The Realms of a Fantastical Mind

I would like to welcome Robert David MacNeil to the Realm.  Thanks for joining us.   To find all the parts of this interview follow the links Part 1 with Dean C Rich Part 2 with Terri Bruce Part 3 with T.W. Fendley Part 4 is here with me Part 5 with Sandra  Robert David MacNeil is an author, wine-lover, and investigator of things supernatural.  Over the last twenty years he's traveled to 32 nations researching, writing, and teaching on angels, demons, and supernatural encounters.   His travels have taken him from the steppes of Mongolia to the jungles of Thailand, and from the Eskimo villages of Northwest Alaska to le fin del mundo, the "end of the world," at the tip of South America.  Long a fan of science fiction and suspense thrillers, Robert also has a love for history–especially ancient Greece, Rome and medieval Europe.  He's particularly fascinated with Patrick, Columba, and the ancient Celts of Ireland and Scotland....

I think the first thing that comes to mind on this is... "All Hale George R.R. Martin!" Okay, maybe not everyone feels that way.  I've only read his first book and was wowed by it.  There is so much depth, so much to every banner, every household.  So much that I didn't think of... back to the drawing board. When writing fiction there are some basic backgrounds that need to be established. The Main Character.  Where did they come from?  How did they get to be the way they are at the beginning of the book?  What effects them the most positively and negatively? The Supporting Characters.  Again, where did they come from? How did they get to be the way they are at the beginning of the book? What effects them the most positively and negatively? The Land around them.  Yup even the land needs a history.  When writing Urban stories things are easier because the history was already made.  We know about what has happened in Bo...

I'm up on Dragons and Aliens and Wraiths Oh My , talking about the need for thick skin when getting a critique of my work. It all deals with the mindset.  Keep an open mind and remember that your critique partner is trying to help you get better. What do you do to don your armor?  Do you react badly to critiques? How do you get past harsh review?  I'd love to hear your thoughts!

I would like to welcome Tiffany Heiser to the realm, she has been a great online friend and a good critique buddy. Welcome! Let's start by getting to know you darling.   I grew up in Granbury Texas. Always reading or writing from a young age. An only child- I'm not spoiled rotten...I think. Have two wonderful parents that pushed to me to reach my goals. I now live in Fort Worth with my wonderful husband and my two loving dogs(a corgi and a doxiepoo). I started off with poetry and then short stories. Then decided at the end of last year that I woul d sit down a nd writ e. So I did.  As a kid I wanted to be a doctor(ha te blood), an astronaut(scared to get stuck in space), a teacher(don't want to be stuck with a whole class to myself) and then it dawned on me one day. I want to write. I want to be an author. I love young adult fantasy fiction and knew that's the genre I would pick. Once I put the pen to paper...the rest as they say... is history :) Section #1: Abou...

My muse is a little guy who likes to fly and breathe fire.  Yup and his name is Random.  'Cause well... I couldn't resist. ;) Isn't he cute?  Pictures taken from various places on the web, no image belongs to me What's your muse? Do you envision something hovering over your shoulder? Perhaps someone whispering in your ear?  I'd love to hear from you.

Multiple award-winning author Jacqueline Seewald has taught creative, expository and technical writing at the university level as well as high school English. She also worked as an academic librarian and an educational media specialist. Eleven of her books of fiction have been published. Her short stories, poems, essays, reviews and articles have appeared in hundreds of diverse publications. She enjoys spending time with family and friends when she isn’t writing. In addition, she is a playwright, a landscape artist and loves many types of music.   Wow, now that's a diverse way to get into creativity! Welcome to the Realm Jacqueline!  Lets talk about your writing life a bit. BRoP:  What is your writing process? Do you follow a regular routine? Do you use pen and paper or computer? Work at home or at the library/Starbucks, etc. JS: I have my own little office area set up at home. That’s what works best for me. I get up really early in the mor...