Elsie Johnson Belt, an ordinary woman living an ordinary life that wasn’t so ordinary in the early part of the 20th Century.
I am one of those privileged people who had four grandparents and three great-grandparents living nearby when I was a young child. They each passed on their unique wisdom and singular outlooks on life, and a day does not go by when I don’t appreciate their influence.
Today, I’m reflecting on what I know about my father’s mother’s mother, the oldest of my seven Grands who lived her life without apology. Elsie Johnson was an ordinary woman born in Salem, Indiana in 1895 who became extraordinary when she dared to do what she believed was right despite the morays of her time and her Methodist upbringing.
In 1914, at nineteen, Elsie became an unwed mother and refused to give up her daughter.
Elsie went on to work as a telephone operator for a dollar a day and, with the support of her family, raised Lorena Pearl on her own in the house her father built.
Despite having to leave school in seventh grade, Elsie ensured her daughter graduated high school.
Technically, Elsie was not a single parent. Lorena had four. Besides Elsie, there were Lorena’s grandparents Daniel and Eliza, and Eliza’s father, John Godby. But soon it was just Dan and a couple of Elsie’s younger siblings sharing the small single-story, four-square house with Elsie and Lorena.
The Johnsons. Elsie, littlest girl.
This is the Johnson house around 2007 when an Ancestry cousin visited Salem and with the owner’s permission took photos to share with me. Below are Elsie and her two closest-in-age siblings. Luis and Elsie in front of the shed shown on the right of the house above, and Ninnie and Elsie in front of the house in the 1920s.
When Dan decided to leave the memories of his wife behind and become a traveling salesman, Elsie, with her savings and help from her younger brother, bought the house from her father, ensuring Lorena continued to have a stable home close to aunts, uncles, and cousins.
This is how my grandmother Lorena became a happy-go-lucky, somewhat spoiled child, and my great-grandmother became my hero.
There was a man who loved Elsie but Elsie refused him for years, waiting until Lorena was on her own before she wed for the first time to Mr. Belt. By then, unknown to them, Mr. Belt had less than a decade left to live. Elsie sold her house and moved with her husband to Albuquerque, where they made the most of their eight years together.
Elsie lived in Albuquerque nearly twenty years after Mr. Belt’s death before moving to Northern California to be near her daughter. I helped her move. Well, sort of. My dad and mom picked her up on their way home from Tennessee at the end of Dad’s military service. I was riding along in my mother’s womb.
Here’s my chubby self with Elsie and Lorena.
The story is my folks also picked up a stray dog with a horrible case of flatulence. He shared the backseat with an uncomplaining Elsie who kept on smiling, she and the dog hanging their heads out of the car window.
In my mind, Gammy B, as the great grandkids called Elsie, is still a robust woman in a floral house dress and pin curls and never far from laughter.
This is Elsie, different year, same house dress, 😊 and my great Aunt Thelma (on the right in both photos), another special lady occupying many of my childhood memories.
I can still picture Elsie sitting at the table at family gatherings reveling in the conversation and getting that glint in her eye when she was about to share a dirty joke… or about to plead with someone to tell one.
Even before Ancestry became an obsession in 2007, my father’s lively grandmother filled me with a sense of perseverance and continuity. Thanks to years of research, I understand better how ingrained the pioneer spirit is on both sides of my father’s Indiana family. Elsie’s mother, Eliza Godby Johnson, hailed from the earliest American colonists to arrive in Jamestown, Virginia.
Her father’s mother’s family were colonists in North Carolina. Both sides followed Daniel Boone’s trail to Indiana Territory at the very beginning of the 19th century, hewing log cabins out of the dense woods that would become Washington County.
I will divert briefly to the story of Thomas Godby, who left Britain for the colonies on the Sea Venture, the ship that wrecked off the Bermuda Coast in 1609, inspiring Shakespeare’s The Tempest. The survivors, allegedly including Pocahontas according to a 1970s letter I have from one of her descendants sent to another Ancestry cousin, went on to build two new ships (under protest) from the wreckage and Bermuda cedar, The Deliverance, and The Patience.
The survivors wanted to stay on the island, but their commanders were determined to get to Jamestown and forced them to work on the ships and leave nine months later. Two men (deserters) stayed behind, and the rest forged ahead only to find the fledgling colony decimated.
There is conflicting information, which is why I linked to several accounts. But there are Jamestown musters recording arrivals. Thomas Godby is listed as arriving on the Deliverance and later as an “ancient planter.” His family tree is well-chronicled.
Thomas Godby was killed in a brawl with a “new planter.” After surviving a shipwreck, disease, and deadly raids, the man dies in a drunken bout of name-calling. Read about Thomas and his death here. The first link I provided includes better details but you have to scroll down. The account of the entire tragic evening 400 years ago survives since it was one of the first recorded trials in the colonies.
Memories of my grandmother and this aspect of her story surfaced after reading the December 2024 issue of The Smithsonian.
