We have a week of digging into writing up ahead. I’d decided to poke around the next chapter on Sunday and once I finished it, I realized that I had forgotten to do what I originally planned to do with it. Instead I got distracted by pretty monster descriptions. One drawback of working in a long series is knowing that you have mentioned a particular creature somewhere, but not being sure which of the 10+ books it was. By the time I was done combing through things, I got completely turned around. So I need to tackle that scene today and get it to where it needs to be.
All of the brainpower is going into writing at the moment so coming up with blog topics is a little harder. That’s when you can help us. If you have questions about writing, industry, books, hobbies, and just general fun topics you want discussed, please use the comment section to suggest them to us. It will help us keep the blog entertaining and take a lot of guesswork out of the process. Because otherwise you’ll just get updates on how Harney and Sons Valentine Tea is basically just their chocolate tea and the dangers of too many pattern choices on Ravelry resulting in a pattern-selecting paralysis.
In my defense, I picked a pattern for the fingering yarn, but then I found a bag in my bedroom chest of drawers that had sport weight alpaca blend in it. It is so soft! Now I have to have an alpaca blend cowl, so I had to go back to Ravelry and got stuck in a pattern swamp. Spoiled knitter problems, heh.
I’m a huge fan of the Innkeeper series but this last was the first I read in weekly installments. It was so fun! Any plan for when you’ll start the next one?
I always get a kick out of recipes from “the characters”. How’s Kate getting those veggies into her MEAT MEAT MEAT family (I too have this challenge LOL). What’s Roman cooking up to impress a date? TeddyJo has been around for a long LONG time. What recipe does he dream of cooking and sharing and eating still after all these centuries? What recipes did Aunt B pass down to Raphael and Andrea?
Ok I’ll stop. Cheers! 😀
Ooooh I like this idea ????
As a mental exercise, I write for fun. But, my snippets keep getting connected so I thought, why not put them intentionally together? Unfortunately, I don’t have an organized approach to building a story though I know the structural pieces. Do you have a plot schematic or spreadsheet or something which keeps the details and scenes on track? Keeping the chaos under control is necessary for peaceful living at my age. Thanks for any insight.
I can appreciate the pattern paralysis! I have the same issue. I have been organizing my own yarn (there’s waaay too much) and have started printing the pattern I want to use with the wool and packing it all together. Ravelry is both a friend and an enemy as is reddit. I see so many pretty patterns and must buy yarn! Please share your projects!
I’m always so curious to hear about your writing process, specifically how who decides the dialogue and interactions. Do you each take one character and then banter back and forth with one another, generating their interactions? Your character development is so on point and I always super impressed!
I am also interested in how you write together. Do you divide by characters or chapters? How do you edit? Do you start out with an outline of the story?
I enjoy reading about anything you share (tea, knitting, animals, kids, frustrations). It’s a nice break in my day!
+1
yes! i’m curious about this too!
Have you got any good hints for agent query letters, or how to find one?
I’ve self-published eight books on Kindle, and with my new series (that isn’t self-published yet), I’d like to try traditional publishing, but all I’m getting are rejections. My self-published books get decent reviews, so I think my quality can’t be that bad…
Any help would be appreciated, thanks.
Kristin Nelson (https://nelsonagency.com/pub-rants/) has a lot of good information on her site about query letters, finding an agent, etc.
Lol! I would love to see the finished cowl. My brothers-in-law ride motorcycles and one Christmas I bought them alpaca wool socks. They immediately went all Gollum on them, called them “my precious” and have continued to tell me how much they love them on rides on cooler days. I just got those because I didn’t know what to get the hooligans for Christmas ????
What’s a plot device you hate? for instance I hate the easy alternate time line/ world plot. the one where its just a play on opposites. oh no the good guy is now a big bad guy and the meek girl is now in command of the alternate universe agency ect.
Random topics to cover –
Pancake day is tomorrow in the UK. Do you guys do pancake day and with what toppings?
Three key items you would take with you on a desert island?
