Kathleen MacIver - Notes from my keyboard » general http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog time-travel romance and young-adult fantasy stories Tue, 15 Mar 2011 18:13:26 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 Another story idea… http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/2009/10/another-story-idea/ http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/2009/10/another-story-idea/#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:16:48 +0000 kathleenmaciver http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/?p=380 (I know, I know…this has nothing to do with Allison’s story that I started-but-haven’t-yet-finished, and it’s not pictures of Scotland…but I’ve been letting this blog slide because I’ve been limiting myself to only posts that fit certain categories. So from now on…all I can promise is that my posts will have something to do with writing or Scotland.)

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So I got this new story idea yesterday morning, also set in the fantasy world of Jarentho. Who knows…maybe this’ll be book #2 some day!

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Sixteen-year-old Solen longs for adventure. He wants to save the city, escape from danger, and rescue a beautiful girl. But there’s a problem. None of the girls–beautiful or not–need saving. And even if a raider did manage to kidnap one of them, they certainly wouldn’t want him for their rescuer.  They’d want someone handsome, someone tall, someone amazing. Someone else.

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Nelca watched Solen from her place in the shadows. On the surface, he appeared to be the most unremarkable of this very-ordinary-looking group of guys. Yet, thanks to the gift Malkior had bestowed upon her, she saw something more. Something that beckoned in his future. Something woven from the threads of destiny and power. Something that made him not so ordinary after all.

]]> http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/2009/10/another-story-idea/feed/ 3 For those who attended my workshop… http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/2009/10/for-those-who-attended-my-workshop/ http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/2009/10/for-those-who-attended-my-workshop/#comments Sat, 24 Oct 2009 23:38:46 +0000 kathleenmaciver http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/?p=367 I did a workshop presentation today titled “Networking Your Way to a Contract.” I’m currently typing in the handout that I wish I’d thought to have ready today, instead of the shorter one I did pass out.

So…if anyone who attended the workshop (or anyone who didn’t but is interested anyway) would like me to email a copy of this note-filled handout, just let me know!

]]> http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/2009/10/for-those-who-attended-my-workshop/feed/ 0 An update… http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/2009/08/an-update-2/ http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/2009/08/an-update-2/#comments Sat, 15 Aug 2009 20:36:37 +0000 kathleenmaciver http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/?p=342 I’m heavy into a website redesign…that’s why the blog is temporarily on hold.  So please hold tight!  I’ll announce it here when the new site is up, and then I’ll see what else I have for you.

]]> http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/2009/08/an-update-2/feed/ 1 It’s HARD… http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/2009/05/its-hard/ http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/2009/05/its-hard/#comments Mon, 11 May 2009 19:00:29 +0000 kathleenmaciver http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/?p=315 It’s HARD to work on one story, when you’re suddenly passionate about another! And this is, evidently, what happens to aspiring authors. ::smile::

I know you all are waiting on a new update in Allison & Gabe’s story, but a totally-new, totally-different, not-even-a-Scottish-time-travel story hijacked my imagination, and it’s all I can do to keep up with it, let alone get back to Allison & Gabe’s story!

So…to hopefully compensate you all for your everlasting patience, I’ll offer you a snippet from this new story. I’m not going to post it on the blog, because I’ll probably want to pull it back down in a couple weeks…but in the meantime, you’ll find it here:

http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/index.php/untitled-new-genre-new-world-new-story/

Feel free to comment either there or here!

]]> http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/2009/05/its-hard/feed/ 1 World-Building http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/2009/03/world-building/ http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/2009/03/world-building/#comments Sat, 14 Mar 2009 02:03:05 +0000 kathleenmaciver http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/?p=266 I’m still working on world-building and plot-crafting for Allison and Gabe’s story…and as an illustration of why this sometimes takes so long, I have a treat for you!

This is a short video that is absolutely amazing. The guy who created it called it “A strange man re-creates a world for the woman he loves.” Those of us in the author world, however, see this as sort of a visual of what goes on inside our heads in the world-building portion of story-writing. The plot crafting is very similar, too…just more linear, because it’s actions, thoughts, and feelings that are being arranged and figured out in detail, rather than the world that our characters live in.

But that’s enough explanation. Enjoy!

World Builder from Bruce Branit on Vimeo.

]]> http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/2009/03/world-building/feed/ 2 And now back to our regular programming… http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/2009/02/and-now-back-to-our-regular-programming/ http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/2009/02/and-now-back-to-our-regular-programming/#comments Fri, 06 Feb 2009 02:52:36 +0000 kathleenmaciver http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/?p=207 For those of you who haven’t noticed my recent Twitter updates over there on the sidebar… I’ve used almost the enter last week and a half trying to finish a final round of edits on my story, so I can enter the Amazon Breaththrough Novel Award contest. That’s why my house is a mess. That’s why emails have gone unanswered. And that’s why you haven’t gotten a new update on Allison and Gabe.

BUT… I am happy to say that I finished the edits, entered the contest, and now have brain-space available to write the next installment for you!

So stay tuned!

]]> http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/2009/02/and-now-back-to-our-regular-programming/feed/ 1 I’m twittering! http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/2009/01/im-twittering/ http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/2009/01/im-twittering/#comments Sun, 01 Feb 2009 01:37:12 +0000 kathleenmaciver http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/?p=203 I’ve decided to give this Twitter thing a try. I honestly don’t know how much I’ll use it… but I downloaded an API that’s supposed to help me manage it. I suppose I’ll use it for mentioning when I’m posting a new blog post, etc. So… if any of you are interested in following me, here’s my twitter page. (That sounds like something off of Bambi!)

http://twitter.com/KathleenMaciver

PS… I’m going to add a new feature to the blog, so stay tuned!

]]> http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/2009/01/im-twittering/feed/ 1 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/2008/12/merry-christmas-and-happy-new-year/ http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/2008/12/merry-christmas-and-happy-new-year/#comments Tue, 30 Dec 2008 19:58:59 +0000 kathleenmaciver http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/?p=178 As you all have perhaps noticed, I took a break on story-writing for Christmas.  I had to.  You wouldn’t have been pleased with a story installment yanked from the madness of trying to finish Christmas quilts and bathrobes.  I was up to my ears in fabric scraps and threads and stray pins.

But I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, I hope you have safe plans for New Year’s, and I’ll have the next installment for you in a few days, as well.  And this one will jump to Gabe!

]]> http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/2008/12/merry-christmas-and-happy-new-year/feed/ 1 Happy Thanksgiving! http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/2008/11/happy-thanksgiving/ http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/2008/11/happy-thanksgiving/#comments Wed, 26 Nov 2008 22:10:36 +0000 kathleenmaciver http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/?p=51 In-between cooking pies and desserts, I’m working on the next installment for Allison and Gabe’s story. So, I thought I’d drop you all a note to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving, and to let you all know that the installment will be here waiting for you when you’re finished with your Black Friday shopping!

]]> http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/2008/11/happy-thanksgiving/feed/ 0 A gift certificate giveaway… http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/2008/10/a-gift-certificate-giveaway/ http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/2008/10/a-gift-certificate-giveaway/#comments Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:14:00 +0000 kathleenmaciver http://kathleenmaciver.com/blog/?p=25 Does free money for books sound good?

I hope so, because I’ve decided to hold a small contest when my story is released. The prize? A $25 gift card for Borders?

So… as I work on edits, I’ll also be working on a website update to announce this and host it. (Yes, I’m a website designer, too.) It’ll be announced here on this blog, so stay tuned!

And if you want to make sure you don’t miss it, use the links over there on the right to either subscribe to this blog through email or through the preferred reader of your choice.

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