I wish I appreciated more as a child that my great-grandmother was born in a previous century and came from and lived through so much history. I wish I had asked more questions in that context. But I can look back on quality time and add up the pieces thanks to her homespun wisdom and the stories she lavishly shared during my many sleepovers.
When I knew Elsie, she lived in a tidy mobile home next to her daughter and son-in-law on their ten acres. Lorena wasn’t nearly as tidy. Mother and daughter were different in many ways but they adored each other. Lorena hoarded things, every room stuffed full of fun items to play with like ledger pads, pens, and decks of cards (Lorena worked for the county and taught me to shuffle), while Elsie’s tiny home was minimalistic, except for her hoard of Oleomargarine tubs stacked neatly in a kitchen cupboard.
Her staggering collection fascinated me for some bizarre reason. She reused every tub of Oleo she ever bought. I think she had a knack for appreciating multipurpose items and for making good use of small spaces. She told me once that she and her five siblings had to sleep on the same pallet in the attic room of their Salem house.
Elsie made the best persimmon pudding ever, and those tubs found their way to many homes when she doled out slices. She had a talking budgie named for her son-in-law, Joe. I can still see her pursing her lips and whistling to that bird. Her hair used to fall below her knees like it had since 1910, and she would braid it and wear it bound on her head. One of my fondest memories is helping her brush out her shockingly long tresses at bedtime. I was sad when she cut it in her later years, as sad as I was when JoeJoe the Budgie died.
We had Elsie with us until I was 22. Isn’t that awesome?! She made it passed 90 and never gave up her smile, her ready laughter, or her penchant for dirty jokes.
Me, Elsie, and Lorena.
My grandmother, Lorena, launched me on my Ancestry journey in 2007 when she pulled out boxes and boxes of very old photos and started talking about her mother’s history. Many descendants have benefitted from her collection. Through Ancestry, I was able to put Lorena in touch with her father’s family for the first time, along with many other long-lost cousins, which made her very happy. Lorena Pearl lived past 100.
This blog, honoring a remarkable woman, is for all those who have reached out and generously shared their history or appreciated what I had to share, which has resulted in a family tree of 2400 people, 1156 photos, and 3500 records. This chronicle is also for my niece and nephew so they know part of where they come from through someone who got to touch a piece of it.
I hope this inspires you to dig into your family history if you haven’t already. I can attest that even ordinary lives can be extraordinary and touch us no matter how far back they stretch into the past.
I like to tell people when I’m being dramatic that I was born under the shadow of Mount Shasta. It’s fitting that my writing passion was fueled by a visit to McCloud, California, which sits at the base of this mythical 14,139-foot-high stratovolcano.
I’ve been chatting with Introverted Indies dark fantasy author Lucy A. McLaren who was a guest on my Spotlight in 2023. Our conversation got me remembering the start of my writing journey in 2020 when I met my folks in McCloud, a small mill town on Highway 89 near Interstate 5, one of many historical mill and mining towns in Siskiyou and Shasta counties. A few miles down the highway, you’ll find Burney Falls. another scenic wonder President Theodore Roosevelt called “the Eight Wonder of the World.”
That first story I was typing away on (in photo below) never got past the first few chapters, but what a perfect setting for a paranormal romance! I’m only just now appreciating how much I was affected by the atmosphere, which I believe was the glue that cemented my writing passion.
An article in Big Think aptly describes Mount Shasta as “[a] mountain [is] associated with so many otherworldly, paranormal, and mythical beings—in addition to long-established Native American traditions—that it’s almost like a who’s who of metaphysics.”
I was super glad I booked a bed and breakfast room at the charming McCloud Hotel. I highly recommend a stay.
Check out Where I Live for more beautiful areas and photographs.
I hope you enjoy these tidbits shared in this month’s email newsletter.
Never once have I failed to find the education I’m looking for on YouTube. I wanted to know more about Norse magic and runes and came across YouTuber and professor Dr. Jackson Crawford who teaches that very subject. Here is the first video I stumbled upon in my search about Seiðr Magic and Gender:
Dr. Crawford has an entire course on runes.
That led me to rune song, which led to compiling a playlist of reinvented primitive music… pulsing, haunting, magical shaman stuff, great for fantasy inspiration. The first is an album by Munknörr. The second is a performance by Heilung.
Heilung’s music is described as “Viking metal,” in this charming article in a New Jersey high school newspaper. Heilung uses traditional instruments from around the world, including a horse skin drum, a Hindu ritual bell, and a buffalo horn rattle. They also sing in multiple languages, primarily Old Norse, Old English, and Old Saxon. This song, Krigsgaldr, translates roughly to battle magic.
I’ll finish this piece with two Chronicle documentaries that are lengthy but well worth watching. The first is the history of the Celts. You might be surprised by their origins and insights into a complex, creative culture built upon salt trading.
The second documentary is a history of the Dark Ages told through the art left behind. One major takeaway from both documentaries is the skewed writings of the historians, namely the Romans, who had no compunction about spinning history in their favor.
