Susan and John Ruff, Fantasy Authors

Category: Uncategorized

  • Do You Outline Your Novels Before You Write?

    Notice that the title of today’s blog post does not say: “Should you outline your novels before you write?” I don’t think there is a correct answer to the “should you outline” question. From what I have heard and read, it seems to be a matter of author preference. There…

  • Update on Current Book Projects

    It’s been a while since I provided an update on the current writing projects, so this seems like a good time. John and I are still hard at work on our latest fantasy novel Prophecy’s Malignant Son. We have over 50,000 words written at this point, and we are still…

  • Writing and RPGs

    Think back to the year 1977. It was a great year to be a science-fiction/fantasy fan in San Diego. The original Star Wars opened in May 1977. The Silmarillion was finally published. The Star Trek Association for Revival met at San Diego State on the third Saturday of every month…

  • Writing, Marathons, and Mountains

    November is National Novel Writing Month, a time in which many talented people produce thousands of written words in a single month. They are probably drafting the upcoming New York Times bestsellers, even as I type this blog. Some day, perhaps, I will possess both the time and the capability…

  • Five Fantasy Authors Who Influenced My Early Writing

    Back in the 1970’s and 80’s when I was in high school and college, fantasy was still a fairly new genre. Authors such as Jules Verne and Edgar Rice Burroughs had been writing speculative fiction for years, but the genre really seemed to find itself in the second half of…

  • What’s in a Domain Name?

    For the last seven months, I’ve been splashing around the shallow end of self-publishing. My writing hasn’t made much money, but I haven’t put any real money into it, so it’s kind of a wash. I’ve spent a lot of time on writing-related tasks, but I am retired and stuck…

  • Dictation vs. Typing

    “No! Don’t hurt my fingers! I’m a writer.” Two weeks ago, I had minor surgery on one of my fingers. The surgery was very minor and the cut is healing up nicely now, so no worries. However, for the first few days after the surgery, I had to type with…

  • The Other Side of Writing Critiques

    Last Friday, I talked about the importance of finding good critics to help evaluate your manuscripts before you publish. This week, I want to discuss the other side of that issue. How can you be a helpful critic for your friends and fellow authors? Let me confess right away that…

  • The Importance of Critics

    At our Emerald Cove writer’s group meeting last week, I was reminded once again of how important it is for authors, particularly Indy authors, to have trusted people critique their writing. Reviewers see the mistakes a writer misses. All writers, of course, understand the need for a skilled editor to…

  • One Method to Overcome Writing Malaise

    Why is it hard for many of us to write fiction during this pandemic? Several of my author friends have expressed difficulty getting motivated right now. One friend, who is normally a prolific writer, told me that he has not written anything since April. At our most recent Emerald Cove…