maggiekwest

[maggiekwest]

Pre-Release Readers Wanted!!

Greetings dear readers!! I’m looking for ARC readers for my upcoming book, Son of Lightning.

The bonus is, I’m giving you the first two books in the series for free ;)

What is an ARC reader?

ARCS (Advance Reader Copies) are unpublished copies of a book that go out to a select group of readers to read and review before the book launches to the public.

This is a super important step in the successful launch of a book, because it allows authors to gather early reviews and spread the word about their upcoming release!

Son of Lightning is book 3 in the Descendants of Robin Hood trilogy.

In order to review it, you probably want to read the first two in the series first. But, you don’t have to! In the ARC (advance reader copy) application, I’ve included the option to just receive a synopsis of each book.

So, you can choose whether you’d like to download the other books as ebooks, or just download a synopsis!

Click Here for the ARC Application!

But what’s the series about?

Eight hundred years ago, a powerful sorcerer laid a trap for Robin Hood. But the curse backfired, releasing a burst of pure magic. Robin Hood’s descendants carry this magic as elemental powers.

The two nations of descendants are on the brink of war. Jack’s North Wind power is about to manifest when the rival nation attacks. Now Jack is on the run from the Sheriff, sorcerers, and a mysterious girl of the shadows as he struggles to contain his chaotic power.

As the war deepens, a villain out of legend rises to crush any opposition and claim his immortal throne. But the Sorcerer Gisborne’s plans run much deeper than first believed, and Dark sorcery spreads like a plague.

Follow Jack’s adventure along with a swing-first-ask-questions-later Fire bender, a Lightning bender with a dark secret, and a talking baby panther who is maybe more than meets the eye.

In Book 3…

There’s two sides to every story.

Jack’s victory over Sorcerer Gisborne is bittersweet as he struggles with the grief of Nick’s death to the all-consuming Sorcerer. Nick, buried in his own mind, struggles desperately to maintain his identity as he is pushed deeper and deeper under Gisborne’s control.

Determined that no one else will die, Jack sets off to rescue Natanian from the monsters who kidnapped him. But what he discovers will set off a chain of events far worse than he could dream. As the Ealdra weave corruption through the world, Jack faces a choice between saving his nation, and saving his friends.

View Content Warnings

Sign me up!

If this series sounds like the perfect read for you, or you’ve read the first two books and can’t wait to see how the story concludes, click the button below to fill out the short Google Form. ;)

Google Form Sign Up

I don’t have any restrictions on who can ARC read for me. As long as you love fantasy, or you’re willing to take a chance on a young adult elemental fantasy, go for it!

If you’d like to review the book before it launches, it comes out on June 25th, which is 7 weeks away. 

But, it’s important to know that if it takes you a couple weeks after launch, or a couple months after launch, you’re not going to hurt my feelings! I know life happens, so just get to it when you can.

I hope you dive into this adventure with me, and see you over at the sign up form!

#arc book #arc copy #arc reader #arc review #prerelease #ya fantasy #ya retelling #authors of tumblr #writers on tumblr #writerblr #writers #retelling #writers of tumblr #descendants of robin hood #authorblr #author #booklr #books #books and reading

[maggiekwest]

If a scene feels flat and you can't figure it out, ask yourself:

• What can MC smell? Is there an ocean breeze, sweat, a cinnamon roll fresh out the oven?

• What can MC hear, besides the dialogue? Is a bird singing, river flowing, a car speeding, clock ticking?

• Can they taste something, even if they're not eating? Previously drunk alcohol or juice, aftertaste of a cigarette, smog, too instense perfume?

• Can they feel something on their skin? Rough clothes or delicate material, blowing wind, an allergy or a rash, grass that theyre laying on?

• What does the character see, besides other characters? Is the room dark or is sunlight coming in nicely? Are the colours vibrant or dull? Are there any plants?

