plot #middles #novelwriting

How do I withstand and continue to write at the ‘boring’ part in my novel?

Inevitably there comes a time at about the midpoint of the novel where the author wants to go on even less than the characters do. Writing a novel is a marathon, and the daily pressures of life often suck the joy out of writing as the stakes get higher for both the characters and the completion of the novel project.

Thre…

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Walkabouts of the Great Wyrm: Part Eight

Summer had come while Gefyllanith slept. The day was high and clear blue, with a scattering of clouds. A cool breeze descended from the northern mountains, but the day was warm and clement... Walkabouts of the Great Wyrm: Part Eight | @MDellertDotCom

Twelfth Day of July

Summer had come while Gefyllanith slept.

The day was high and clear blue, with a scattering of clouds. A cool breeze descended from the northern mountains, but the day was warm and clement.

The chronicler walked beside him, jotting in his book. “Do you have any allergies, diseases, or other physical weaknesses?”

“Why do you want to know,” growled Gefyllanith.

“H…

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Working the Magic: Setting and Description

Working the Magic: Setting and Description | @MDellertDotCom #writingtips #setting #description

First impressions are lasting impressions. But one thing that sets excellent authors apart from simply good ones is how they maintain the level of wordsmithing used at the first all the way through until the end. So how should you go about it?

The complete answer would fill a shelf of books. But below is a checklist that will help you to accomplish this artful manipulations that is at once so…

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Using Description and Setting to Drive the Story: A Checklist

One of the specific skills that elevates one's writing is the use of setting and description to make stories and novels work... Using Description and Setting to Drive the Story: A Checklist | @MDellertDotCom #writingtips #setting #description

One of the specific skills that elevates one’s writing is the use of setting and description to make stories and novels work, to drive everything forward. A good writer uses setting for more than just a place for things to happen, and makes it emphasize other aspects of the story.

So, how can you use time and place—and description in general—to do such a large part of your writing work? Below…

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Time and Place in Fiction: A Checklist for Setting Development

Time and Place in Fiction: A Checklist for Setting Development | @MDellertDotCom #writingtips #setting #description

As I work with young writers, some tips and tricks and questions come up so often that I’ve begun organizing them. Below is a checklist for setting development, reminders of things to consider and include in any setting you might be writing, to really make your story come alive.

Nothing so solidly anchors a work of fiction in readers’ minds as knowing when and where something is taking place.

T…

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