Small updates

November 13, 2018November 12, 2018 by Beth

I blogged a lot for a bit there, gearing up for new projects. Then the new projects started and I didn’t have the time to write for the blog. But it’s been a bit since I said anything, so now’s a good time to spill a bunch of thoughts across… Read the rest...

Artwork

Creating book heroes, part two: Tula

October 23, 2018October 18, 2018 by Beth

I’ve officially started writing the first book in my new series, and so far, I’ve found working on artwork to go with the book to be helpful. Not just as a way to unwind, but to help me establish a clear visual of the characters before they appear on the… Read the rest...

Blog

Going full time

August 28, 2018August 20, 2018 by Beth

A couple weeks ago, I shared a photo on my personal Facebook page. Everyone liked it, but I didn’t say a whole lot about it, other than that I was trying to treat what I do more like a business than a hobby. But it was also part of getting… Read the rest...

Blog

Naming the cities

August 21, 2018August 14, 2018 by Beth

I’ve been working on my world a little at a time. One of the most annoyingly difficult things to do was name all the important cities. Though I turned to my favorite name generator for some assistance when I got stuck, there were a few things I wanted to accomplish… Read the rest...

Artwork

Finishing the set

August 14, 2018August 14, 2018 by Beth

Last of the three items being painted is the Captured Spring. This one was interesting to do and I think it turned out decently, despite my inexperience in drawing glass objects–never mind glass objects with a new medium. Overall, I think it worked well for completing the set, and I… Read the rest...

Artwork

More magic items

August 7, 2018August 7, 2018 by Beth

Okay, so I don’t actually have a lot of world building to add this week. Probably not next week, either, since at this point we’re getting Little Bit ready for school. But after last week’s post on developing magic items, I really wanted to keep sharing the artwork for them… Read the rest...

Artwork

Magic items (Building a fantasy series, part four)

July 31, 2018July 31, 2018 by Beth

Magic items tend to be staples in most fantasy, and weirdly, they never played that big of a part in stories I’ve written before. There are a few important ones, but no epic quests that involve picking them up along the way, which means Spectrum Blade will be a little… Read the rest...

Artwork

Creating your book heroes (Building a fantasy series, part three)

July 24, 2018July 24, 2018 by Beth

The characters for Spectrum Blade were actually one of the first things I came up with. I spent a long time stewing over rough concepts for each of the heroes that would join the party, in addition to rounding out some villains. But while the characters themselves came together pretty… Read the rest...

Blog

How long should epic fantasy be?

July 17, 2018July 2, 2018 by Beth

As part of outlining a novel, I always have to plan how long it needs to be. Sometimes they make it. Sometimes they fall well short. One thing I don’t do is try to pad up my word count with unnecessary scenes. Sometimes a book needs fleshed out a little… Read the rest...

Blog

Resources for BJD book props

July 14, 2018July 14, 2018 by Beth

I puzzled over the best way to share these resources to go with my new video for a while, then decided the best option was probably making them available in a post on my site. I don’t post about doll things here too often, but it’s still the best way… Read the rest...