The Dead Oaks Revisited + Info On Haunted Road Trip

On the edge of the quaint, historic town of Hazelwood, Connecticut lies a sprawling relic of dead trees that surround the woods.  A playground for wildlife, hikers, and--most recently--ghost hunters.  And it's basically Jasper Jelinek's backyard...

Welcome to The Dead Oaks!

We're hitching a ride on a haunted road trip with Jasper Jelinek and Wesley Shain!  I'll be revealing the cover for The Dead Oaks: Haunted Road Trip and announcing a release date sometime next week so keep an eye out!  Be sure to sign up for the newsletter on my website to see it before anyone else.

If you're already a fan of the series, you can look forward to:

💀 Haunted Inns
💀 Spooky Cemeteries
💀 Steamy Summer Nights
💀 Fights & Frights

If you're new to the series and curious to know what it's all about then here's a quick overview!

The Dead Oaks is a YA LGBTQ Paranormal novella series about a group of teenage ghost hunters.

Book One: Ghost Stories

Blurb:

Jasper Jelinek believes in ghosts. Probably more than he believes in himself. After living a life of relative solitude and misanthropy, he suddenly becomes saddled with some unexpected new friends. Their obsession with the paranormal forces them to face the thing they've been avoiding most: Life. Together they learn that there's more to being haunted than just ghost stories.

Where To Get It: Amazon

Book Two: Midnight Monsters

Blurb:

The Dead Oaks Paranormal Society finds themselves on their first official case. A haunted house seems like a promising place to capture conclusive evidence that the paranormal is real; but like all plans, nothing goes the way that they intend.

Unwanted tagalongs, misunderstandings, and a malicious not-so-ghostly entity all collide to put the strength of Jasper and Wesley's bond to the test. This monster hunting sleepover could end their team, and possibly their lives, faster than they'd come together.

Where To Get It: Amazon

Book Three: Haunted Road Trip will be dropping soon!  I'll post more sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes tidbits leading up to the release.

Until then, Happy Haunting and remember that it's always more fun if you bring a friend!

- Dez -

OUT NOW

HUNTER (ROAM, Book Two)

AMAZON | B&N | NSP

Signed Copies

LGBTQ Dreampunk series about a gay Sandman, his dapper bisexual occultist boyfriend, and scheming supernaturals determined to turn existence on its head.

Have any questions?  Ask Dez

Author Life: Morning Writing Routine

Confession: I did not start out as a Morning Writer by any means.  When I first began my writing journey, I was a Midnight-3AM Writer.  I would say this was because I was trying to live that Gothic-Dreampunk-By-Moonlight-Creative-By-Candlelight lifestyle but the truth is that it was the only way, at the time, to fit a solid chunk of uninterrupted writing time into my day.  I'm a wife, mom, and had a full-time job (I was a graphic designer for a decade and then did a brief stint as an Executive Assistant at a Fine Arts museum).  Now that I have the opportunity to stay home (which I am extremely grateful to my husband for being so incredibly supportive), I've been able to figure out what time of day I'm actually the most creative when it comes to writing.  You guessed it--mornings!

I like being able to start the day with a fresh mind so I can truly focus on whatever story I'm working on.  Also, knocking out a writing session first thing in the morning makes the rest of the day feel like a breeze no matter what I have going on because I'm already starting out feeling as though I've accomplished something.

Here's what my typical Morning Writing Routine looks like these days:

7:00 A.M.

Wake up.  Get morning chores out of the way.  Check emails.

8:00 A.M.

Make coffee. Review where I'm at in the story and then begin the morning's writing session.  I know a lot of author's like to take breaks every half hour or so but I'm more of the type to set a parameter for a session and then solidly work through it.  I'll either give myself a world count goal to meet or just a time frame (usually an hour and a half to two hours) depending on my progress versus whatever deadline I've given myself to complete the draft.

10:00 A.M.

Get dressed for the day and review my planner and To-Do lists.  I usually get some laundry going around this time and return any calls/messages/etc.

11:00 A.M.

My husband and I meet up for lunch every day which is nice and I'm incredibly happy that we're able to do that.

11:30 A.M.

