tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2810263061052175632024-03-05T22:50:41.699-05:00Margins and Musescmfrittshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406963008494673009noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-281026306105217563.post-6267636864216597122017-08-16T12:52:00.002-04:002017-08-16T12:52:47.332-04:00IT'S TIME TO MOVE TO GREENER PASTURES...Or, well, a more popular blogging site anyways...
Margins & Muses has moved to WordPress!
Once upon a time, when M&M was just a wee blog baby looking for a home, I ventured to WordPress and was a bit overwhelmed by all the options for customization. Blogspot seemed much more user-friendly (and by user-friendly I really mean easier to navigate for a noob like myself), so that was where cmfrittshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406963008494673009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-281026306105217563.post-61051005797717336872017-08-15T23:24:00.000-04:002017-08-15T23:25:07.928-04:00#FreetheBoobies
So this is definitely not my normal writing-related post. And, ladies, this one's for you (and maybe you too, open-minded guy). I'm going to try my best not to turn this into a feminist rant (if you know me, you know that I'm a HUGE fan of feminist rants so this may be difficult).
Okay. So. Can I make a suggestion? Once a week, ladies, spend a full day without a bra on. No matter cmfrittshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406963008494673009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-281026306105217563.post-53382228723196129392017-06-08T00:39:00.000-04:002017-06-08T00:40:48.015-04:00Question Your Inner Reader to be a Better Writer
It's easy to forget sometimes that writers should ALWAYS be voracious readers. Reading makes us better writers. Read everything, including books outside of your genre-bubble. Consume everything. Buy/Borrow every book. THEN EAT THE BOOK AND DIGEST ITS SOUL!
.....*ahem*
Looking at yourself as a reader can help you to better understand who you can be as a writer. Asking your inner cmfrittshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406963008494673009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-281026306105217563.post-516343166147193892017-05-09T01:07:00.002-04:002017-05-09T01:07:33.163-04:00FEAST YOUR EYES ON THIS: My Author Website Reveal
So, I gave an author website a shot a couple months ago! Figure if I lay all my ducks in a row, one of them will quack eventually!
Wix was super easy to use, I can't recommend it enough! And I'm really pleased with what my amateur self was able to put together! Feel free to have a browse, call me out on any typos, or gawk at my growing number of WIPs! So many novel ideas, so little cmfrittshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406963008494673009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-281026306105217563.post-42474455509759421212017-05-09T00:11:00.001-04:002017-05-09T12:22:53.999-04:00Writer's Cookbook: Recipe for a Love Story
A heaping spoonful of lust, two ripe and heaving bosoms, a pinch of drama, and a generous portion of bristling testosterone and you’ve got a love story ready for consuming. Right?
In the world of Harlequin romance novels, maybe. But many writers struggle with the recipe for writing true love, for a story about romantic love on a more complex and profound level. And while the cmfrittshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406963008494673009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-281026306105217563.post-61038538514670956742017-01-30T07:11:00.000-05:002017-06-08T00:04:34.642-04:00BACK TO BASICS: Pre-Writing: Road Tripping vs Train-Tracking
WARNING: Long post is long.
Every author's writing process involves (or should involve... if not, how's that working out for ya?) these four basic steps: pre-writing, drafting, revising, and editing. There are a variety of different ways to work through each of those steps and a number of other steps that go with them.
And while there's plenty of advice out there concerning the matter and cmfrittshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406963008494673009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-281026306105217563.post-60054278264369954862016-12-08T22:26:00.002-05:002016-12-13T22:43:35.551-05:00How to Write Rounded Characters (and Avoid the Disney Princess Paradigm)
Creating new characters is like giving birth. Minus the nine months of pregnancy, morning sickness, and the whole "push a human out of your lady tunnel" part. And, just as if they were your own children, it's normal to want your mind babies to be perfect and unflawed.
But, in novels, character with flaws are often the most compelling.
Early Disney princesses come to mind as being the oppositecmfrittshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406963008494673009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-281026306105217563.post-35875096131970119912016-11-17T02:48:00.002-05:002016-11-17T02:49:52.128-05:00Vampire Mythos: Magic vs Science
This is a guest post I did for Pen and Kink Publishing's blog series on vampires! Find the original post here.
