Susan and John Ruff, Fantasy Authors

  • 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… Read more

  • Lessons Learned from Writing 500 Words of Fiction Per Day

    On January 1, 2021, I took a chance and publicly posted a set of New Year’s resolutions. Among other things, I resolved to continue writing 500 words of original fiction per day until I finished… Read more

  • 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… Read more

  • 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… Read more

  • Yay!! Cover Art

    Writing a book is fun and enjoyable, despite the work, but seeing the cover really makes it exciting! The first draft of Prophecy’s Malignant Son is now about 90% complete, and is still on schedule… Read more

  • 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… Read more

  • Don’t Do This By Yourself

    Writing is a solo activity best done with friends. Yeah, that sounds contradictory. Frankly, it is contradictory. In my experience, however, I have found it to be true. Writing is more fun when someone else… Read more

  • How Are Those Writing Resolutions Coming?

    We are now approximately one month into 2021. It’s a good time to take a moment and assess how well your New Year’s resolutions are coming. On January 1, everybody talks about them, but then… Read more

  • A Few Points About Multiple Viewpoints

    So whose novel is it anyway? Well, yes, of course, it’s the author’s book. But which character or characters are the focus of the story? Whose thoughts and observations drive the narrative? From which character’s… Read more

  • How Can You Avoid Writing Distractions?

    We all have them — those things that distract us when we sit down to write. Or sometimes before we sit down to write. At times, they strike even when we contemplate thinking about intending… Read more

Welcome to Susan’s Monthly Blog!

On the first Friday of every month, Susan writes a short post about our books, the craft of writing, upcoming projects, travel, writing inspiration, and similar topics that strike her fancy. We hope you enjoy reading them.

Feel free to leave a comment. Susan loves hearing from readers!