Heels or flats?
Favourite animals in the wild? Why?
Which of your characters would you kiss, marry and cuddle?
Research rabbit holes.. where is the weirdest or funniest place you ended up from one topic to something completely different. I once started researching something for work on how to care for a certain plant we got in that kept looking like it was dying but wouldn’t all the way and ended up with an all woman Japanese warrior unit.(12th century I think) would have to find the article again. Who knows where I would end up.
LOL, that’s pretty much every trip to Wikipedia for me.
I haven’t knit in a long time, but I would like a baby alpaca sweater. I haven’t seen one that I really love and the sizing of things on Etsy seems to change Has anyone knit with alpaca yarn? Not sure if i can with two trigger fingers but I am thinking about it
I haven’t knit with 100% alpaca but I can pass on what I learned from LYS owner.
She was teaching a class and the pattern was a long cardigan that called for a 100% alpaca yarn in either sport or dk wt I think. She explained that alpaca doesn’t have the elastic memory that wool does, wool can be stretched & bounce back to its shape/size but alpaca just stays pretty much stretched out. This is especially noticeable in something bigger in the length. So a very large gauge swatch washed/dried/hung up for a few days can help prevent surprises, or if daring just plan to knit the sweater & sleeves shorter than you want and hope they grow enough. I don’t remember if there was a percentage to expect it to grow or not.
For something like a small cowl & the weight is resting on shoulders it isn’t so important. Unless it is one of the really big infinity cowls that can be wrapped around the neck 2 or 3 times or worn open and long. That type of cowl could grow from its own weight if worn open.
I’m curious to learn how you plan for something you are writing. Is there a detailed outline? Just a rough story timeline?
I have pets and I always like to see and hear about other peoples pets so I always enjoy your pet post
A list of all the evil creatures Roman has to fix. It’s like he is the Dr. Pol (reference to TV animal doctor) of Atlanta but for the weird.
I appreciate anything you choose to share with us, but if you could share more recipes and pictures of tasty stuff, i’d love to read them. 🙂
I saw the picture of the book you were using for the Curran research and I wanted to ask what amount of reading you do for research. Do you read the whole book? Or do you pick out what you need?
I am curious about what type of scenes are the hardest to write and which ones are the easiest (and why).
I would love to read about how you as a pair can write together. The division of the work. Who do what.
For some reason I have a picture in my head of a study whit a big writing desk and a computer. Gordon is sitting there hammering on the tangents.
Ilona are sitting in a a big comfy armchair whit the feet up on a ottoman. A side table whit a pot of te. In her lap there is some kind of knitting going on. There is a open fireplace whit dogs and cats snoozing in a big pile.
So while Gordon is typing away Ilona talk and fantasize about what is or should be happening.
I know this picture can not be true. But I would like to know how it really works.
How is Camille the cat? Does she continue to squeeze under doors?
Monkeys at Texas zoo “borrowed”. Made the local news here. The first thing I thought of was your Kid1 and Kid2. Disclaimer: I know they would not do that, but the thought amused me.
Always love animal stories/ updates. A while ago you had people look up Florida man headlines and share the weird ones. That is always good for a laugh! Interesting recipes are always fun!
The best kind of problem indeed. I’m getting ready to do an across-the-world move and need to get rid of yarn stash. So hard to choose what to keep! I’m trying to focus on keeping hand dyed yarn. What a lovely conundrum I have.
I’d really enjoy hearing more recommendations about what books you enjoy reading, especially stuff that’s not in the fantasy space (although those are also quite welcome).
Writing industry content is also very interesting to me, particularly since I’m self-published and interested in getting an agent for my next book!
I would love a book recommendation or review from you. I thoroughly enjoyed most books you recommended and I am out of reading material and so rereading The touchstone trilogy for a third time (I’m pretty sure it was recommended in one of the “what are you reading” posts)
You made me go look at their Valentine’s Tea, though, as I love both their Chocolate and their Chocolate Mint teas.
