The Right Way to Write The Right Way to Write By Megan Cutler | January 14, 2013 | Comments 5 comments I can’t claim to be a writing expert. I don’t have any publications under my belt yet. But I have spent the last two years trying to make writing my full-time gig and I’ve learned quite a lot during that time. One thing I’ve consistently struggled with is my productivity. It’s great to work from … Read More Read More
A Shiny New Year A Shiny New Year By Megan Cutler | January 1, 2013 | Comments 0 Comment It’s that time again! The time when we let the old slip away in favor of the new. We put all the negativity of the past year behind us and look forward to the bright new future. This is a fresh start. A new page, just waiting for new scribbles. It’s also time for New … Read More Read More
Sounds of the Soul Sounds of the Soul By Megan Cutler | December 10, 2012 | Comments 4 comments I’ve always needed noise in the background. There are rare occasions when I prefer silence, if I can get it, but I’ve always found music best way to block out the buzz of life. Not only does music sharpen my focus, it inspires me. Random song lyrics trigger character or plot ideas. Epic background music … Read More Read More
Influence Maps Influence Maps By Megan Cutler | November 19, 2012 | Comments 1 comment Influence maps are a popular exercise among artists. The basic concept is to make a collage of all the art and artists who have influenced and inspired your work. A friend of mine made a book cover influence map to show the authors and series which have influenced her writing. I suppose an equivalent exercise … Read More Read More
Moonbeams in a Jar Moonbeams in a Jar By Megan Cutler | October 15, 2012 | Comments 1 comment One of the greatest things about fantasy settings are the magic thingamabobs floating around making the world interesting. One of the best moments in a video game is discovering an item with a magical effect. It’s even better in D&D, where magical items are often more difficult to find, despite the impressive list you can … Read More Read More
An Acquired Skill An Acquired Skill By Megan Cutler | October 8, 2012 | Comments 4 comments Discipline is a hot topic among writers. Until I started reading the blogs of other writers, I never realized how important a concept it is, especially for those of us just starting out, trying to break into the professional world. It’s obvious the most important step in the writing process is to write. Writing often … Read More Read More
Jack Will Hate Them All Jack Will Hate Them All By Megan Cutler | August 27, 2012 | Comments 5 comments Most of the favorites I’ve mentioned so far have to do with books. It’s true, I started this exercise to help me hone in on the things I really love in the craftsmanship of other’s work to help improve my own. But there’s a whole world of other story expressions out there and studying TV … Read More Read More
Addicted to Love Addicted to Love By Megan Cutler | August 13, 2012 | Comments 1 comment I’ve mentioned before I’m a stickler for a good love story. I’d call it my guilty pleasure, but I don’t feel at all guilty about it. Give me a good, heart-rending power ballad any day. And to go with it, give me a book that’s going to make me cry. The eye-rolling may have already … Read More Read More
A Time to Say Goodbye A Time to Say Goodbye By Megan Cutler | August 6, 2012 | Comments 4 comments After the post I wrote recently about my favorite books, I started thinking about a post for long-running book series. A series is a different beast from an individual book, after all. They require long-term plans from the beginning. Sometimes a long string of loosely related stories in the same world works (Xanthe and Discworld … Read More Read More
Alive in Your Dreams Alive in Your Dreams By Megan Cutler | July 30, 2012 | Comments 0 Comment Fantasy is by far my favorite genre. Anything which transports me to another world. Anything which takes me out of the ordinary and shows me something extraordinary. The thing I love most about the fantasy genre are the strange, wonderful and interesting creatures which often inhabit the different magical worlds I read about. Writing magical … Read More Read More