Julia’s Latest Posts
Decorating
Like a lot of people I am decorating for the holidays. And like a lot of people I have inherited the family decorations and I have to sort and decide what to keep, what to store, what to use, and how I want to use it. It is ridiculously emotional and exciting all at the…
Read MoreMating Bond
As the planet chooses partners based on complementary strengths and talents, compatibility, and other factors, it is hard to imagine anyone rejecting the bond. Especially because if the bonding of the power lines had progressed enough, one or both partners will die as they attempt to separate. Does that mean that nobody ever does it?…
Read MoreCharacter Flaws
So they say when you design a character, before you set him or her free in a setting, you need to include a flaw. Well, to be honest I always chuckle over this, because what counts as a flaw? Too ambitious? Greedy for attention? Seeking out anonymity? Too quiet? Loud and obnoxious? Faithful? Independent thinker?…
Read MoreGordon’s Pride
As I was building Gordon as a character I wanted someone taller, thicker, physically powerful, imposing, cranky, and psychically so strong that he inspires fear in others. I wanted him to be an obvious leader, but the kind others appreciate at a safe distance, not up close and personal. I built him to be smart,…
Read MorePlotting
I don’t know what it feels like in other people’s brains, but I have a switch in mine. When I am working on serious issues, focused on life and living, and not writing; that switch is hard off. Sometimes I feel like I have to hold it down so I can concentrate on things that…
Read MoreFavorite Things
Writing is a labor of love, a chance to share the best of my imagination and make one of my stories come to life. I love rough drafting the story, getting to flesh out ideas, build up characters, direct the action, and get surprised by the people I created. So many parts of writing are…
Read MoreOff to the Readers
I have finished with the 3 rounds of editing and have handed book 7, The Hunter off to the readers. These are people looking for anything that disrupts the reading, from typos to awkwardness. Currently Io have 2 wonderful people doing the reading for me. While they are busy with that, I am doing the…
Read MoreThe Hunter
I am excited to get The Hunter in print so people can read it. As I am getting it ready for the final read throughs before formatting, I am wondering if I can reduce the number of pages from 530 to less with some formatting tricks. I do not want to reduce the readability factor,…
Read MoreDragons on My Mind
Sometimes as I read the news, look over my life, and let my mind unfocus, I dream about the dragons and what they would make of our world. Would they be wowed by technology? Curious about horses? Would the elephant or blue whale be a provoking challenge? What would they think of modern governments and…
Read MoreTwo Things
I have always been dedicated. Years and years ago I was dedicated to becoming a damn fine teacher, studying and reading as much as I could. Then I taught with some of the most skilled people, in all kinds of fabulous places. I learned to help kids become the best versions of themselves. Somewhere along…
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