As the publishing world seems to finally be making room (albeit the little space at a crowded party next to the trashcan that smells a little funny) for our favorite supernaturals again, I wanted to repost this to my blog and continue to advocate for the paranormal and urban fantasy cmfrittshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406963008494673009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-281026306105217563.post-90846167794135693792016-11-17T02:38:00.000-05:002016-11-17T02:38:55.504-05:00October in Review
October is arguably my favorite month of the year. It holds my favorite holiday, the weather FINALLY starts to become bearable, and I always find the last fourth of the year to be the best of all. It was a mixed batch of eye/brain candy this month. I finished the last of the books on the hype trains, and got back to reading stories I was genuinely interested in. This month was all about cmfrittshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406963008494673009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-281026306105217563.post-39987210801588461302016-11-04T21:56:00.002-04:002016-11-04T21:56:28.796-04:00#WIPChallenge: Monthly Blog Challenges for Writers
If you're a writer, chances are you've got a WIP going. Maybe you've got multiple!
And sometimes it helps to delve into your new story in ways you hadn't thought of before. Sometimes it helps to develop your characters outside of the main plot of your story. Sometimes it helps to share about your WIP to keep up your motivation and to renew your enthusiasm. Sometimes none of that cmfrittshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406963008494673009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-281026306105217563.post-8297248102689670692016-10-24T13:12:00.000-04:002017-01-28T19:48:36.172-05:00BACK TO BASICS: 5 Elements of a Story
I've been wanting to get back to the basics for some time now. When you're neck deep in edits or revisions or a second or third draft, or even outlining your next story, it's easy to get caught up in the complexities of writing. It's easy to get distracted by the beat sheets, and what everyone else is doing, and what you feel like you're doing wrong, and the filler words, and god, whatever cmfrittshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406963008494673009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-281026306105217563.post-89153020207847694072016-10-15T13:04:00.001-04:002016-10-15T13:39:33.676-04:00Beautiful Books: Introduce Your NaNoWriMo Novel
So excited to be taking part in another glorious link-up from these ladies! Come, join us in this celebration of new creative life!
1. What inspired the idea for your novel, and how long have you had the idea?
APOTHECARIUM, like all my stories, started counter-intuitively, with the title. I was sitting with my SO talking about the fantasy he was reading and for some reason cmfrittshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406963008494673009noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-281026306105217563.post-20474722184763846532016-10-06T22:46:00.002-04:002016-10-12T00:53:11.851-04:00September in Review
This September marked the 27th anniversary of my Uterus Independence Day. And literally a week later I found two gray hairs. Sunnuva bitc--.... le sigh. 2016 continues to be the dumpster fire of the century, but, on the bright side, I READ SOME BOOKS! I PLAYED SOME GAMES! I SAW SOME MOVIES! Here's my September in review:
Siege and Storm, Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo. 4/10.
cmfrittshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406963008494673009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-281026306105217563.post-58447008871628593992016-09-22T00:45:00.001-04:002016-09-27T13:24:23.679-04:00The Liebster Award!
Beautiful Dragon Mermaid Queen, R.K. Brainerd, (seriously check her out, she's as mythical and amazing as both those creatures) has bestowed upon me THE LIEBSTER AWARD! It's a fun award given by bloggers to fellow bloggers for being positive and encouraging members of the community!
THE RULES:
1. Share 11 facts about yourself.
2. Answer 11 questions from the blogger who nominated cmfrittshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406963008494673009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-281026306105217563.post-79285872242349222082016-09-04T23:36:00.000-04:002016-09-15T22:48:43.433-04:00August in Review
August is gone. AUGUST IS GONE, PEOPLE! How are we already on our 9th month of 2016? And why has this whole year been such a massive dumpster fire? But as we leave the scorching months of summer for the (for Floridians) equally scorching months of Autumn, hope is in the air that this year will STOP IT RIGHT NOW OR I WILL TURN THIS CAR AROUND.
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. 6/10.cmfrittshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406963008494673009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-281026306105217563.post-20600539215270132442016-07-28T17:05:00.002-04:002016-09-07T01:56:02.333-04:00July in Review
Oh god. So hot. So. Hot. Like wearing a snuggie in a sauna hot. But July had much more in store than fireworks and rat-sized mosquitoes. I actually got back around to reading (albeit beta reading), had some cinematic adventures, and made some leeway with my new WIP during Camp NaNoWriMo! I also decided to make one last push for SB and give #PitchWars a shot this year! There are SO MANY cmfrittshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406963008494673009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-281026306105217563.post-13914262663018846242016-07-25T16:35:00.002-04:002016-08-07T21:56:54.767-04:00#PimpMyBio'ELLLOOOO PITCHWARS MENTORS!
This is your driver speaking, about to take you on a mildly exciting ride into the mind and dreams of a 1st year PitchWars hopeful.