MORE COFFEE!  And back to writing.  I'll finish up whatever scene or chapter that I was working on that day or use this time to do any needed research.  If I've already met my writing goal for the day and I don't have the energy to jump into a new scene then I'll use this as Administrative time to work on the more "business" side of things like marketing, promotion, and brainstorming content ideas.  This session usually lasts until about 1:00 P.M.

That's my Morning Writing Routine!  I have no clue how interesting/dull you all might find it. haha  But if you enjoy these sorts of posts then be sure to let me know in the comments or on social media.  I love to hear from you guys and if there are any topics you'd like to see me cover in terms of writing or publishing then please feel free to ask!

Thanks for reading!

- Dez -

HUNTER is now available at:

AMAZON | B&N | NSP

Writing HUNTER: Special Extras

(Special thanks to @aparanormalromance for providing this photo)

HUNTER has been out in the world for a little over a month now and I'm so thrilled with how well it's been received!  For those of you that have already read it and are wanting more of the ROAMverse, here are some Special Extras:

WRITING HUNTER: A Dreampunk Author's Journey

If you've been following me for a while then you know that HUNTER was originally self-published in 2017.  Once ROAM was picked up by NineStar Press, I submitted HUNTER shortly afterward and they signed it as well.  So, even though HUNTER is now seeing its official re-release through a publishing company in 2019, I actually wrote the story around this time two years ago.

I'd initially written ROAM as a stand-alone novel but, just a few days after completing it, I knew there was an even bigger story to tell.  Not to mention the characters wouldn't leave me alone!  And I mean that in the best way.  At the time, Dacey was speaking volumes so I decided to go ahead and write his story, The Revelation of Dacey Sinnett.  Once that prequel was finished, I had already set some major story arcs in motion and was ready to play them out with a sequel.

Other than the obvious desire to explore Ethan and Grady's relationship further, I began to really flesh out what I wanted from a Dreampunk story and how to continue the original message of the first book in a way that would still feel fresh and unique.  HUNTER owes a lot to the creative journey that I took in writing The Revelation of Dacey Sinnett.  It honestly wouldn't be the same without me having dived into that prequel first.  I had the chance to make the story so much more complex and to bring back some of my favorite characters.  It also allowed me the opportunity to set the stage for what's to come next...

HUNTER: Bonus Content

A HUNTER-inspired Mood Board on Pinterest.

What I listened to while working on this book: HUNTER Spotify Playlist

A fun Character Interview with Ethan, Grady, & Chris

Still want more?  Add some ROAMverse Merch to your collection!

HUNTER: Feedback

Readers have been incredibly supportive of this book!  I think I've received more positive messages on this one than any of my other books so.  Most people are excited about an event in the book which is a spoiler--so I can't mention it; but I'm glad it made so many people happy.  Readers also love the Dreampunk aspect of the series and the continued world-building.  I've also had a lot of lovely comments about Benny which, honestly, makes my heart soar every time because Benny is the first ROAM character that I ever created.  He predates the story itself because he's actually based on an original character that I used to roleplay as many many years ago.  haha  :)

Thanks again to everyone that has grabbed a copy of the book and also to those that have taken the time to send me messages and/or leave reviews!  If you have any other HUNTER-related questions or topics that you'd like to see me cover in future blog posts, please leave a comment or email me through my website.

Haven't read HUNTER yet?

No worries!  It's available here:

AMAZON | B&N | NSP

Author Life: My Publishing Story

I get asked about my journey into publishing fairly often so I thought I would go ahead and share my story here.

There are various points at which I could begin but for the purpose of answering the main question that I get: "How did you get a publishing contract?", I'll start at the point after which I had already self-published ROAM.

In fact, by the time I received my first publishing offer, I had already self-published four books.  I knew that I wanted to seek out a traditional publisher as well and had sent out a couple of query letters which were rejected.  One to a publishing company that responded that my book wasn't "what we're looking for right now" and one to an agent that auto-replied that they didn't have time to review new queries.  A lot of authors get a ton of rejections so I wasn't too upset but their responses made me decide to take some time to research querying a little more and just focus on self-publishing for a while.

