Imposter’s Guide
I’m starting something new… I think you might like it.
The beginning of anything always feels like you’re stepping over the edge.
Even as I write this now with all of the experience of the last few months, this feels like a more official beginning than any of the other prep work that I’ve done. Something about writing a post solidifies this phase for the business. We are officially out of preparation time (for the most part) and onto the next part of the adventure.
What adventure? One where I provide you with services and guides that you can trust.
These guides are going to be deep dives into specific…
Imposter’s Guide
You’re gonna need some dice.
Now I’m a baby on the mapmaking journey. I’ve technically only made two but I’ve remade one of them a bunch of times so I’m counting that as experience.
It took me a while to figure out what worked for me so I want to share my method with you to maybe save you some time.
Grab all of the dice you have
Some rocks, shells or other rollable items are also acceptable. You’re also going to need a sheet of paper, and a pencil.
Lay your piece of paper to your desired orientation and roll whatever you have available over the page.
Take your pencil and…
Imposter’s Guide
What becoming a new character did for me.
I started playing Dungeons and dragons about a year ago, and it’s safe to say that I’ve fully fallen in love with this game.
When I first got going I wasn’t sure what I was doing. I had a basic character with a somewhat boring but logical backstory. She was plain and simple and I didn’t fully know who she was as a person.
I gave her a name and talents as well as a race and class. So introducing Trym Tealeaf, my halfling bard.
Over the course of the adventure, Trym has really become an entirely new character. In…
Imposter’s Guide
One size doesn’t fit all.
When I was a beginner writer I would stress and freak out over the process of my novel.
I rewrote the same a bunch of different ways. I would always get to chapter five, then decide I wanted to change something and completely rewrite it.
I got stuck in this loop of never-ending revision. I never thought to ask what the writing process looked like to anyone else. I was fifteen and I had the answers. I was a writer. I was born with this ability. …
Writer’s Blog
Most of the time we work alone… but should we?
I want to fully disclaim that I don’t know the answer to this.
Everyone has a slightly different way of writing and mine has always been… half social?
I usually write alone. I want to say that… If I’m not writing entirely alone it’s because my husband is hanging around the house but I still count it is alone because I don’t like people talking while I write.
This feels like a complex subject because so much of my writing and my schedule fluctuates. I’ve always enjoyed writing with other people. I often go on calls with my sister or…
Writer’s Blog
How to write people that act like people.
It’s safe to say that when it comes to writing characters we want a couple of basic things.
We want our characters to be relatable, interesting, driven, romanced, usually good and usually heroic.
These are a lot of unrealistic traits to fit into one human being.
While a lot of people are nice, I wouldn’t call them good and I’ve seen very few people who would perform heroic actions without a second thought for their own safety. …
Imposter’s Guide
How to let other people interact with your story.
I’ve been playing D&D for almost a year as a player character, and I’ve DM’d two one-shots and started my own mini-campaign on the side.
I’m a complete beginner at guiding players through a world that I have created but I’m not a beginner world creator. As a fantasy writer, I feel as though part of me was built for this collaborative style of storytelling.
My love of DMing has kind of reaffirmed that.
What is a campaign?
A campaign is an adventure that a Dungeon Master or DM guides a group through. This adventure often feels less like a typical novel and more…
Imposter’s Guide
What doesn’t work in one book may fit in another
I’ve been going through the editing process of my current novel, and it’s safe to say that means I’ve been getting rid of some words.
Now I promise I don’t have separation issues but I don’t always feel comfortable fully deleting sections of my work.
This is not a personal issue, believe me, I am a ruthless editor. As such I’ve learned how to identify the difference between words that need to be trashed and words that can be recycled somewhere else.
One books trash is another book’s treasure.
I’m not suggesting that you take every single word you delete and tuck it away for safekeeping. …
Writer’s Blog
It might just help you fall back in love with writing
When I write articles I usually cover quite serious topics. This can sometimes feel like it sucks the joy from my writing.
Don’t get me wrong, I love writing articles but often feel as though I don't fully get across my fun-loving personality as much as I could. This is a shame because humour is a huge part of my personality. I love to entertain.
I’ve recently taken on quite a few serious projects. One of my novels is quite dark and a lot of my smaller scale projects also focus on difficult topics and conversations.
So I’ve turned to…
Writer’s Blog
How do you avoid burnout but stay prolific?
Do you want the honest answer?
It depends on the day.
I just saved you a whole bunch of time and emotional distress but if you want better guidelines or ways to compare yourself then I guess I can write the rest of the article for you.
Define A Session
A writing session looks different every single day.
I squeeze writing into cracks so sometimes a session is ten minutes sometimes it’s a whole day. Because of this, it’s really hard to pinpoint exactly how much writing you should get done.
The easiest way to do this would be to make an estimate…