• What's the weather? Is it snowing and the cold is making goosebumps appear on their arms? Is it hot and sweaty and clothes are clinging to their body?

• HOW DOES IT MAKE THEM FEEL? To any of the above.

Do they like the smell of cinnamon rolls or are they weirdos (I'm a weirdo, I don't fit in).

Does the clock ticking calm them down or annoy them?

Do they enjoy the aftertaste of a cig and like how dirty it makes them feel?

Are they sensitive to touch and how their clothing feels on their skin or are they indifferent?

Would they enjoy the scenery more if it was more sunny out, because they're afraid of the darkness?

Do they like it snowy or are they always cold and hate winter?

Come on, give them persoanlity, likes and dislikes, don't be scared to make them people and not only likeable characters.

[maggiekwest]

The symbolism of flowers

Flowers have a long history of symbolism that you can incorporate into your writing to give subtext.

Symbolism varies between cultures and customs, and these particular examples come from Victorian Era Britain. You'll find examples of this symbolism in many well-known novels of the era!

Amaryllis: Pride

Black-eyed Susan: Justice

Bluebell: Humility

Calla Lily: Beauty

Pink Camellia: Longing

Carnations: Female love

Yellow Carnation: Rejection

Clematis: Mental beauty

Columbine: Foolishness

Cyclamen: Resignation

Daffodil: Unrivalled love

Daisy: Innocence, loyalty

Forget-me-not: True love

Gardenia: Secret love

Geranium: Folly, stupidity

Gladiolus: Integrity, strength

Hibiscus: Delicate beauty

Honeysuckle: Bonds of love

Blue Hyacinth: Constancy

Hydrangea: Frigid, heartless

Iris: Faith, trust, wisdom

White Jasmine: Amiability

Lavender: Distrust

Lilac: Joy of youth

White Lily: Purity

Orange Lily: Hatred

Tiger Lily: Wealth, pride

Lily-of-the-valley: Sweetness, humility

Lotus: Enlightenment, rebirth

Magnolia: Nobility

Marigold: Grief, jealousy

Morning Glory: Affection

Nasturtium: Patriotism, conquest

Pansy: Thoughtfulness

Peony: Bashfulness, shame

Poppy: Consolation

Red Rose: Love

Yellow Rose: Jealously, infidelity

Snapdragon: Deception, grace

Sunflower: Adoration

Sweet Willian: Gallantry

Red Tulip: Passion

Violet: Watchfulness, modesty

Yarrow: Everlasting love

Zinnia: Absent, affection

[maggiekwest]

I do not control the speed at which my plot plots, nor the way in which my characters character

[maggiekwest]

#authors of tumblr #writers on tumblr #writerblr #writers #ya fantasy #retelling #writers of tumblr #descendants of robin hood #cover art #cover reveal

[maggiekwest]

My editor had minimal feedback on my book, and now I’m lowkey spiraling like:

#imposter syndrome #writerblr #no notes #new girl #nick miller #writers #writer problems #writers on tumblr

[maggiekwest]

First layer done on my Spidersilk Armor for my BG3 Tav cosplay!

#bg3 #bg3 tav #bg3 cosplay #armor #eva armor #eva foam

[maggiekwest]

Ahhhh you guys!!! It’s almost here!!

#descendants of robin hood #authors of tumblr #writers on tumblr #writerblr #authorblr #ya fantasy #ya books

[maggiekwest]

[maggiekwest]

i'm obsessed with characters who are like "i'm a self serving piece of shit who never does anything that doesn't benefit me personally, and if anything goes wrong i'm out of there without a single thought about helping anyone else out of danger" *cut to them repeatedly sacrificing their own best interests to help the ragtag crew of misfits they've collected to help them pull off their criminal activities, just random strangers in need of protection, and small animals*

[maggiekwest]

To avoid scrolling Pinterest for hours looking for the perfect character appearance for an NPC who shows up once when I’m supposed to be writing:

