Christine Smith

NaNoWriMo 2020: Week Two

Post published:November 16, 2020
Post category:Writing
Post comments:38 Comments

WE ARE HALFWAY THROUGH NANO. TWO WEEKS BEHIND US. JUST TWO WEEKS LEFT. WHAT IS THIS INSANITY??? I’m a tad (read: a lot) in shock that the month is literally halfway over! It’s just flown this year. Yet…there’s always this confusing timey-wimey-ness that comes with NaNo. The days seem to pass fast, while at the same time it feels as though I’ve been right there living alongside my characters through everything. I’ve experienced so much with them in these mere two weeks, seen them change and grow and endure countless things (I’ve been such a nice author to them *cough,…

NaNoWriMo 2020: Week One

Post published:November 9, 2020
Post category:Writing
Post comments:67 Comments

WE DID IT, GUYS. The first week of NaNo is behind us! Words are being written, caffeine is being consumed, sanity is being buried in the backyard. It’s a good time! Being how it’s NaNo, it is time for one of my oh-so well thought out, perfectly calm and concise, utterly coherent weekly NaNo updates to share how I am faring thus far. In a very mature, professional manner of course. AHEM. (If you’ve been here for long, you know that was a complete lie and these posts are sleepless, caffeine induced, NaNo adrenaline disasters and just…I don’t even know.…

Know the Novel – Part Two: Within the WIP {A Writers Linkup}

Post published:November 2, 2020
Post category:Writing
Post comments:36 Comments

IT IS OFFICIALLY NANOWRIMO! And being as how we’ve made it to November, it is time for part 2 of Know the Novel! Yes indeedy, we are here in the month of writerly insanity. I hope you’re all well stocked on caffeine and candy. We’ve got a wild month of writing ahead of us! If you missed it, last month I opened up my yearly 3-part writers linkup, Know the Novel, where we get to talk all about our current novels! In October for Part 1 you guys introduced your WIPs and GUYS. Guuuyyyys! So much creativity! Can everyone just…

Know the Novel: Introducing Dusk’s Broken Shadows {NaNo 2020}

Post published:October 26, 2020
Post category:Writing
Post comments:67 Comments

NaNoWriMo starts in ONE. WEEK. And I’ve yet to tell you the first thing about what I’m actually writing for it. WELL. That’s why we’re here today! I shall be joining in my own Know the Novel linkup (is that kind of narcistic? Or rather meta…) to tell you all about what shall be consuming my soul for the next month my upcoming WIP! ALSO. The linkup will continue to run until October 31st if you haven’t joined in yet! I have been absolutely soaking up everyone’s posts! You guys are going to be writing AH-MAY-ZING stories and it makes…

{Book Review} Ships, Secrets, and Survivors by Sarah Rodecker and Helena George

Post published:October 19, 2020
Post category:Reading
Post comments:33 Comments

Calling all those swashbuckling, pirate-loving, daring adventurers out there. Have I got a delicious book for you today! Back when my sweet friends Sarah Rodecker and Helena George said they were co-writing a swashbuckling book, I may have squealed. (I mean, who doesn’t love daring seafaring adventures and pirates???) And then when they said THEY WERE PUBLISHING IT the squealing was vamped up x10000. Well, at last I have gotten my greedy hands on their gorgeous tale and now I must flail about it to the world! Synopsis An assassin trainee fleeing his profession. A princess risking her reputation. A…

My 7 Favorite Villain Tropes

Post published:October 12, 2020
Post category:Fangirling
Post comments:45 Comments

Ah, villains. You love to hate them or maybe even genuinely love them or some confusing mix of the two. But either way, stories would be terribly boring without these nefarious foes. Since it is indeed October and we’ve entered “spoopy” season, I really couldn’t help but do a whole post about one of my favorite topics: VILLAINS. Because yes, yes, I do love me a good ol’ villain (erm, fictional villain I should clarify). Can’t live with ‘em (‘cause they’d probably kill you), can’t live without them (‘cause then there’d be no story). Villains truly make the fictional world…

Know the Novel – Part One: Introduction {A Writers Linkup}

Post published:October 5, 2020
Post category:Writing
Post comments:61 Comments

It is OCTOBER! Which means NaNoWriMo is one. month. away. Which also means, it’s time to bring back my annual writer’s linkup: Know the Novel! That’s right, guys, National Novel Writing Month is just around the corner. And by that I mean LITERALLY 26 DAYS AWAY. *pauses and politely waits for the screaming to die down* Ahem. Gonna be real, I am psyched for this year’s NaNo. I mean, I’m always excited, but I’ve had a novel idea that’s been plaguing me for months now, begging to be written. Be proud of me. I’ve resisted the urge to jump into…

Royalty, Witches, and Awkward Family Reunions {A Faylinn Short Story – Part 10}

Post published:September 28, 2020
Post category:Prompts Writing
Post comments:29 Comments

It has been far, far too long but, at long last, I have the next installment of my ongoing “Faylinn” short story series! We’re not going to talk about how the last story was in May. *hides in shame* Yeah, my summer kind of exploded on me, and somehow poor Raylinn, Finn, and Zayd got put on the backburner. But I’ve left you dear patient readers hanging long enough! If you’re new and have no clue what this is, NO WORRIES. I shall explain. For Newcomers Very often, Arielle Bailey posts a prompt on her writing blog that goes…

Realm Makers 2020 Thoughts

Post published:September 21, 2020
Post category:Encouragement Life Writing
Post comments:32 Comments

Back in July, I attended Virtual Realm Makers and though it was vastly different from in–person Realm Makers, it still blessed me more than I can express. Not to mention vaulted me to the end of this first round of rewrites for The Nether Isle. So yes, this post is some 2 months late, but a wizard arrives precisely when he means to between a hiatus, book reviews, finishing rewrites, The Silmaril Awards, and just processing, well, a LOT, it’s taken me this long to at last recap my virtual writers conference experience. You’ll forgive me, yes? *puppy dog eyes*…

The Silmaril Awards 2020 Ceremony: Most Mischievous Imp

Post published:September 16, 2020
Post category:Reading
Post comments:49 Comments

Welcome to the Silmaril Awards Ceremony for the Most Mischievous Imp! 47 imps were in for the running, 5 made it to the finals, and today we get to see which single impish being has proven their mischief enough to walk away with the lifetime award! The stadium hums with chatter as I slip up to the stage and look around appraisingly. This is much better than the falling apart warehouse I hosted last year’s awards. It’s never easy to find good accommodations for the Least Competent Henchmen ceremony, but this brightly lit stadium with a colorfully curtained stage is…