Art tells a different truth.
So, if you got this far, you might still be wondering about the real meaning of barbarian. It’s covered quite well in the video above, and you probably already know it refers to uncivilized people. Simply, it means other; those who don’t speak like us (according to the “civilized” Romans, it was everyone who lived outside of the Roman Empire).
I’ll link you to the Oxford Classical Dictionary, which goes into the definition at length. and says in part: The term was a social designation rather than a legal status, but could inform institutions and actions and, within certain contexts, the differential treatment of groups, in which case it can be appropriately described as racial thinking.
I hope you enjoy these tidbits shared in this month’s email newsletter.
As you might imagine, magic systems are an important literary device in fantasy writing. Choosing the right level on the High to Low Magic spectrum is crucial to shaping the plot and driving the characters whether the system features big in the plot, or is merely a gossamer thread. Check out 7 Ways to Create a Spectacular Magic System For Your Novel at Writers Write.
Click to Subscribe. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hard and Soft Magic is another way to look at it as my go-to fantasy writing guru, Richie Billing, brings out. He explains how Hard Magic requires detailing the system’s complexity and all its nuanced rules, whereas soft magic lacks clarity and leaves more to the imagination.
The Starlight Chronicles falls on the lower end of this spectrum, which is typical for writers with romance as their overarching genre. But even we must be serious about our magic system as we develop the plot, flesh out the logical details, and strive to make our fantasy elements vibrant no matter that the bulk of the magic is left unsaid. It still comes through. Readers must have enough believable substance to become immersed as much as they need captivating settings and compelling characters.
I want to nudge my current work in progress (my spinoff story for dragon shifter Michael Elliott) higher up the scale. Elliott’s dragon will be a major character and Onyx needs a backstory. To that end, after creating my antagonist and giving Spero his opening scene, I’ve taken a break from writing and turned to research.
Spero hails from a long line of Nordic witches who use rune magic. The runes are etched into his skin as a means to access and control their power. That’s both a painful handicap and a super strength, which will come out in interesting ways in the story. Suddenly, my mage’s backstory became paramount and needed much more work.
This epiphany led me down fascinating historical paths involving runes, the sagas written in them, their use in incantations, their songs. So, I pulled out long-neglected knitting and crocheting projects and stitched away while watching YouTube videos on Norse Mythology, Viking history, and the Dark Ages, including nuggets like the real meaning of the word barbarian. I also learned the surprising origins of the Celts and how they spread through Europe and competed with the Roman Empire in art, culture, and wow, even chariot racing!
Thank you Richie Billing for such a wealth of fantasy writing resources including this fantastic detailed article on Medieval Castles. Just what I was looking for as I write my contemporary fantasy set in a well-preserved fortification in the Scottish Highlands shaped like a dragon’s footprint. Why a dragon’s footprint? Follow my work in progress and find out.
Click the images and enjoy Richie’s comprehensive article.
I have finally reached that stage in my writing journey when daily habits are gelling.
I’ve been writing and interviewing writers for nearly four years. Why has it taken so long to form craft habits like so many of my guests talk about in our interviews?
Maybe it’s because I worked full time until a year and a half ago leaving little time to make writing my life’s pursuit or form habits other than the tired ones from my “day job” routine, which probably spilled over into my writing routine. Hmmm. Maybe I had habits I didn’t think of as habits. Anyhoo…
It could be because it has taken this long to absorb all those wonderful discussions, read enough blogs, exchange work with fellow writers, and apply the collective shared techniques subconsciously until the things that work for me stuck.
The daily habit I’m sharing today is reading articles about writing in an effort to pass on the benefits of such articles.
Devoting time each day to reading about writing.
Aside from my husband of 34 years, writing is the reason I get up in the morning. I can’t wait to grab my coffee (courtesy of said husband) and get to my keyboard to capture all the scenes that played through my mind during the night, flesh out the fascinating pod people planted in my dreams by aliens, or try out characters inspired by shows like PBS’s American Experience (who knew Lyndon B. Johnson was so multidimensional).
Before I get started these days, I take time out to go through my emails and click on my favorite blog sites when an article catches my eye.
Here are two favorites from this morning that I had to share because they resonated so well they inspired me to write a blog of my own. The articles themselves from two of my favorite daily email drops explain why I find this habit beneficial… and that’s it for today folks!
My guests this month are writers who have played a huge role in my growth as an author practically from the beginning but in a whole new way over this last year. We formed a writing group to share and discuss our works in progress. Our goal is to improve our writing by helping each other be a better writer through feedback–a simple concept, but it really works!
In this discussion, we will share the benefits gleaned from our focused group feedback on this amazing journey as well as our writer’s life, goals, and processes.
The Writers
Isa Ottoni
Isa began her journey as an avid fantasy reader who often wondered if, one day, she could write a book herself. It turned out that she could.