ROLL FOR CHARACTER APPEARANCE

d10 Ethnicity

1 White

2 Hispanic

3 Black

4 Asian

5 Arab

6 Indian

7-10 Mixed (roll 1d6 twice)

d8 Hair

1 blonde

2-4 brunette

5 black

6 red

d12 Hairstyle

1 Curly

2 Wavy

3 Kinky curls

4 Smoothly styles

5 Buzz cut

6 Half buzz (up to interpretation)

7 Shoulder-length

8 Short

9 Past shoulder-length

10 Braided

11 Ponytail

12 Bun/pull-part-back

d20 (roll twice) Facial Characteristics

1 bearded

2 large nose

3 small nose

4 deep-set eyes

5 close-set eyes

6 far-set eyes

7 narrow eyes

8 wide eyes

9 full lips

10 small lips

11 high cheekbones

12 dimples

13 round face

14 long face

15 heart-shaped/triangular face

16 square/rectangular face

17 thin brows

18 thick brows

19 freckles

20 scar

d12 Physical Characteristics

1 short

2 average height

3 tall

4 slim

5 average build

6 muscular build

7 large build

8 flat-footed

9 knobby/bony build

10 mousy

11 stocky

12 roll again

#writers on tumblr #writerblr #original character #dnd character #character art #character generator #character design #dnd npc #NPC generator #writing craft #resources for writers

[maggiekwest]

Want quick tips to add instant chemistry to the relationships of your characters??

(🥳With examples🥳)

First of all, I want to say that you can also use most of them for platonic/ non-romantic relationships, so feel free to use this tips however you think they might work better in your story. So, without further adue, let's get to the tips!!!

Make your characters LISTEN to each other. Like, if A tells B they're not a morning person, B could make some coffee for A or lower the volume of their alarm.

This might sound quite obvious, but show that you characters care for each other. It might be as simple as one of them giving the other a glass of water when they feel a little dizzy, but it works wonders!

Make your characters physically close. When you are emotionally close to someone, you tend to be physically close too. But here is the thing. Make your characters react like it's second nature: "how would I not hug B when I haven't seen them in days?" or "Of course I'm gonna take A's hand when I feel insecure".

They don't have to be constantly thinking about each other, but when they do, MAKE IT MATTER!! For example, character A is out shopping, and they see B's favorite cookies. B didn't have a good day, and A knows that. But A also knows B is gonna fucking love the cookies, so they buy some.

Let them believe and trust each other. Also applies if one of them is a little distrustful: let your characters rely on one another, even if at the start they aren't as comfortable doing it. For a distrustful character, letting the other one help with chores might be a HUGE thing.

Other tips for writers: previous | next

#resources for writers

[maggiekwest]

Here’s Bilbo in his raincoat, watching the rain from his cozy little spot under an umbrella.

#authors of tumblr #morkies #dogs of tumblr #dog in a raincoat #bilbo baggins

[maggiekwest]

I’m a bit Critical Role fan, so of course I’ve been following the new Daggerheart TTRPG system. My most recent rabbit hole I went down is around the dice mechanics in Daggerheart. Now hang on tight, because this is about to get real nerdy real quick…

So, Daggerheart uses a 2d12 system (two 12-sided dice). Anytime a character wants to do something that has a chance of failure (attack an enemy, climb a tree, avoid a trap, etc)., the player rolls 2d12. If the total number is above a certain threshold, the character succeeds.

Now, I like 2d12 compared to Dungeons & Dragon’s d20 system (one 20-sided die) because the results of 2d12 rolls are on a bell curve:

whereas the results of 1d20 rolls are completely random:

This means players are more likely to roll mid-range numbers on 2d12, and the extremely high or extremely low rolls are more rare. That’s the one problem I have with the 2d12 system. Critical successes (rolling a 24) and critical failures (rolling a 2) are a lot of fun in the game, and I miss the thrill.