I’ve been dying to ask this but have no idea how to independently reach Mod R to ask. It’s about Cornelius ‘singing’ in “Ruby Fever” during the parking lot fight in front of the Office of Records building (sorry, I missed the real-time comments because I didn’t listen to the audiobook until two weeks after publication). Have I missed something? Was there ever a discussion about Cornelius being able to sing like a Siren? I went through the “Ruby Fever” comments and didn’t see any reference to Catalina hearing a song during the fight and turned to see it was Cornelius singing. Explanation, please? Thanks! 🙂
Cornelius does not sing like a Siren, he sings like a Pied Piper ????.
His power is explained in White Hot, when he similarly sings to calls the rats against Olivia Charles:
“When my grandfather came to this country,” Cornelius said, “he took a new name, one that would be familiar to his new countrymen.” Olivia crossed her arms on her chest. “Our real last name isn’t Harrison. It’s Hamelin.” A low sound like the noise of a waterfall came from behind us, insistent and oddly disturbing. “We’re not named for the place where we were born. We’re named for the place where years before Osiris serum was discovered our ancestor became infamous for his magic.” Cornelius opened his mouth and sang a long wordless note.”
Andrews, Ilona. White Hot, Hidden Legacy volume 2. Avon, Harper Collins 2017. Kindle Edition, page 383
Thank you so much for clearing that up for me! It’s been a while since I’ve read Nevada’s trilogy. I’d forgotten all about Cornelius wanting vengeance for his wife’s death and the cast of characters involved. Have a wonderful evening! ????
P.S. Thanks and HUGE kudos to you for doing the voodoo that you do so well. ❤
Whether it’s Cornelius or Catalina, I’m always wondering what the one note IS. That urge was especially strong while listening to the audiobooks. Not that I expect them to sing on the audiobook. (Well, perhaps Graphic Audio productions could go for that.) I finally just imagined a high C.
How did you both decide you wanted to WRITE for a living? And did you ever imagine you would be as successful as you are?
I am food oriented. As such I’ve noticed that you mention korean food in both the Kate series and in your regular life. Where did this love of Kfood come from? Also! Have you seen this giant yarn trend thing? You can make a purse with your hands!
Tuna!!!
My brain is melting from grad school and lesson planning. Apparently I am one of those people who doesn’t listen when friends say it’s too much to work, go to school to finish my degree, and raise a family at the same time. I have to experience it to understand what they are talking about. Luckily your blog, whether about characters, plot holes, knitting, animals, science, or anything really helps me relax.
Also, Harney and Sons Hot Cinnamon Sunset tea is one of my favorites and they have now made it in a chocolate bar. Yummmm
Love hearing about your children (love the lawn orphan story!), all the pets, and if you’ve cooked or baked anything exotic lately. thanks for all your hard work. just reread Hugh 1…. I’ve been holding off on a full Kate reread for a while. maybe when Hugh 2 is ready, I’ll go back to the very beginning.
I have a random question that popped up in my head that may have already been answered while I was reading Magic Triumphs. Is the battle scene where Hugh and Kate touch backs in the middle of fighting what was predicted in Magic Rises (book 6) by the dancer?
It is one version of it, yes ????.
Your books have interesting vehicles in them. Hidden Legacy has all sorts of armored cars, Innkeeper has Marais’ modified cruiser and the Ku boost bike, Kate Daniel’s has hybrid magic/mundane cars. And there are a lot more examples.
Is one or are both of you fond of cars/vehicles and this inspires the creativity? Or is this a result of diligent world-building and a lot of research?
I would like to know if “Leo” i the Magic Claims excerp is a historical person & if so which.
Bad autocorrect!
White should be “which”
Pretty picture to contemplate:) Russian Fire Dragon in Acrylics.
Beautifully done!!
This is stunning!!
With Alpaca I would filter by fiber type on Rav. It’s a gorgeous fiber and I have the same alpaca cowl in DK plan but it behaves differently enough that a filter would narrow the choices and get a better end project.
