Oar is one of my all-time favorite characters, and I discovered her by chance. I was reading through my husband’s considerable book collection, plucking books off the shelf at random. I’m not a stickler for digging through stacks and reading a series in order. I may be a plotter when I write, but I’m pantser when I read.

Even though Oar’s adventures began in a Festina-narrated book called Expendable, I came to know Oar in her own voice in Ascending.

If you haven’t met Oar, here’s a taste of her POV:

This is my story, the Story of Oar. It is a wonderful story. I was in another story once, but it was not so wonderful, as I died in the end. That was very most sad indeed. But it turns out I am not such a one as stays dead forever, especially when I only fell eighty floors to the pavement. I am made of sterner stuff than that.

And then you find out she’s made out of glass. Isn’t that delicious?

She begins the book as an entertaining, hyper-intelligent being with a low social/emotional IQ. Though she has the body of an adult (and naked) woman, she has the maturity level of a child.

Oar is not a perfect person, fascinating characters rarely are. She can be vain, petulant, and lacking in empathy. But over the course of the book, her understanding of the universe and other intelligent beings deepens as she blossoms into emotional adulthood. It is a beautiful and hilarious coming-of-age that is well worth the journey.

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Housekeeping and Updates:

• My posting schedule is shifting from bi-monthly to four Fridays a month.
• The Flash Fiction Competition has been removed due to lack of participation.
• Anyone who signs up for my mailing list by Dec. 1st is entered into a drawing to be listed on the Dedication page of my upcoming Sci-Fi novel, Fillius Glint.

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Writing Resource Round-up

 

Focusing on Craft:

• Over 400 Words to Describe Hair: A List for Writers
• 127 Prompts to Finish Before You Write About Yourself
• 4 Ways to Write a Compelling Character
• 200 Words to Use Instead of ‘Good’ [Infographic]
• 3 Ways to Portray Place on the Page
• How to Use Dialogue Tags Like a Pro
• Why You Should Not Use Nominalisations When You Write
• Getting Middle Grade Voice Right
• Grow as a Writer– Critique Your Own Work

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Motivation and Inspiration:

• How to Write Like Improv Theater
• Are You a Fraud or a Genius?
• Energize Your Life With a Supportive Writing Community

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Marketing:

• 5 Things You Need to Know About Content Marketing
• Social Media Tips for Authors Pre-Book Release
• Can Social Media Really Sell Your Books?

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Professional Development:

• What IS Freelance Writing? Answers to the Awkward Newbie Questions
• Self-Publishing Basics: 5 Book Binding Styles Illustrated
• Should You Hire a Professional Editor?

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Opportunities:

• The Write Practice Winter Writing Contest (Deadline Dec. 6, Standard entry fee is $20)
• Writer’s Digest Short Story Competition (Deadling Dec. 15, Entry $25)

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