In 2017, a year after I had stopped querying (it was perpetually on my "I'll get to it eventually" list), I ended up having a very unfortunate summer in which I broke my foot and was laid off from my job as a graphic designer where I had worked for nearly ten years.  The boredom of the recovery process and my overall "What have I got to lose?" mentality spurred me into action.  I spent time researching publishing companies that I thought would be a good fit for my M/M Paranormal novel, ROAM, and also freshened up my query letter.

I decided that NineStar Press would be the best place to start and I sent in my submission.  Three weeks later, I received an offer and the next day I was signing my first publishing contract!  

I recognize that not every author gets an offer so easily.  I do feel that perhaps the stars aligned in my favor at that time because if I hadn't been injured and entering unemployment then I probably wouldn't have felt the drive to go outside of my comfort zone and take that next step.  I also feel that I had more success the second time around because I did do my research on finding an appropriate publisher for my story and updating my query letter.  If you'd like for me to go more in depth about writing query letters then please let me know in the comments and I'll work it into a post!

I sent in my submission to NSP for HUNTER shortly before ROAM released and it was accepted as well.  I definitely plan to submit my manuscript to them for the third book and anything else I write that I feel would be in alignment with their company as they have been a pleasure to work with.

I also plan to continue self-publishing certain titles.  If you'd like to learn more about my self-publishing process, let me know that in the comments as well!

Thanks for reading and I wish you all the best of luck with your own creative journeys!

- Dez

- Be sure to stay updated with special announcements and new releases through my newsletter!  You can sign up on the main page of my website.
- If you're interested in my daily life, what I'm reading, and writerly musings, you can also follow me on Instagram and Twitter.

COMING SOON - April 8th 2019

ADD ON GOODREADS

OUT NOW

Amazon | B&N | NSP

It's time to face your nightmares.

Author Life: Daily Routine

Getting back into the swing of things the past few days since I took some time off over the holidays to recharge.  Now that I'm back on track, here's what a typical weekday looks like for me:

7:00 A.M.
Wake up.  Dress for the day (includes styling hair and applying makeup); sometimes I'll listen to a podcast or one of my Spotify playlists while I do this.  Review daily planner.

8:00 A.M.
Make a cup of coffee.  Light a candle in my office (aka Writing Nook) and get to work.  I start by reviewing the last scene that I wrote and any notes I may have.  I usually try to write until lunch but sometimes I reach a point where I know more research or plotting will be necessary and then I'll transition to working on those aspects if needed.

11:00 A.M.
Make any notes needed for the next writing session.  Take a break for lunch.  During this time I'll also check any social media notifications and respond to emails.

NOON
Typically when I'll make any social media posts for the day, unless I have something that I want to post or be online for at a specific time of day.  I'll try to run any errands that I have for the day at this point.

1:00 P.M.
Our daughter is homeschooled so I typically check in with her to make sure she's on track and see if there are any areas that she needs extra help in (She's a teenager and her courses are online so she's pretty self-reliant but I make myself available the entire afternoon in case she needs tutoring or supervision for special projects.).  I'll usually get any basic house cleaning that needs to be done out of the way during this time as well.

2:00 P.M.
If everything is on track, I'll fix a second cup of coffee (or grab a Starbucks) and sit down to work on any "book biz" tasks that I have.  This includes marketing, promotion, site updates, etc.  If there's nothing of that nature for the day then I'll take some time to do some writing research.

3:00 P.M.
For the next two hours, I focus on any intensive cleaning/organizing that needs to be done or any other non-writing projects I may have.  Sometimes we'll do field trips or just go out for a fun activity.

5:00 P.M.
It's basically "Family Time" from here on out.  Occasionally, if everyone else is preoccupied, then I might get another hour of writing in during the evening but if I'm too tired then I'll just read a book or catch up on a show (My current favorite is Schitt's Creek).  

Before bed, I'll take a quick glance at what I have in my planner for the next day and add any final notes of story ideas that I've thought of so that I can refresh my memory the following morning.

And that's it!  My usual Monday-Friday routine.  Sometimes I'll write on the weekends but I mostly try to use those days for family activities and relaxing.  When I was working full-time, I was a "Weekend Warrior Writer" so I enjoy actually designating Saturday and Sunday for other things now.

