For this post, I thought I would take a moment and discuss some of my process for drafting a chapter. Each segment of a story is its own adventure, but there are some typical steps that almost always appear on my journey. As of this post, I’m actually not finished writing the portion of theContinue reading “Drafting chapters”
Author Archives: scottatirrell
One door closes and another opens
I often start posts like this, but the last few weeks have been crazy. This time, I’m not just being dramatic. After 9 1/2 years in my current position (you can read more about my work here), I finally decided to move to a new job. The transition for me is huge! Almost a decadeContinue reading “One door closes and another opens”
Dog days
Well, I’m writing about a blizzard when it’s 90 outside (32 degrees Celsius, and it is only 9 am). My main characters are working through a northern boreal forest called the Devilwood on their way to the Northland city of Thornehold, the seat of Erikson Gray’s maternal grandfather. It is an exercise in juxtaposition. WhenContinue reading “Dog days”
The journey
It’s hard to imagine a world without speedy lines of communication or easy means of travel, and this poses particular issues when trying to write medieval fantasy. The Lucardian Empire, the setting for my Absolution of the Morning Star series (map above), is roughly 2,500 miles across at its furthest points, which is approximately theContinue reading “The journey”
Noonday in the North at 100k!
Noonday in the North, book three in my Absolution of the Morning Star series, has finally joined the 100k word club! I am now at 100,080 words and two-thirds done with the first draft. I started on February 17th, so I have been at it for about six months. It may seem like a bigContinue reading “Noonday in the North at 100k!”
Sinking of the Bull?
I like to think I’m a fighter, but sometimes, you must accept failure. I wouldn’t necessarily say any of my books are a “success,” but some are doing reasonably ok. They’re selling here and there, people seem to like them, and I’m seeing growth. That is all you can ask for as an Indie author,Continue reading “Sinking of the Bull?”
Characters in the mist
Currently, the Absolution of the Morning Star series has 154 named characters. Four appeared out of the mist this week alone, with two deserving a handshake and a welcome to the core. Not all of these characters play a big part, some for only a few lines, but they were important enough to receive aContinue reading “Characters in the mist”
Happy 1st birthday Dawn of the Lightbearer!
I just realized today is the first anniversary of the publication of Dawn of the Lightbearer, book one of the Absolution of the Morning Star series (July 2, 2021)! I wasn’t planning on writing a blog post, but I couldn’t let this momentous occasion pass without saying something. To date, it is my best-selling bookContinue reading “Happy 1st birthday Dawn of the Lightbearer!”
Fall from grace
Recently, I was scrolling through the blogs I follow, which I do once or twice daily (got to support my people). It is an endless list of promotions, author interviews, reviews, sample chapters, synopsis, life lessons of the struggling author, etc. I suddenly became overwhelmed by it all. I realized I wasn’t just skimming overContinue reading “Fall from grace”
What’s a library?
Over the last few days, I’ve been racking my brain trying to think of a blog post topic. I had given up. I’m not a “natural” blogger and would much rather dive into my fictional worlds than write about the process. Then, last night, we lost power right smack dab during my writing time, 6-8Continue reading “What’s a library?”
