Toots for crcollins@writing.exchange account

Written by C. R. Collins on 2025-01-21 at 01:04

[#]Writephant SelfPromo

Opening from my upcoming release, Fury's Gift (the one with dialogue! 😆 )

“I don’t get why—in this day and age—we have to use labels. Bind ourselves like some Dragon Age church couple.” I batted at the street lamp dipping into my face. “They really need to up the enchantment on these things.”

https://crcollins.org/

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Written by C. R. Collins on 2025-01-21 at 00:47

[#]Writephant Q4 How do you know when an opening line is just right? Does it evolve over time as you write or come to you instantly?

I'll often have an opening line in my head, but there were a couple of books where I struggled to get it right. My first book got a major revision.

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Written by C. R. Collins on 2025-01-21 at 00:27

[#]Writephant Q3 Do you think dialogue can be an effective first line, or do you feel it’s better to start with narrative or description?

I've started a book with dialogue 🤷 I don't have a preference as a reader as long as the opening draws me in.

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Written by C. R. Collins on 2025-01-21 at 00:16

[#]Writephant Q2 People seem to have strong opinions on prologues. What are your thoughts on prologues — do you enjoy them, or do you prefer to dive straight into the main story?

It depends what type. If it's a long narrative info dump, I'll read it, but I rarely retain any of that information, so I'll have to keep flipping back to the front to remind myself of things & cursing the author. If it's a short bit of action or dialogue, I usually enjoy those.

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Written by C. R. Collins on 2025-01-21 at 00:07

[#]Writephant Q1

Are there any famous opening lines from books that you can quote from memory?

"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." 😀

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Written by C. R. Collins on 2025-01-21 at 00:03

[#]Writephant

(1) First, how's everyone doing?

Not a great day here in the US, but I'm hanging in here. Cause what else can I do?

I got the cover for my final sequel, so that was nice. 😊

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Written by C. R. Collins on 2025-01-20 at 15:23

[#]Today Fury's Gift has a cover! 💃 No reveal yet, until it gets closer to its publication date (which I've not settled on yet 😆) but having a cover always makes them feel like real books to me.

And happy Martin Luther King Jr Day everyone! That's the man who deserves to be celebrated today. Can you imagine what a better country we'd have had if he had been elected president? 🥺

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Written by C. R. Collins on 2025-01-20 at 12:00

[#]PennedPossibilities 562

Do you have a writing routine?

Hmm. Loosely in that I tend to write in blocks that occur around the same time, but these are dependent on when I wake up & when I need breaks, when the battery runs out on my laptop if I'm sitting in a different room than my office, & if my husband is home & making too much noise. I'm retired so write every day.

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Written by C. R. Collins on 2025-01-20 at 11:45

[#]WordWeavers Jan 20

Do you feel the Covid pandemic has affected your writing and stories? If so, how?

River's Roar, my first Mage Era prequel, was the quickest first draft I ever did, written in July of 2020. The idea of doing prequels came to me during this time.

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Written by C. R. Collins on 2025-01-20 at 11:40

[#]WritersCoffeeClub Jan 20

Do any of your stories take place on the sea?

Not entire books but parts. Characters travel by ship. They fly over it on dragons, which takes a while. Walk along the shore. Stare out to sea. Live on the beach. Sirens were born from it. A starship sank. I enjoy the setting. It even has its own map. 😀

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Written by C. R. Collins on 2025-01-19 at 11:53

I admit I never understood the attraction of TikTok, but my sympathies to anyone missing it #today Hope you don't lose touch with friends made through there. It's funny how our social life revolves around our phones/ computers these days but, as an introvert, I can't say I completely hate this development. 😆

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Written by C. R. Collins on 2025-01-19 at 11:47

[#]PennedPossibilities 561

Give us your thoughts on the genre of your WIP. Do you love it, is there not enough stories written within it, are you an avid reader of the genre, etc.?

I love the #fantasy genre in general because there are so many opportunities for a variety of stories, limited only by the author's imagination (& the trad industry, but no need to cave to them.) I also love how any issue can be examined through these stories & even given a fresh take. We do need more #HopePunk

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Written by C. R. Collins on 2025-01-19 at 11:35

[#]WritersCoffeeClub Jan 19

Did you find a way through the maze of traditional publishing to get your book published?

No. But I didn't try all that hard. Indie publishing looked a lot more fun.

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Written by C. R. Collins on 2025-01-19 at 11:33

[#]WordWeavers Jan 19

How honest is your MC when honesty will get them into trouble?

Maggie tends to reveal information if and when it suits her purposes. However, when it comes to people she loves, she prefers to be truthful. And she is. Usually. Eventually.

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Written by C. R. Collins on 2025-01-18 at 14:43

[#]PennedPossibilities 560

Your MC has exactly two hours to do something with a small amount of currency in their world. How are they spending the time and money?

Quenelle doesn't have any sort of currency. If Maggie wanted to find money, she'd need to travel to one of the human realms in the northlands. And there's nothing she wants from there. She'd probably just add it to the general stockpile for her foreign agents' use, since they are stuck living in those places.

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Written by C. R. Collins on 2025-01-18 at 13:18

[#]EngenderedWriting 75

Are love and sex the same thing in your story, or are they separate?

No. Sex has an extra function in mage society as an easy and pleasurable way to top off one's mageric energy. You don't need to be in love to enjoy it. But respect is highly valued. All participants would have their needs met. Also, love is an expansive & unlimited quality which comes in many forms.

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Written by C. R. Collins on 2025-01-18 at 13:13

[#]WordWeavers Jan 18

Have you ever wanted to write a story and lacked the skills?

Good writing takes practice, so sure.

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Written by C. R. Collins on 2025-01-18 at 12:58

[#]WritersCoffeeClub Jan 18

Would you serve as a judge for a literary award?

I wouldn't feel comfortable. Not sure I have sufficient qualifications either. I can pick out grammatical errors, but fiction is so subjective. There are popular books I've hated & others I love that are far from mainstream. In fact, my tastes seem to run contrary to popular. If a book has won an award, I am somewhat less likely to be interested. Weird, I know. I prefer to just enjoy the story rather than evaluate it.

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Written by C. R. Collins on 2025-01-17 at 22:03

[#]Today

Why am I not finding discussion about this on here? Is this going to hold up?

Statement from President Joe Biden on the Equal Rights Amendment | The White House

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2025/01/17/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-the-equal-rights-amendment/

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Written by C. R. Collins on 2025-01-17 at 21:59

Wait, am I really equal under the law now or is it going to disppear after the 20th?

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