Michelle Black

@leon-fleming

That’s for sure :))

@jjb This is an awesome idea! 😀

I guess I could say I’m knowledgeable about horses/the equestrian world. And also the homeschooling culture??? (not sure if that’s an actual research resource or not…)

@emberlynn It wasn’t even that it was slow (I usually don’t mind slow things) it’s just with WWII and watching children suffering for a couple of hours…I couldn’t really stomach it. But, yeah, I could definitely talk about Studio Ghbili for hours. Have you watched any of Makoto Shinkai’s works?

@emberlynn

I also really like K.M. books on writing! Her blog Helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com is also really good and we have pretty much all of her books on writing. What were some of the things you liked about Dreamlander?  I’d love to hear your opinion about it!

Yeah, I almost always have a reference when I draw, but then I usually change it…[Read more]

@gracie-j

Oh, it doesn’t? Well that a shame. I probably learned the most History from American Girl than anywhere else to be honest. Except for maybe Libritey’s Kids.XD

@jbb

Cool! What’s the premise, if you don’t mind me asking?

@jbb

I agree! Although I don’t outline as much as I used to, it feels almost impossible to start writing a story without some idea of how the story is going to go.

Are you currently outlining your WIP or in the middle of writing or editing it?

@seekjustice

2,000-3,000 words? You don’t worry about me thinking you’re an extreme outliner, because…[Read more]

Fascinating discovery. Now I guess I won’t be ashamed to call myself an amateur anymore 😛

My copy is hardcover. Well, only one side of it still has the cover attached and the spine is long gone but oh well.

@gracie-j

I’m so happy to have found a friend who can relate to frustrating characters. Don’t worry, it’s fine to vent to me. I’ve gone on quite a few rants in the recent past myself, so don’t worry about me judging you. XD

Your issues with Keaton and Daisy sound all too familiar. But sometimes the characters that take the most work to write are…[Read more]

@emberlynn

Your list of favorite books did not seem random to me at all, because almost all of them are my favorites as well! It’s so rare to find people who have read The Mysterious Benedict Society, I really enjoyed the first book, but unfortunately not so much of the other books.

I’ve read a couple of K.M. Weiland’s books, what made you like…[Read more]

@emberlynn Hello!

I’ve been playing piano maybe 11, 12 years? Most of my life haha

Ooh, I love those! My top favorites are Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle. I’ve watched almost all of theirs, I think, except for Grave of the Fireflies. I tried watching that twice but couldn’t get past 20 minutes.

@gracie-j The only one I can really think of right now is: What is good grammar? How do you use it?

So maybe compile a list of common grammar mistakes or something. Good grammar can really boost writing quality.

@gracie-j

This sounds really cool! Here’s some questions I asked as a beginner writer:

1. How do you balance description, dialogue, monologue, and action? How do you know how to do the right amount of all four without having too much or too little of one or multiple?

2. How do you avoid writing cliches when all the ideas you have are…[Read more]

@gracie-j

Totally agree. When you try to force characters into some plot point that you’ve outlined, it ends up feeling very forced and contrived. And now that I’ve spotted contrived plot devices in my own stories, it’s like a flashing red light when I read or watch other stories. Forcing things makes the story feel cheap, lazy, and unrealistic.…[Read more]

@libby

Welcome to the KP forum Libby! I hope you enjoy the tea, @lewilliams has quite the knack for brewing delightful teas.

I’m Kathleen, a strong follower of Christ, chronic reader, manic writer, sketcher and painter, and a lover of learning languages, traveling to strange new places, sad films, music most likely not in English, and…[Read more]

@emberlynn

A very warm welcome to the KP forum! You have come just in time for the weekly weekend KP bonfire and s’mores. (We don’t really have one but, you know, we can pretend to have one)XD.

I also stalked Kingdom Pen for many years, (like over five many), until I finally joined this year. I was about to ask about your favorite books, when I…[Read more]

@emberlynn Hello! Nice to meet you!

I’m on SE as well, hehet.

Ooh, I like puzzles and piano and languages as well. And I also love Studio Ghibli! What are your favorite films of theirs?

@kathleenramm I guess planning out chapters gives me a to-do list and a word count goal. I find that it’s easier to do things with a checklist, and it makes me more motivated every time I finish a scene.

@r-m-archer

Yes, having a detailed outline can give you a sense of security while writing. You don’t have to worry about having as many plot holes or getting stuck in the middle of writing.

Ooooh, your fantasy trilogy sound really interesting! What’s the premise, and how far are you into writing it? Is it going smoothly or are you pulling your…[Read more]

@leon-fleming

I only just saw your comment, sorry 😛

I have the LOTR as one book as well, and I like it very well that way. You should see what my copy looks like. It’s worn almost thin from so much reading, haha.

Linguistics is fun! I’m toying with the idea of becoming a philologist.