NOTE: One big improvement in my schedule is no longer allowing myself to look at social media first thing in the morning.  I realized that I write better at the beginning of the day without having any outside emotional influences.  I have become so much more motivated with this simple change!  I definitely recommend not checking your notifications or reading any news until later in the day once you've already had a chance to make your day feel like it's been a productive one.

Your Busy Writer,
Dez

- Be sure to stay updated with special announcements and new releases through my newsletter!  You can sign up on the main page of my website.
- If you're interested in my daily life and writerly musings, you can also follow me Instagram and Twitter.

OUT NOW

Amazon | B&N | NSP

It's time to face your nightmares.

Soon To Be Released

- HUNTER (ROAM: Book Two), coming April 8, 2019 through NineStar Press.

2019 Vision & Goals

It's that time again!  We're all making promises to ourselves for the upcoming year that we can only hope we'll actually end up keeping.  I have a theme that I'd like to carry through 2019: Mindfulness. More on that in a minute.  First, let's revisit my goals for 2018 and see what I actually stuck to!

2018 WRITING GOALS: ACHIEVED

This was one of my best years as a writer since it saw the first publication of one of my books through a traditional publisher.  ROAM was released by NineStar Press in October and I signed the contract for the second book in the series to be released next year.  Prior to this, my books had been self-published.  I had also set forth to complete the second book in my YA series, THE DEAD OAKS, and succeeded in getting it out into the world.  I would say that I even went beyond my own expectations by managing to get halfway through the first draft of another novel.  Overall, I'm extremely proud of what I accomplished in this area in 2018.

2018 ART GOALS: ACHIEVED-ish(?)

I began this year intending to sell more art than the previous year through my Etsy and Redbubble shops, which I did.  A design that I created of "Call Me By Your Name" sold more than any other piece of art that I've produced in my entire life.  That being said, I don't think that what I accomplished overall was quite what I'd pictured at the beginning of the year nor was I left with the feelings that I'd intended to have.  So, while I was successful in my goal on paper, it has all left me thinking differently in a way that I will delve into more as I reveal my 2019 goals.

2018 PERSONAL GOALS: FAILED

Of course a writer would fail in this area!  Bring on the ROTFL emojis!  I was terrible at pretty much all of these goals.  Eat Healthy And Exercise: NOPE.  Learn To Relax: NOPE.  Not Push Myself So Hard: NOPE. Read At Least 20 Books: NOPE.  In fact, the only thing I did do right was go on the vacation that we had planned in advance; which I am insanely thankful for because I definitely needed to take a break and reset.  Hopefully, I'll do better this coming year to take time for my personal goals.  Now that I know I have an issue with that, I can make it a point to prioritize it.

Now that that's out of the way, here's what I'm feeling heading into 2019.  I stated that my theme is "mindfulness".  My intention with this is to have a constant reminder that I want to "act intentionally".  Everything that I put time and effort into should be of value to my overall life vision.  If it hurts it or doesn't fit it then I'm not wasting time on it.  A decluttering of the soul and mind, if you will.

2019 WRITING GOALS

A huge thing I'm looking forward to is the release of HUNTER through NineStar Press in the Spring.  My goals for this year are to finish writing the third (and final) book in the ROAM series and to write the next DEAD OAKS book.  After these, I hope to start working on a new novel.  I also have some ideas for short stories that I might release periodically throughout the year.  Two lofty goals are to attend some sort of convention (maybe...) and toy with the possibility of finding an agent.  This is a lot for one year, I know.  I hope to achieve at least two to three of these things.  Wish me luck!

2019 ART GOALS

NONE.  Zip.  Zilch.  Can't and won't be bothered.  Contrary to the picture above, I have no real art goals.  This doesn't mean that I won't create art.  I know myself better than that and I do have some little things that I'd like to work on.  I also have some new art interests other than just drawing that I'd like to explore but I'm viewing this area of my life as more of a "leisure" category this year that will probably morph and change quite a bit.  No need to place expectations here.

