Sci-fi, Fantasy, & Superheroic Adventure
A post in which I discuss the creative process behind the character of Misaki from The Sword of Kaigen. (Header artwork by Tiffany Jones) With 2019 coming to a close, I realized that I've actually written far more Theonite-related content for other people’s blogs than my own. This isn’t something I regret; I don’t believe… Continue reading Making Misaki (or How Not to Create a Protagonist) (Guest Post Sample)
A post in which I explain my model for the construction of propaganda and show how I used that to inform the 'history lessons' featured in The Sword of Kaigen. With 2019 coming to a close, I realized that I've actually written far more Theonite-related content for other people’s blogs than my own. This isn’t… Continue reading World-building Between the Lines: a close-reading of the propaganda in The Sword of Kaigen (Guest Post Sample)
A post in which I review what I learned about writing action scenes while working on The Sword of Kaigen. With 2019 coming to a close, I realized that I've actually written far more Theonite-related content for other people’s blogs than my own. This isn’t something I regret; I don’t believe I’ve ever mistaken myself… Continue reading Writing Fighting: Action as Character & Conversation (Guest Post Sample)
A post in which I discuss self-awareness in continuing to write young adult stories as a no-longer-that-young adult. With 2019 coming to a close, I realized that I've actually written far more Theonite-related content for other people’s blogs than my own. This isn’t something I regret; I don’t believe I’ve ever mistaken myself for a… Continue reading On Writing Young and Old (Guest Post Sample)
Hello dear readers! M. L. Wang here with a brief update on my life, writing, and other author stuff. First, I just want to let everyone know that since this day of August 21st is my birthday, I’m celebrating with my own little ebook sale. There’s honestly no gift better than new readers, so I’ve… Continue reading Month of Firsts: Writing & Life Update – August 2019
The following 6-point guide to character writing is comprised of two 3-point guides. The first three exercises should help you create a functional character. The next three should help you turn that functional character into a compelling one. You know those lists of questions intended to help writers develop their characters? What is your character’s… Continue reading A Gardener’s Guide to Character Writing – 6 exercises to create a functional & fully realized character
SUMMARYSallot Leon is a thief, and a good one at that. But gender fluid Sal wants nothing more than to escape the drudgery of life as a highway robber and get closer to the upper-class—and the nobles who destroyed their home. When Sal steals a flyer for an audition to become a member of The… Continue reading Thoughts on MASK OF SHADOWS by Linsey Miller (Let’s talk about assassins)
SUMMARYLei is a member of the Paper caste, the lowest and most persecuted class of people in Ikhara. She lives in a remote village with her father, where the decade-old trauma of watching her mother snatched by royal guards for an unknown fate still haunts her. Now, the guards are back and this time it's… Continue reading Thoughts on GIRLS OF PAPER & FIRE by Natasha Ngan (slow-build stories and reader investment)
NOTE: Reading back over this post, I'm not very happy with it. I don't hate it enough to delete it - since I do want an answer on hand for when people ask why someone who writes books doesn't read or review them with any regularity. If you're here for the quick explanation, here is… Continue reading Why I Can’t Write Book Reviews – My History as the Worst Reader
Giving progress updates on City of Ghosts is difficult because the book has already been drafted multiple times (the most recent draft having been completed during my senior year of college, 2014) so most of the work involves rewriting and restructuring. As far as that process goes, I'd estimate that I'm about 25% done. It's… Continue reading July 2019 Writing Update