For Isa, the lens of fantasy helps her understand the world; the good and the bad, the whimsical and the dark. Much more than a form of escapism, she believes that speculative fiction has the potential to show a better future for ourselves, to take us on new adventures.
Besides writing and reading, Isa enjoys long runs through local parks, watering her plants with her adoring husband, and obsessing over the fanart of her favorite fantasy protagonists. You can find Isa on Instagram and Substack for her newsletter and published works.
Dylan
Dylan has never written a bio before and, as such, made this one in five minutes and hopes it doesn’t show.
For Dylan, his love of fantasy, morally grey characters, and dark humour led to him writing his very first story – It didn’t make the light of day and is currently locked in an undisclosed cupboard – It did however show him that he could and he would write.
Currently, Dylan is working on a fantasy novel set in 18th-century Scotland filled with Jacobean Sorcerers and mythological creatures he is proud of and one day hopes to share with others.
Outside of reading, writing, and generally feeling sorry for himself, Dylan enjoys Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and runs through his local dams.
Dylan hopes you have enjoyed hearing about him in the third person…
D. L. Lewellyn
D. L. Lewellyn is an independent author writing fantasy romance every chance she gets. A passion for writing took her by surprise in 2021 following a summer of voracious pandemic-induced reading in a new favorite genre, paranormal romance. Her latest publication, Les Romances des Trois, features three enchanting ménage à trois romances.
Besides self-publishing her novels, her stories have found homes in anthology publications, and many more are in the works. Ask anyone who knows her, and they’ll tell you she’s a dedicated multi-crafter.
She also enjoys blogging, chatting with authors and other creators on her monthly Sunday Spotlight, and classic cinema nights with her husband, dogs, and a big bowl of popcorn.
The Group
Thank you for joining us today! It’s great to have this opportunity to share how beneficial and fun it has been to participate as a group with these talented writers on Zoom. I’ll start with how we got together.
Isa and I have shared beta reads since meeting on Richie Billing’s Discord channel in 2022. Because we love the same genres and Isa is a voracious and insightful reader, it has been a hugely fun and much-appreciated collaboration. Isa was one of my first Spotlight Guests. I met Dylan on Richie’s channel that same year and we have chatted regularly ever since. Dylan’s insights have often been game-changers. When Isa asked about forming a writing group, Dylan was the first person I thought of. The progress we have made over the last year has more than met my expectations.
We have another member who is taking a break. We hope Dan can return because we enjoy his writing tremendously and are dying to get to that next chapter! Besides being so awesome with sharing feedback, all three group members are much younger than me and live in different countries. Their unique perspectives have been phenomenal and multi-layered and why I encourage writers to reach wide to find a community.
Let’s Get Started
Can you share who or what inspired you to be a writer and your favorite genres, books, or authors? What makes them your favorite?
Isa. It is so hard to pick favorites, especially because my answer will vary according to the last book I’ve read. But I’ll say that I’ve read fantasy since I can remember, and magic is what draws me into the stories. I love whimsical tales with a dash of darkness, compelling characters, and romantic subplots.
Marion Zimmer Bradley was/is a huge influence. The Mists of Avalon was one of my first contacts with feminist retellings and made me realize how powerful stories can be. I’m also a huge fan of Susanna Clarke, Suzanne Collins, and Anne Rice. Now, as an adult, I’ve discovered wonderful writers who inspire me every day. R.K. Ashwick, Ella Mcleod, Aiden Thomas, D.N. Bryn, A.J. White, T. J. Klune, to name a few.
And of course, the friends I made along the way. You, Darci, have been a great source of inspiration—I adore your stories and your feedback!
The indie community is stunning, and it opens a world of opportunities to us. So I kept thinking, maybe I could do this too. I gave it a shot, and it worked. I’ll have my debut novel published with a small press next year, and it is honestly a dream come true.
Dylan. I was first inspired when I played the video game God of War (several years after its release.) I found myself immersed in the world that the Santa Monica studio created and loved their storytelling, but the thing that really caught my attention was how they mixed gods from different pantheons (Greek with the Norse) so seamlessly into one narrative. After this, I bought two books on writing, (Techniques of the Selling Writer, and Save the Cat! Writes a Novel). I read both in their entirety, scrolling notes across their pages, and creating my own notes of actionable points. Then I wrote the worst book I have ever written and loved it. Why? Because I had done what I had set out to do and learned so much along the way to help with my future projects.
As my above answer may suggest, I value storytelling above “writing” per se. A lot of my knowledge/instinct comes from different media outside of novels. I love playing video games, reading their scripts, and love comics/graphic novels.
The Last of Us gripped me from the get-go with the father and “daughter” story at its heart whilst they encounter a cast of characters that would live in this post-apocalyptic world. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Blacksad comics have also been influential to me as well. I believe both have isolated how dialogue can carry the story and have great character arcs over words and pictures.