In a d20 system like D&D uses, the chance of a critical success or critical failure is 5%. In a 2d12 system like Daggerheart uses, the chance of a critical success or critical failure drops to less than 1%. Daggerheart implemented an advantage system where you essentially roll 3d12 and choose the two highest results to add together for your total roll. (There’s a little more to it than that, but for the purposes of this example it doesn’t super matter).

This advantage system does indeed make your chances of rolling high much greater, but the chance of rolling a critical success stays the same. 

I do think critical success and failures in the D&D system are slightly too frequent, making them less impactful, so ideally I’d love to land these numbers around 3% of rolls. But how do I do that without doing a bunch of math or rolling a handful of dice?

Here’s the system I came up with…

I’ll give advantage and disadvantage to players more frequently in my games (about 20 times a session, compared to our normal 5 times). When a player gets advantage, they’ll roll 4d12 and take the two highest results. What you end up with is an increased chance of rolling high numbers AND the chance of rolling a critical success goes up to 4%.

This means about once a session a critical success or critical hit will occur! I get the best of both worlds, and my players don’t have to do a whole bunch of math in the middle of big story beats.

P.S. This dice calculator is a lot of fun if you want to poke around at numbers: https://dice.clockworkmod.com

#daggerheart #d20 #d12 #dnd dice #polyhedral dice #dungeonsanddragons5e #dnd #d&d #mathblr

[maggiekwest]

Editing Resources for Writers

Through my editing process, there’s a slew of websites and books I consult to bring out the best in my books. Here’s some of my favorites. Click on the name of each resource to access it.

The Emotions Thesaurus. This book is a massive encyclopedia about different emotions your characters may be experiencing in a scene (fear, despair, hope, peace, etc). Each emotion is accompanied with a list of physical sensations, internal sensations, and thought patterns the character might be experiencing. It also gives a tracking list of other emotions the character may escalate or de-escalate through. This book really helps me get into my character’s head and give tangible consequences to the emotion they’re feeling. 

The Urban Setting Thesaurus and Rural Setting Thesaurus. One of the bigger edits I made based on beta reader feedback is including more description into my scenes. I tend to leap right into the action or the dialogue, and forget to include details about the settings. Both these thesauruses help me keep my scenes very grounded. They include huge lists of different things the characters could be seeing, smelling, hearing, tasting, or feeling; as well as lists of conflicts that could occur if you're looking for further ways to flesh out a setting. This is a resource I’ve only recently discovered during my Son of Lightning edits and I love it!

Writing with Color. This website is a GOLD MINE for character description that referenced a lot to detail my characters’ appearances. 🤎

Related Words Search. This is my go-to website when the word I’m thinking of is not quite right. I know there’s a better word somewhere close!

#writerblr #writers on tumblr #writers #writers of tumblr #editing #bookedit #resources for writers

[maggiekwest]

When the full power of the Ealdra is revealed, Jack must choose between saving his nation and saving his friends. The electrifying finale to the Descendants of Robin Hood series arrives June 25th, 2024!

Book 3: Son of Lightning is racing towards launch! My amazing beta readers helped me finalize any big edits, and the manuscript is now in the hands of my editor. I’m so excited to be working with the lovely Elizabeth Thurmond again! She has a background as an editor at Disney Hyperion, working on books like Rick Riordan’s Kane Chronicles.

I’ve begun drafts on a cover, so look for that reveal in the next few weeks. In addition to the paperback cover, I’m working on a series of specialty covers for a hardback release!

#authors of tumblr #writers on tumblr #writerblr #retelling #ya fantasy

[maggiekwest]

“The boy soldier cursed to live a thousand years, rumors grown to legend as the centuries passed, a child built to be a god, riding on the reputation of Time alone.”

~ Son of Lightning

#lines from my WIP #raw lines #writerblr #authors of tumblr #authorblr #writers of tumblr #writers #ya fantasy #ya retelling #ya reads