"Don't half ass two things.  Whole ass one thing."  Thanks, Parks & Recreation!  That quote has also been stuck in the back of my mind for quite a while more than I'd care to admit.  A big reason that I'm changing my attitude toward my approach with art is that I want to be able to mainly focus on my writing because that's where my passion lies!  Drawing is fun and a great way to defrag at the end of a day which is why I'm viewing it more as a hobby now. 

So, after I made this list, I realized there was no need for art goals starting out 2019.

2019 PERSONAL GOALS

Okay!  This area has to be more of a priority this year as I had mentioned.  I don't want to be a failure at it again. :)  I really will try to be healthier (*cringe face*) and I'll let myself have time to relax (even if I have to literally schedule it in); in conjunction, during that relaxation time, perhaps I'll actually manage to read 20 books.  A simple goal I have is to get the house organized from top to bottom; I'm sure that will take all year.

Another big goal is: Cultivate Healthy Friendships.  Some of you are great friends already and I plan on keeping you around, don't worry!  But that isn't the case for everyone in my life. . . Nor have I freed up enough time for some of you.  So, I want to focus only on the friendships that I have (and that have been seeking me out) which really add purposeful and positive value to my life.  Without getting too personal and wordy, I'll just say that my goal is to make time for the people that I think actually deserve that time.

Well, there you have it!  My 2019 vision.  Basically, I just want to write and chill and share worthwhile conversations with worthwhile people.  Hopefully that's not too hard to live up to.

Have you shared your goals for the new year?  If so, leave a link in the comments so I can check them out!

Have a Happy New Year!!

Mindfully Yours,
- Dez -

Join The Newsletter!

Hi, friends!

Just wanted to let you know that this weekend is your last chance to join my new newsletter before the April edition goes out!  If you haven't heard about it yet, while I continue to post normal blog things here I plan to move my monthly updates to the newsletter format.  There will also be opportunities in the future for sneak peeks and giveaways.

If you'd like to join, please stop by the home page of my website www.dezschwartz.com and enter your email into the form on the right hand side.  I hope you all will join and look forward to sharing more with you soon!

Character Highlight: Jasper Jelinek

(Fan Cast Inspiration)

Jasper Jelinek, aka "J.J.", is a supernaturally obsessed teen swathed in melancholy and misanthropy.  He only recently has begun to come out of his shell after meeting Wesley Shain.  He's one of the founders of the Dead Oaks Paranormal Society, which doesn't do much to help him dispel his unwanted local nickname "Casper".

His OOTD

What's On His Playlist

(Links to YouTube)

Contagious - Night Riots

Black Water - Of Monsters And Men

B a noBody - SOAK

The Woodpile - Frightened Rabbit

Each Coming Night - Iron & Wine

Favorite Book

Favorite Movie

You can get to know Jasper better in: 

The Dead Oakes: Ghost Stories - Available on Kindle and Wattpad

UPDATES: March 2018

I'm a few days later on my monthly update than usual due to being extremely busy and also not feeling 100% the past week.  Today has been great for catching up on things and so now I'll get you caught up!

WRITING

Life has kept me pretty tied up with tedious tasks so this morning was the first time in nearly two weeks that I'd had a chance to write.  Thankfully, though, my muse returned and I'm back to working on The Dead Oaks: Book Two.  I know I'm making you wait a long time for this one and I apologize but it's still in the works, so don't worry.  One major difference between this follow-up to the original that I can let you in on early is that the characters are becoming more of an ensemble cast, which is quite fun.  You can sample a small preview on Instagram.

I also finally made a decision about Grady's Case Files (A prequel to ROAM).  As much as I would love to turn it into a webcomic, I have to be realistic.  I don't have the time or resources to tackle a massive project like that in the way that I would want to.  So, I'm going to write it as a series of short stories for Wattpad.  I'm very excited to get started on it. (Hence Grady making an appearance on my new blog banner!)

ART

I feel like my art is always in flux.  haha  And in all honesty, I will probably stop posting about it here unless it ties into one of my books.  If you'd like to keep up with it, I post pretty regularly on my Art Account.  Mostly now, it's just a way for me to relax at the end of the day.  I do still sell my work on Etsy or Redbubble, though, if you see something you like.