But all of this does not make up for the fact that a novel writer must read novels. The top three, in no particular order I would read on a desert island until the pages fade away, are; The Lies of Locke Lamora, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and The Night Circus. All of which I have chosen because of the vivid experience I had whilst reading, the wide cast of characters, and the dark tale each of them tells.
Isa. I LOVE The Lies of Locke Lamora too! Such a great book.
Darci. Wow! Thank you both. It is so hard to pick favorites, but you two nailed the what and the why. Dylan, I love your take on the storytelling aspect. It comes through in our group time and again. And your three top faves are on my list. Isa, what a treat to know you love one of my all-time favorites, Mists of Avalon. Now, I know why we love each other’s stories so much. This link is to Thriftbooks in case anyone wants a paper or hardback. The book left images in my mind for years after reading it. I had the hardcopy edition on my bookshelf for so long and wish I still did so I could absorb it again as an author. I might have to buy it again.
I just remembered a framed print I had in the 80s of Waterhouse’s The Lady of Shalott inspired by Tennyson’s poem. I bought it because of the book like so many fans did back then.
Can you share an overview of your current projects and writing goals? If we came back a year from now, what would you want most to have accomplished? Five years from now?
Isa. I’m working on my second novel and sharing my writing with our group. In the meantime, I’ll be editing and marketing my debut—a colossal task. I hope readers will enjoy my book, and be as excited about it as I am. I hope I can find my readership and grow a community. I hope I don’t make a fool out of myself on social media, but given the number of silly videos I post, that ship might have already sailed.
Five years from now… Maybe I’ll be a full-time author? That’s the dream, isn’t it?
Dylan. Currently, I am writing a fantasy novel set in 18th-century Scotland with kilt-wearing whisky drunk sorcerers. Mythical beings aplenty, and a dark tale at its core. My number one writing goal is to continue fine-tuning this current draft month to month from the feedback I receive from this writing group. In a year from now, I want to have a polished story I can show to potential agents or publishers.
Five years? Hopefully a lot! I want to have written “What happens” next to my current novel (I have it outlined.) Redraft a horror Christmas novel I have a first draft of. And last but certainly not least I have written the first 8 issues of a comic set in the UK which is a mix of “The Walking Dead” and Disney’s “Zootropolis”. I would love to bring this to life with a talented comic artist, but those are all battles for different times.
Just now my focus is on the present and that means getting the best version of my first novel.
Darci. I’m super glad I get to be around to see all these wonderful goals in the works and the ones coming to fruition. And your IG is so fun, Isa! You’ve got a lively vibe. Keep up the good work.
I have seven novels started and two are my focus for 2025. I hope to publish one of those by the end of next year. Five years from now, it would be lovely to have two to three more published, but that means I need to speed up my process! There’s so much more work involved with self-publishing than the writing part, and I had no idea. Marketing can be a fun creative outlet, and I enjoy reaching out to readers and connecting with writers and all of it takes a lot of time. I’m constantly feeling like I’m missing opportunities, while I find others. Whiplash! It’s a matter of finding the right balance. Nearly four years in, and I’m figuring some of that out.
How do you fit writing into your busy work schedules and lives, and how important is it to make it happen? If you could manage it, would writing be your primary occupation?
Isa. Yes! I love my day job, I really do, but writing is what makes me the most happy, what gives me purpose. So I write whenever I can, in the mornings, weekends, and days off. When I can’t write, I think about it, make up scenes in my mind, and plan what I’ll write next.
I try to organize my time but also let it be flexible. For instance, I’ll usually work first, make sure all the “official” demands are met, and then I move on to writing. I plan my week out so it is easy to see which days are more open, and which days are not. But also, since I love writing, I’ll often do it anyway, even if I’m tired or busy. Sometimes, just a couple of lines, or a paragraph is enough. I’m writing and that’s enough.
Dylan. I have an excel sheet I update whenever I need to. I use it as a weekly schedule of my non-negotiables (Work hours, exercise, and family time.) After this I see where my “free time” is and plan in my writing. Typically, this means I have 1-2 hours of writing a day Sunday – Thursday. And a minimum of an hour Friday and Saturday. I do, however, always tend to “accidentally” write a little longer.
And I don’t know if I would make writing my main occupation. For me, it is an escape. I work in the science sector. In a job that I worked hard to get. I would like to add to my life with writing, but I would not want to choose one in place of the other. Besides, I feel writing benefits from having daily interactions in the real world. I feel if I became a full-time writer I would be more isolated from others. A lot of my idea’s on characters come from my interactions with others.
DLL. So, I would say you both make writing a priority because it’s a joy for you. Me too! And I’m envious of your organizational discipline! Of course, you have an Excel sheet Dylan.😄 And you make a good point. Isolation is a very real hazard. I retired early to write, and I can say I am officially a recluse. I’m sure I’ll just disappear one day and someone will find my bones piled up by my dilapidated computer. Thank goodness for both of you keeping me planted in the real world at least a couple of times a month.
Can you share your top highlights from our writing group engagement?
