In this issue…
News from the Typewriter - All the Son of Lightning things
Behind the Hedges - My Top 10 Tips for Writers
Bilbo Waggin’s Corner
News from the Typewriter
*cue lion king music
News #1 - Official Book Trailer
Ahhhhh I’ve got so many goodies to share with you! News Number One… The official book trailer is here! Oooooh I can’t wait to share this story with you guys. My precious boy Nick is having such a hard time 😭
News #2 - Read Son of Lightning Today!!
⚡️SON OF LIGHTNING🖤 is now available on my website! (Worldwide release coming June 25th, 2024.) That means you can read this finale book TODAY.
News #3 - Free Bookish Boxes
I’m running a special bookish box! Through July 31st, if you upgrade to a monthly or yearly subscription, you’ll get all the bookish goodies!
Monthly Subscription Goodies (U.S. and International):
One immersive digital book box which includes: an adventuring recipe, 7 phone wallpapers, 4 desktop/tablet wallpapers, 6 themed diffuser blend recipes, and BONUS collection of ambient tracks to immerse yourself in the Descendants of Robin Hood world
Your choice of downloadable ebook (ePUB format)
The entire Descendants of Robin Hood ebook trilogy to read on Substack with friends
Bonus posts about writing, D&D, and all the chaotic shenanigans
Yearly Subscription Goodies (U.S. only):
One physical book box which includes: a Sorcerer Gisborne bookmark, a sticker pack, and mystery bookish merch (possibilities include: tea, premium bookmark, fantasy potion, and more!)
Your choice of signed paperback
The entire Descendants of Robin Hood ebook trilogy to read on Substack with friends
Bonus posts about writing, D&D, and all the chaotic shenanigans
Click on “Upgrade to Paid” at the top of this window to get all the bookish goodies
📕🦔
News #4 - Special Edition Hardcovers
I got the proof copies for the special edition hardcovers for Curse of the Arrow and Son of Lightning in today, and they look SOOOO good!!! The proof for Guardian of the North is coming tomorrow, and I can’t wait to see my trilogy all together on its shelf. 🥰
News #5 - Launch Party in Lakewood, Colorado
In case you missed it… I’m having a launch party for Son of Lightning! Swing by Cafe Ole in Lakewood, Colorado on June 29th from 11:00 am to 3:00p MT to say hi, grab a coffee, and adopt a book.
Behind the Hedges
My Top 10 Tips for Writers
(in a random order as determined by the hedgehogs who proofread this newsletter before it goes out)
Read lots! Books in your genre will spark ideas, books out of your genre will give you different perspectives on ways to use plot structures and dialogue, and classics (as long as you enjoy the words) will make your prose sing.
The best way to get better at writing is to… write! Don’t worry about perfecting your story, just dump words on the page. The more words you dump, the shinier they’ll start to become.
When you get stuck, go do something mindless like vacuuming, washing the dishes, or taking a shower. These mindless activities will make space in your brain so the good ideas can float to the surface!
If you feel your story dragging and you’re not sure where it’s going, ask yourself: What is one of the characters trying to do? What are four ways that goal can go wrong? Then write it going wrong.
Write the story you want to explore. If you feel like you’re focused on only trying to write for a certain group of readers, or a certain trend, you’re going to get bored of the story. Find what’s interesting to you and write about that.
Especially when you’re just starting to write, if you get bored or frustrated with a story and find yourself drifting to another book idea, or not really wanting to finish the book you started, I now give you permission to ditch the boring story and follow the shiny new idea! Writing what you love and dumping as many words on the page as you can, are both more important than finishing a book.
If you don’t know how to start a scene, begin with describing the setting. What sorts of objects, lights, colors, or textures do the characters see? What kind of smells and sounds are in the setting? Next, let your character interact with the setting (walk across the gravel, sit down in a chair, push a button, etc).
Keep a notepad and pen nearby at all times. Write down the idea as soon as it comes to you!
Don’t worry too much about “copying” ideas from other books or movies. Even if you have a similar plot line, or a similar character, the story is going to be unique because you’re writing it, and there’s only one you.
Last… Don’t take any of these tips (or any writing advice) as rules! There are no rules to writing, only tools to fill your toolbox and pull out when they’re needed.
Bilbo Waggins’s Corner
Here’s Bilbo pretending he’s a troll in the hollow trunk of this weird tree.
Finally…
If you read Guardian of the North or Curse of the Arrow, please leave a review on Goodreads or your favorite retailer, it helps me out so much. 💚🦔