DISCLAIMER:
-Please keep hands, arms, legs, and feet inside the blog at all times.
-Secure all lose articles, including wallets, change, cell phones, and hats (some of my characters are SUPER shady and wouldn't think twice about swipingcmfrittshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406963008494673009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-281026306105217563.post-4477823870167388792016-07-16T01:30:00.000-04:002016-07-16T01:30:52.596-04:00A Novel Idea: Character CollagesNeed an excuse to peruse Pinterest for hours picture boarding your MS? HERE IT IS! The wonderful gals at Further Up and Further In have a new Novel Idea:
This week, make a collage with pictures that describe one of your characters. You can use pictures of your character or pictures that describe him/her (or both!). Have fun with this - don’t overthink it! Hopefully it’ll be a nice break cmfrittshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406963008494673009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-281026306105217563.post-24141689038779168302016-07-14T18:00:00.000-04:002016-11-04T21:51:57.999-04:00#FicFest's Agent RoundDay 1: 12:00 AM, Posts have gone live! What a crazy feeling, seeing my story out there in the world for everyone to see. I've been so close-guarded with it, not ready to wear such a fragile piece of my heart on my sleeve. But seeing it out there, I realize that's exactly where it belongs!
There are already requests coming in for some entries! I feel so close to my fellow FicFest-ers right now. cmfrittshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406963008494673009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-281026306105217563.post-25471537356572737872016-06-29T17:59:00.004-04:002016-09-15T12:31:23.992-04:00Beautiful People: Falon
What is Beautiful People?
Beautiful People is a blog meme hosted by Sky @ Further Up and Further In and Cait @ Paper Fury. Every month, they post ten questions to help you get to know your characters better.
How do I join?
Just jump in! Snag the questions, post them on your blog, and come back to add your link! I also recommend checking out the posts of the other cmfrittshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406963008494673009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-281026306105217563.post-20211580192566531122016-06-21T11:21:00.001-04:002016-07-17T19:22:37.904-04:00A Writer's Recipe for a Love Story
A heaped spoonful of lust, two ripe and heaving bosoms, a pinch of drama, and a generous portion of bristling testosterone and you’ve got a love story ready for consuming. Right?
In the world of Harlequin romance novels, maybe. But many writers struggle with the recipe for writing true love, for a story about romantic love on a more complex and profound level. And while the cmfrittshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406963008494673009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-281026306105217563.post-80238175240940966602016-06-18T10:19:00.002-04:002016-06-18T10:31:33.847-04:00New Twitter Chat! #DarkLitChat -- Join us on June, 21st at 8pm EST!
What is #DarkLitChat?
#DarkLitChat is a monthly Twitter chat for writers, authors,
or readers who appreciate dark fiction. Writers and authors at all stages are
welcome, and encouraged to join in. Whether you're plotting, procrastinating,
or published, you're welcome to join us!
When is #DarkLitChat?
Tuesday, June 21st at 8pm EST, on Twitter. (You can find us
for subsequent chatscmfrittshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406963008494673009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-281026306105217563.post-82947492498374016142016-06-06T14:12:00.000-04:002016-06-06T14:12:04.282-04:00May in Review
May was kind of a black hole month for me. I'm not sure what I did or where the time went. Probably because my main focus of the month was doing edits and revisions for my #FicFest entry, which is due for the agent round on the 30th of this month. Woooweee, that's coming up fast!
I managed to squeeze in ONE book and ONE movie in May. That was seriously it! Luckily, both were FANTASTIC, so itcmfrittshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406963008494673009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-281026306105217563.post-66861402869139698742016-06-06T10:25:00.004-04:002016-07-17T19:21:45.627-04:00My Problem with TrianglesNo not triangles of the isosceles or equilateral variety. LOVE triangles! *gag*
The kind of love triangle I'm referring to is the Frankenstein creation that came from a YA trend, where the girl (or guy) "A" claims to love BOTH his/her pursuers "B" and "C."
NOT the kind where A loves B and C comes along and can't take the hint. Or A loves B, but B loves C, but C loves A (yeah, good luck with cmfrittshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406963008494673009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-281026306105217563.post-78721473461352934652016-05-25T20:36:00.000-04:002016-05-29T18:27:43.113-04:00#FicFestSo some of you might be aware that earlier this month I entered a new writing contest called #FicFest. FicFest immediately drew my attention because it was a contest that gave an equal chance to all categories. Unlike other contests, that group picture books and adult books all into one, FicFest separates entrants by categories: Picture Book, Middle Grade, Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult. Each cmfrittshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12406963008494673009noreply@blogger.com2