Isa. Community; Support; Learning; Accountability. Having a writing group is a game changer, and I would not be where I am right now without it. Having author friends gives us a sense of community and that is precious. Writing can be such a solitary endeavor, but knowing there are people out there excited about your story makes it so much easier. The support we get from a group is everything. We learn a lot — and I mean A LOT — from sharing what we write. We are sometimes blind to our own work, so having more people look at it makes all the difference. Giving and receiving feedback is such a formative thing; I learn as much from critiquing other people’s work as I do having my work critiqued. Finally, scheduled meetings mean we must meet the deadlines, and it gives us that extra boost to actually sit down and write.
Dylan. Darci, Isa, and Dan are all excellent writers with their own distinct styles, voice, and different strengths in their storytelling that always has me asking, “And then what?”
Through the course of our engagements, it has shown me that my writing problems are not unique. All of us at one stage or another of our stories come across similar problems in our writing but having this group means that instead of us individually hitting our heads against the wall until we break through we can discuss a solution that others have found that works for them. And even if it doesn’t work for me it at the least highlights the problem, giving me a direction to look.
Outside of this, I find having group submissions gives me a deadline that wouldn’t exist otherwise. It’s a cheesy saying that “pressure makes diamonds.” But I genuinely feel without this group, most of my ideas would still be carbon deposits (Not coal! Inner science nerd.)
Darci. Absolutely fantastic takeaways and all things I would list too. I would just add as I did at the outset that, having begun writing so late in life and writing to a younger, diverse audience, it has been invaluable to have the insights and perspectives of significantly younger, well-read, focused writers who also have varied cultural and world views. My writing has a better chance of appealing to a wider audience.
I used to tell Dylan I worried I was too old-fashioned, and I think I said the same to you, Isa. These days, thanks to bridging gaps during our sessions, I’m feeling much better about that, and hopefully, you both have gained from sharing your writing with an elderly person. 😁
We have a lot of fun discussing our process–the techniques or methods we’ve discovered along our journeys. The ideas and examples we exchange during our video meetings have often been huge motivators and eye-opening moments. I’ve found it interesting how our techniques evolve, giving way to completely different approaches and sometimes circling back to earlier methods. What are some of your best practices that have stuck with you and why?
Isa. I tend to rush my plot; I get excited about certain scenes and I skim over the connecting bits. I learnt that I do that with the group. It is funny how we don’t see the problem until someone else points it out. So now, as I draft, I pay much more attention to the details, taking my time to set the scene, to flesh out characters, to show beats where I’d otherwise use a montage. I’m a sucker for montages, but I must use them sparingly.
I listen to feedback and use it in my next session, without exception. That’s how I learn, always trying to improve, to make my thoughts clear on the page.
Dylan. Great question! My early drafts play out like a film with all my scenes, settings, and characters interacting but I tend to lack emotional depth in the form of indirect and direct internal dialogue where it matters. This has been highlighted in my submissions and now on completion of my draft, I go back through my piece and highlight all the points as I read where I feel if I was in my character’s position I would react. I also have trigger point characters where my character should always feel some deep emotions whenever they are mentioned so I search my drafts for their names/places/times and always make sure it’s a significant moment when they are mentioned (Otherwise delete them as why am I mentioning them?)
Darci. I can totally relate to rushing when those ideas hit! I still find spots where I leaped too fast between scenes in my published books! And we know how Isa loves her montages, so here’s a little Team America for you, Isa.
Along with the previous question, are you a pantser, a plotter, or somewhere in between? How do you get your plot and character ideas? How do you build on them?
Isa. I began as a pantser, which works great for short stories, but not so much for full-length books. So I’m trying to improve my plotting skills, and right now, I’m somewhere in between. My brain does not enjoy plotting, bullet points suck the life out of my story, so I’ve discovered a way to trick myself into plotting, making it fun as I go.
I start with vibes. A scene, and characters, an arc. Then, what I do is this:
My draft zero is an interview with my characters. That’s not for the reader, just for me. I know their end game, but I’m not sure how we get there, so I sit them down and ask.
For my current WIP, it looks something like this:
Hey, [name redacted], how did you become the consort of two immortal vampires?
Or
Hey, [names redacted], how did you two become vampires?
Then, I let them speak, in a monologue, I let them tell me their story. It sounds crazy, but I swear it works. I’m pantsing, brainstorming, and learning their voices as I go. Whatever comes out of it will have my plot, the scenes I must write, and a blueprint of my story.
Then, I draft. The first draft is messy, and honestly the most fun. I don’t stop until I reach the end, and that means NO EDITING. It’s hard, the urge to edit is strong, but I’ve learnt to control it.
The second draft is development editing and making it readable, and that is the draft I show people (my writing group and critique partner).
The third draft is applying the feedback, making it better. Still not polished, but the story and characters will be much stronger. That’s the draft I’ll show the editor. A couple of drafts afterwards and I’ll have a book!