Would be interested in knowing what your routine is like – do you write daily at the same time each day? Do you do big chunks of intensive writing in spurts? How do you set goals/targets/schedules?
More generally, what are your daily or weekly rhythms like, being full time writers+parents+pet owners+… ?
Agree on the mythology question – how do/did you choose which ones to use?
Yarn question – how do you organise it, how do you keep craft supplies from getting out of hand?
Always fun to hear about the pets! Also, I loved the interview series you had going. That was really entertaining.
Ravelry–I strike at thee from– no, no, I cant help it! Hubby wants to know what I’m doing. I’m looking through Ravelry at the patterns. An hour later, still on my tablet, hubby walks by, whatcha doing now? Still looking at Ravelry, I mutter. He doesn’t understand! First you have to figure out what you want to look at, then look at them, cause there’s always a lot… When you like the ones you want to delve further into, then you have to look at the weight/type of yarn–do I have any of that? Do I want to start hunting online for a yarn I will absolutely finish. I swear! That starts more turmoil–colors, prices, where can I hide it… it’s just a mess.
Given the basis of many if not most of your magical creatures, do you feel you are experts on folklore yet? How do you decide which lore to draw from in a particular book?
Random topics –
Which fictional pet would you want in real life?
Which named vehicle would you want in real life? (Romeo?)
What does Gordon think of the show Physical 100?
Most important/useful survival skills each character has?
Thanks for everything!
As an avid reader, tea drinker, and fiber crafter (knitting, crochet, weaving, no spinning), I love all these random topics. If you need help on Ravelry paralysis, let me know. I have spent a LOT of time on it deciding on patterns, perhaps we have similar aesthetics. By a LOT of time, I mean hours daily for a few years. But yeah, lots of suggestions.
It’s not too late to create a concordance of characters and monsters. You could hire someone, since you’re so busy, or get it from a fan. (I wouldn’t be surprised if someone has already created one.)
I have 20 bins of yarn in the storage room upstairs. and 10 downstairs. and I have $175 in yarn sitting in my shopping cart at Knitpicks. Some I need to finish a sweater I have going for me, some for an Afghan that’ll use up an entire bin of bits and pieces and I can work on it until the Christmas knitting starts. And maybe some for another sweater for me.
I don’t need new patterns. I need to knit faster.
Good luck with the writing. Since you asked for it, topic idea!
It’s very easy to convince my female friends to read your books but a lot less simple to try to convince my male friends to do so. Sometimes it’s the cover that puts them off (shirtless men are not helpful)and other times it’s that the genre of fantasy romance seems to be a bad word to those of the male half of our species! Any suggestions on how I can convince them to give you a shot?
Zombies. You describe in the Kate series how belief in certain monsters and grannies stories bring those things to life. So. Because zombies -like vampires- are a popular trend these days, is there a chance of zombies in any story you do? Or, are the vampires of Kate’s world the equivalent of said zombies? Really am not hoping for zombies, just curious what your take is on them. (Most of your “monsters” and God creatures come from legends and myths. I’m not certain zombies come from either.).
Zombies originate from Haitian/Creole folklore 🙂
I’d love a post on language, grammar, expressions, and colloquialisms!
Is there a particular aspect of the English language that confounds you? Do you ever agonize over what word to use in a specific sentence?
The Oxford comma, yea or nay? (I’m for it all the way myself.)
Are there expressions you use all the time in speech that you try not to overuse in writing? Any expressions you love or loathe (e.g., I despise the expression ‘more than one way to skin a cat’)?
Have you ever confused by colloquialisms? Does writing for an international audience limit your use of them in your writing?
*been confused by
Yay Oxford comma!!!
Love Harney and Sons tea. Paris decaf is my current favorite.
You are wasting a ready resource. If you are searching through your own books, the BDH will gladly find it for you.
I’m just here for the snippets lol.
I do like posts about what you’re enjoy on Netflix or whatever streaming channel… I just started Flower Crew which I’m really liking. ????