Susan and John Ruff, Fantasy Authors

Tag: ebook

  • Writing Inspiration in Two Very Different Rivers

    In May 1999, John and I hiked up a waterfall. We were touring Jamaica with friends during a stop on a Caribbean cruise. The group of us hired a local guide to drive us around the island. We enjoyed a day of shopping, viewing the tropical scenery, and visiting the…

  • Deviating from a Book Outline

    It’s always interesting to hear from other writers about the methods they use to draft their novels. Many authors outline carefully and extensively, while others simply start writing and see where the story goes. I’ve heard about some who don’t use a formal outline, but still develop some type of…

  • Meanwhile at Emerald Cove…

    It’s been a while since I provided an update on the Emerald Cove writers’ critique group, so this seems like a good time. The big news is that we may actually be able to start meeting again. Meeting for real. In person. Around a table. At our favorite Denny’s. Yay!!!…

  • Second Draft Anyone?

    There comes a point in an author’s career when one must face the prospect of…shudder…rewriting. I tend to approach writing the second draft of a novel with all the enthusiasm of eating leftovers. It’s a lot easier to make dinner by throwing leftovers in the microwave than it is to…

  • Second Draft Writing Critiques?

    Imagine this scenario: You invite a small group of friends over for dinner. You prepare an elaborate meal for them, and you all have a great time eating, laughing, and talking together. Your friends are also cooks, so they give you tips and suggestions for how the food might be…

  • A Few Thoughts About the Word “Wizard”

    Merlin, Gandalf, Harry Potter…wizards are staple characters in fantasy novels. Wizards are also common in fantasy-based rpgs, in video games, in anime, in movies, and pretty much everywhere you look these days. As a fantasy author, I’ve always worried about using the word “wizard” in a novel for fear of…

  • Book Titles by Committee

    With normality finally on the horizon and a small possibility that there might actually be a live Comicon in San Diego this coming summer, the authors of Emerald Cove are once again turning attention to our shared universe anthology. As I mentioned in a much earlier blog post, the stories…

  • Which Swycaffer Book Should You Read First?

    The most prolific writer of the Emerald Cove authors is also one of my oldest friends. Jefferson Swycaffer and I first met while I was visiting his sister back in the late 1970’s. The next day after our first meeting (or a couple of days later), we happened to run…

  • An Indy Author’s Resolutions

    Happy 2021! A brand new year. The Year of Hope. New Year’s resolutions are not usually my thing. I tend to prefer a Yoda attitude toward them: “Resolve not! Write or write not. There is no resolve.” However, in the spirit of this bright new year, and because my Friday…

  • A Few Written Words About Audio Books

    Before I retired, my job often required me to drive long distances. Those of you familiar with Southern California freeways know that, during rush hour, it can literally take hours to drive a few miles. During those days of sitting in endless, slow-moving traffic, I discovered the joy of audiobooks.…