Dylan. It all starts with the seed of an idea. Sometimes it’s a character, sometimes it’s a plot, sometimes it’s a conversation. I scribble these all on Word documents and then come back to them from time to time. If after some time has passed and I still feel the excitement for the initial idea and it’s longer than a short story, I purchase a nice notepad and expand on my starting idea and just write the longest mess possible, over a weekend at most. I then ask myself questions. Not limited to these but just a few examples:
What do I like about my story?
What don’t I like?
Is my current main character the correct POV to follow for this story?
What is the throughline of my story?
What arc will my character have?
After this I tend to have a bit of distance from the story but keep the notepad, sprinkling in any ideas, I have over the course of a week to a month. Then I make an outline for my story without looking at anything I have written (I hope the good ideas will have stayed with me.)
After I have this outline I sit down and write my zero draft of my book, treating the outline like train tracks to guide my story, but I welcome being derailed and following the train elsewhere.
When I’m finished with this draft, I give myself distance from the story. Then when I return it’s a lot of discovering if what I originally thought my story was about is still the case.
If not, what is it about now? Find this answer and make an outline for my next draft to make sure everything in this draft serves this purpose.
After this draft, it’s all about fine-tuning the story and that is what I am currently doing. As a newer writer, I have had less experience at these last steps. They are definitely the most rewarding and painstakingly difficult.
P.S. If anyone has an easier way, please tell me!
Darci. I just had the most fun diving into both of your processes! I can’t wait to sit down for an interview with my dragon shifter, Michael Elliott, and Onyx, his dragon. He’s one of the three MMCs in my series and getting his own book, hopefully this year. I might know him well but not well enough! My heart a swinging by the seat of my pants every step of the way. I have no patience for mapping things out because I just want that story to come out. Four years later, I am employing a bit more organization and development as I go.
How I think of Isa working on her magical stories…
Isa. Okay, this is spot on! LOVE IT!
And Dylan, gotta love your notebooks! They work and they’re easy to hoard.
This is how I always picture Dylan at work on his plots.
If you haven’t visited Heart Breathings on YouTube, you might enjoy author Sarra Cannon’s channel. She has a notebook challenge every year and it’s coming up. It’s just one of her writing challenges and tips she shares with her huge following. I followed her before I started writing, back when I was a planner geek.
I told you I loved notebooks Dylan. I’m truly baffled that I don’t use them more for writing.
If you could share only one tip or resource for new writers, what would it be? Okay, so that might be tough to narrow down. Feel free to add a couple more.
Isa. Brandon Sanderson’s lectures on Youtube are a must watch. Even if you’re not into his books like me (I know, what a sacrilege, but it is what it is), his lessons are GREAT for baby writers. I’ve learnt a lot from him.
But I’ll also say that, if you want to write, you MUST READ. Not only crafting books, but books books, fiction within and outside your genre. Read and then think: Why did I like these books? Why didn’t I? What made me so invested in these characters, why am I grinning and kicking my feet, or why do I find this beat boring? This is the greatest exercise for writers in every stage of their craft. Read, read, read. Then write, write, write.
Dylan. I have two pieces of advice. One is to write what you want to read. There is no guarantee what you write is ever going to be successful (And in my opinion, it doesn’t have to be.) So why not write the story that you are proud of? I’m sure it will connect with someone who feels the same way and isn’t that what a story is all about?
And two. When it comes to the actual writing process, treat your first draft as your zero draft. By this I mean take all the pressure off yourself. Write with your initial plan, follow your instincts, don’t be afraid to bullet point parts you don’t fully know. Just get every ounce of that raw story on the page. After that comes the fun part. Look at that steaming pile of S…Story. And look for its strengths and weaknesses, make a plan you are comfortable with, and then work on your first proper draft. This draft is what you will edit. Otherwise, it is too easy to get hung up on getting it perfect the first time and for me personally, that is impossible. I need to fail before I can succeed.
Darci. I knew you both would have a wealth of great things to share on technique. I’ll just add how valuable I find writing analysis tools like Autocrit analyzers and Read Aloud on Word. Both trained me to recognize all those endless weird things you do when you first start writing… repetition, redundancy, overusing adverbs, passive voice, all things you overlook unless it’s reflected back to you audibly or statistically. Listen to your writing. Search for overused words like “this,” or those filter words Isa hates like… look, know, think, and feel. You might be shocked at the number of hits.
And really, this reflecting is what we give back to each other in our group participation.
Thanks so much! This has been a blast as well as inspirational. I can’t wait to see where we are at next year. In the meantime, happy writing!
Isa. Thank you so much for having us! Looking forward to seeing you in our next meeting!
I’m so happy I don’t have to abandon my cherished Starlight Chronicles Pod People! The pack is returning in dragon shifter Michael Elliott’s spinoff story. Yes! 👊
My working title may include any combination of the words Pursuit, For, Of, Love, Magic, and Dragons. Follow my novel writing journey here or in my newsletter and help me with the title for a chance to win a signed paperback copy of Michael Elliott’s upcoming story. Yes, again! 👊😄
My goal is for publication in 2026, or earlier if miracles happen. You will also get early cover reveals and requests for input as it’s developed. Let me know if you’re interested in beta reading.
