I'm writing this real quick because I keep putting it off, and I should stop that. Novel: Soulstar Soulstar came out in February 2021, so it's eligible for nomination as a novel. Soulstar is the one where Robin's efforts to release the witches trapped in asylums finally happens as a result of Severin becoming king,… Continue reading My 2021 Award-Eligible Works
Author: clpolk
I write fantasy and romance novels.
In Case of Emergency, Break Glass
You have never published an unrevised novel. You have never published an unrevised act. You have never published an unrevised chapter. You have never published an unrevised scene. You have never published an unrevised page.
my first custom made self care bingo card
i'll probably make another one as this was fun.
Stuck: the three narrative mistakes that plunge me into writer’s block
Photo by Aubrey Rose Odom on Unsplash So i'm in the midst of writing a new novel, and reader, I got stuck. I got stuck so bad that I had to go crying to my agent, Caitlin McDonald, who got back to me with the solution. And I realized something - just about every time… Continue reading Stuck: the three narrative mistakes that plunge me into writer’s block
What Makes a Hyper-competent Character Relatable?
The day after I wrote my Ten Questions for Characters post I had a discord conversation about a question asked in the #writerspatch twitter chat on Sunday, Jan 13: "Does relatability to the reader make a character more believable?" And sure, the answer is obviously yes. But where's the rest of the owl? How do… Continue reading What Makes a Hyper-competent Character Relatable?
Ten Questions I Ask New Characters – And Why I’m Asking
Some people have long and detailed lists of questions they answer for their characters, right down to what they carry around in their pockets. Others simply have characters appear to them, fully formed, ready to live the story from the beginning. I think I have a little bit of the latter, in that characters just… Continue reading Ten Questions I Ask New Characters – And Why I’m Asking
How I Abandon Organization While Planning a Novel
Sometimes people look at my process and say, "that's so organized, I have no idea how you do this in such a tidy way, I could never do that. How do you do it so neatly?" The answer is that I don't try, at first. That organization is the last thing I do, not the… Continue reading How I Abandon Organization While Planning a Novel
Writing advice nobody asked for, but anyway
So that's not exactly true. Sometimes people ask me for writing advice. I'm no Johnathan Franzen - I'm a fantasy writer, working at the intersection of art, entertainment, and commercial appeal. I enjoy what I do, and I have the pleasure of knowing hundreds of people who like it too. These aren't rules, exactly. They're… Continue reading Writing advice nobody asked for, but anyway
An Eligibility Post for the 2018 Award Season
The list is short. Witchmark is eligible for all sorts of 2018 awards, including the Nebula, the Hugo, and the Prix Aurora Award! (Please note that I am not eligible for the Campbell award for Best New Writer. I published a qualifying work way back in 2003.) Thank you to everyone who loved this book.… Continue reading An Eligibility Post for the 2018 Award Season
Scene Outlines, Explained in Great Detail
A scene is a unit of dramatic action. Emphasis on drama.
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