PERSONAL

I did get a chance to catch up on the newest season of Voltron: Legendary Defender!  This weekend is for working on personal projects and, very importantly, relaxing.  Going to bake cupcakes and do some journaling with my daughter.  I hope you all have a great weekend!

Grady's Case Files: A Work In Progress

I haven't "talked shop" on here in a while but that's something that I plan to rectify.  Starting with the indomitable Dr. Grady Hunter!

If you've been around for the past couple of years then you probably already know Grady.  He's one of my lead protagonists in the ROAM series and a reader favorite in terms of characters.  If you're new then you'll get to know him soon; especially when ROAM gets re-released through NineStar Press this July!  But this post is about the possibility of you getting to know him a lot better, much sooner!  At least...that's the tentative idea.

As stated in the post title, this is definitely a work in progress but also a long time coming.  Allow me to give you a little background.  I first wrote ROAM in the Autumn of 2015.  Grady was a full-fledged BAMF with quite a thorough, and vastly mysterious, backstory.  After finishing the first book and beginning work on the sequel, HUNTER (Currently unavailable due to ROAM finding a publisher.  HUNTER will have its own re-release down the road.), I quickly realized that there were so many possibilities for a prequel.  I had already tackled a prequel novel with The Revelation of Dacey Sinnett and I just knew that eventually I'd want to give life to all of the adventures that had already crept up in my mind in forming Grady's early years.  His pre-ROAM life; specifically in the early '90s.

Thankfully, I retain the rights to all of my characters and have quite a few liberties in writing whatever new material that I'd like for them.  And I finally feel that I'm ready to really dive into this project.  The characters are already there, the stories have been percolating over the past couple of years, so I really only lack making one definitive decision.  What format should I tell it in?

I'll start by discussing the current frontrunner; although, it would also be the most time-consuming and challenging.

Webcomic.  For years, I've had people telling me that I should create a graphic novel or comic.  As a freelance illustrator with a BFA in Studio Art, this seems like a no-brainer.  My style is already cartoonish and, to be honest, I could probably use some focus in my art life.  I tend be all over the place!  Taking on a project like this would be an exciting learning experience and it would also finally tie in my illustration with my books in a cohesive and fully encapsulating way.  It's terribly tempting.  EXTREMELY tempting.  The drawback would definitely be finding the time to work on it regularly.  But here's a peek at what some of the characters might look like:

Wattpad Short Story Series.  Another option would be utilizing old reliable Wattpad.  Really no drawbacks there and a lot of you found me through that platform in the first place.  I think this would be the most obvious option.

Blog Series.  That's right!  Posting them right here on the blog in its own series.  Not really sure how practical that would be.  And if I did it, then it would probably become a mixture of short story and minor illustrations.  A lot of planning would still need to go into a structure for this venue.

So, that's where I'm at.  Grady's Case Files.  I just need to choose a medium and then I can really get to work.  If you have any preferences, let me know!  I'd love to hear your thoughts.

x, DS

***

WEEKLY LINKS & THINGS

Alternative Model, Nils, keeps being lions and other beasts it's as amazing as it sounds.

If you're not already listening to  BØRNS you should be.

Whimsy & Noir is starting to illustrate her daily outfits and I hope she continues because they're rad.

Prisma Visions Tarot is its own brand of magic and I'm obsessed.

UPDATES: February 2018

I feel as though I have some explaining to do and as this is a blog, well, I'll do it here.  I have been less compelled to engage in social media lately.  Your best bet in keeping solid tabs on me is through Instagram because I enjoy its gallery-style interface so much more.  I suppose I'm growing into one of those people that likes to have some privacy.  I watch others spilling their guts all over Twitter and, honestly, I sort of cringe.  That's great for them if they need a space to vent (as most of it usually tends to be that) but I'm just not that personality type.  I enjoy creating stories and art and I love to share those with the world but, for the most part, I have no inherent need to share much else.  I'm sure, if you've read my books, you could probably guess that I'm much like a lot of my characters and prefer to keep things mysterious and close to my heart.