This is National Novel Writing Month and Elliott, as Selena likes to call the alpha who joined her quest in Book Two, Drago Incendium, is getting full-on dedicated page time, including gorgeous scenes at his lofty Scottish castle in the Highlands. The story will also take you back to Ketchikan and Dylan Aires’ fishing lodge. You remember Selena’s brother? The vampire who can walk in daylight and cook like Julia Child? And finally, we’ll be exploring the fae realms, including a wondrous place not even the supernatural races know exists.
Not only did Elliott promise Selena he would share dragon lore and show her his castle but a seer envisioned the same. Stick with me on this journey and learn what happens when Elliott brings Andras and Selena to his castle on Ben Shiel to fulfill his promise.
Princess Priss Starwillow and wolf shifter Sam Harrison will come to stay as well. Michael Elliott hires Callie, once captive to Prince Aviel Enair, to help run his castle. Selena is expecting twins. Michael and Callie have prepared his laird’s chamber for her precious arrivals and Selena is thrilled to have Callie and Priss there to help. There may even be other surprise visits.
The setting is perfect for a pack gathering and happy reunions until a powerful mage comes for Onyx. Worse, Spero uses, the sassy, outspoken shapeshifter, Halil Enair, to dupe Michael a second time, threatening to sever his symbiotic bond with Onyx. Will Spero succeed? And what does the mage want with a dragon and his soul?
Onyx appears in a few fabulous scenes in books two and three of The Starlight Chronicles. Now, he gets his full-on dedicated page time too.
These lovely characters, whom I’ve said from the beginning were seeded in my brain by aliens where they grew and clamored to be heard, deserve to continue their existence. This is just one of a handful of Starlight Chronicle stories I’ve got planned.
I couldn’t do it with you. Thanks for your support!
Click on Onyx’s portrait or the form below to subscribe to D. L. Lewellyn’s Newsletter and join the team!
Join The Starlight Chronicles Community to follow Onyx’s story.Onyx’s portrait created using ChatGPT
I was expecting lists of words I could peruse for inspiration and variety in my writing. There is so much more! Fantastic insights and advice on character development, making them relatable, real, and layered–ways to give them the true breath of life as they reach through the pages and pull the reader in by the shirt collar.
Just sharing…
We’re experiencing a 32-hour power shut down, one of those deliberate outages in case of weather emergency type of things legislatures are passing now. So, I’m reading real books while enjoying the remaining daylight.
We live in a windy high desert valley. For 25 years… so much wind, all times of the year. Now, a windstorm warrants emergency power measures while everything goes dark. Thank goodness for generators and a husband who knows all about electrical stuff. I’ve got four minutes to get this published and then we switch to powering the heat.
Pod People Unite! Yesterday, I blogged about my Work In Progress (WIP) and invited followers to tag along. This is blog 2 to point you to my new page where I’ll keep all my updates organized and share fun stuff like what follows… ❤️
A Peek Into Starlight Chronicles Dragon History
Fact One – The dragon species was wiped out eons ago in the Great Purge
Fact Two – In the time before the last dragon vanished, an underground sect formed to continue the noncorporeal species through a symbiotic bond with a human who could withstand the harrowing transformation to a dragon. Many made the ultimate sacrifice to perfect the ability.
Fact Three – These humans became the first animal shifters.
Fact Four – When dragons disappeared, so did their kingdom in the fae realms. Great magic still exists there if anyone knows where to look.
Fact Five – Our sexy main character, Michael Elliott, is a dragon shifter and the alpha of the Fire Star Pack. His territory covers the State of Oregon in the U.S. Michael is bonded with an ancient dragon called Onyx.
Fact Six – When Michael shifts into a dragon, Onyx gets his corporeal body back though he occupies it with Michael. When Michael is human, Onyx is with him in body and soul. It’s truly a symbiotic relationship, and the bond is never meant to be broken.
Fact Seven– The two share a castle in the Scottish Highlands passed down by Michael’s dragon host predecessors. (In The Starlight Chronicles, Elliott, as Selena came to call him, teamed up with bear shifter and alpha of the North Star Pack, Andras Johns, to support Selena Aires in her prophetic quest. The three reunite in this story, and Michael will finally share dragon lore with Selena. It will be more than she bargained for.)
Fact Eight – Onyx has scales like obsidian and the same deep midnight blue eyes as his host.
The Starlight Chronicles series is a great place to rev up for Michael’s spinoff story from Book Two, Drago Incendium, which starts where Book One, Ursus Borealis, leaves off. The saga concludes in Book Three, Tigris Vetus.
This new novel is for Michael. 🥰
Let me know if you’re enjoying the journey! Comment with ideas and feedback.
By D. L. Lewellyn 