Upon the Wings of Greater Things

The creative endeavours of Starla Huchton

So You Want to Be a Writer…

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helpful tipsThe last week I’ve had a Facebook feed filled with authors responding to/venting about complaints they’ve received in reviews or emails from readers. To add to that, I’ve gotten many messages or questions over the last year asking about why I write and advice for someone just starting out.

I think I’ve come up with a way to address some of these things, but I can’t do it all in one post. So, I’m going to start a little series of helpful (I hope) blog posts talking about things people should know before diving into this business (or looking down on indie authors).

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Reader Bonus: Through His Eyes

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Since the release of Shadows on Snow, one person after another has poked at me, asking to see a bit of the world through the lens of Leo’s perspective.

Well, I listened. I took suggestions from readers, narrowed it down to three choices, and set it to a vote. And then, I flipped the chosen scene.

So here it is, fresh from my fingertips for your eyeballs. Be warned: if you have not yet read Shadows on Snow, this will be spoilery for you. Go no further in this post unless you’re at least half-way through the book. If you like being spoiled, well, keep reading, I guess. Just don’t say that I didn’t warn you.

Catch you after the jump!

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On the Importance of Community

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Wanna hear something cool? Shadows on Snow is still ranking, 10 days after release, in three different categories on Amazon. While that’s not long-term results, it’s a big thing for me. To date, my new releases have gotten a big bump on release day, then tend to fall away after three days or so. Yay for progress!

But that’s not really what this post is about, although it is related. How? I’m getting there.

I’m firmly convinced that the only reason this book has done so much is because of the people around me that have supported, shared, or otherwise helped out with Shadows on Snow. Today, I’m going to talk about that a little.

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The ‘F’ Word

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No, not THAT ‘F’ word.

The ‘F’ word that I’m talking about is one that appears in my Facebook and Twitter feeds every single day. It’s a word that polarizes, one that invokes revulsion and sometimes disturbingly violent behavior. It’s a word that makes people uncomfortable. It’s a powerful word. It’s a scary word.

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Shadows on Snow Release Day!

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It’s here! It’s here! OMG it’s release day!

SHADOWS ON SNOW IS LIVE!

Lots of awesome stuff is happening today. Ebooks are magically appearing on Kindles everywhere. The big Release Day Celebration is going to be a blast. And, of course, it’s blog tour time!

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Crafting the Dreaded Blurb

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helpful tipsAll of my writerly friends have struggled with this topic at some point in their careers: the dreaded blurb creation.

As readers, we look at these book descriptions on the back flap or on the Amazon listing and tend not to give them much thought. They either pull us in, or they don’t. But as a writer who is used to using tens of thousands of words to tell a story, condensing that story down into 200 words or less is a major struggle. If you’re one of those people that know how very real that struggle is, this post is for you.

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