This means I'm sort of shit at social media promotion.  LOL  Oh well.  I figure that if people like my work then they will stick around regardless of how often I post or not.  I would hope so, anyway.

The point is, I have been posting a lot less on platforms like Twitter and Facebook.  I haven't (and won't) disappear from them but when I do post it will mostly just be project updates.  I think any meatier stuff is best kept for this blog and the occasional over-share caption on Instagram.  :)

Now - On to the real updates!

WRITING

ICYMI - I added two new microfiction Short Stories to Wattpad last month:  "Undercurrent" & "The Undead Craftsman".

Along with that, I've been working on the second "Dead Oaks" book which I may or may not have to set aside for the moment while I ponder a plot point.  Thankfully, I have a couple of other projects I can work on while I take the time to sort that one out.

ART

As pictured above, I illustrated a lovely "Call Me By Your Name" piece (Phenomenal story, btw. ❤) and it has quickly become my Best Seller on Redbubble!  Thank you so much if you've ordered it!  I definitely appreciate it.  One of my goals for 2018 is to be more active on Redbubble and that was a great start to kick the year off.  I'm currently working on some new "dapper" designs and patterns to add there.

Also, I'm submitting work to two local art shows this Spring.  I'm currently working on prepping for that.

PERSONAL

I think my intro. pretty much covered that but there are a couple of extra bits I can throw in.  Yesterday, my husband and I celebrated our 10th Anniversary!  I was showered with flowers and gifts and taken out for a nice romantic dinner; so I'm in a pretty great mood, as you can imagine. haha  What else?  Oh yes!  I've been working at the museum for three months now and I love it.  I'm also working toward a couple of other huge goals that I can't really talk about yet but they have definitely kept me busy.

I hope you have a fabulous February!

x, Dez

5 Character Creation Tips

I've mentioned in previous posts that I receive a lot of questions on my process of creating characters.  So, I am going to attempt to break it down for those that are interested.  These are the techniques and inspirations that work best for me but everyone is different, so feel free to pick and choose which things you'd like to try for yourself.

Since I've already written about the basics of character creation, I'm going to assume you already have a character established and that we're now working on fleshing them out so that they will be a fully individual and original character.  Generic tropes are boring for everyone.
 
Write A Character Sheet

I usually write my character sheets in the same notebook where I've outlined my story.  This is so you can easily reference all of those little details that you might have to refer back to while writing (i.e.- Physical Attributes, Strengths, Weaknesses, Personality Traits, etc.).  It doesn't have to be long.  Mine are usually written in bullet points and only take up half a page for each character.  These are your building blocks so don't feel bad if each description is only a few words;  you'll be constructing more along the way.

Create An Inspiration Board

This is incredibly easy and not very time consuming (Unless you want it to be.) since Pinterest exists.  Look up some quotes, mood setting photography, and maybe even some actors/models that match the vibe you want for your character.  Pretty self-explanatory and extremely fun.

Curate A Playlist

I like to use Spotify for this but use whatever service you prefer.  Personally, I make a playlist for each book and certain songs reflect certain characters.  However, making an entire playlist dedicated to one character would also be useful.  Just don't go overboard.  I try to keep my book playlists at 20-30 songs.  So, for a single character, I'd probably only make one with 5-10 songs that would effectively score their story arc.

(vibes // Vincent Roam)

Cast The Role

This can tie in with the Inspiration Board tip.  You don't have to do this but a lot of writers do.  Thinking of an actor/model/etc. as a "face character" is a fantastic tool once you begin writing.  It helps you envision things like expressions, tone, and body language.  Try to think of at least three people you would "cast" in your role. 

Playtest Them In Action

I mentioned this tip in a previous post.  It's very important to play out scenes in your mind more than once, or even to act them out for yourself, before you write them.  It forces you to really conceive all of the ideas, mannerisms, and feelings your character would be grappling with in a situation.  Also, it helps with constructing dialogue.



I hope these methods help you out with your process!  I've found they're a great way to develop characters and have a lot of fun in the process.

If you've created a number of characters already, are there any special habits you've formed along the way?  I'd love to hear them!

Thanks for reading!
Dez ☿