‘It’s fiction, it’s all fiction!’ I started shouting to my partner, one cleaning glove on, one washing-up brush in my hand. He frowned. ‘No, I mean it’s ALL fiction!’ Inconceivable. That’s me post reading The Princess Bride and googling my way through the confusion of the abridgment of The Princess Bride by William Goldman. I […]
Author: Marieke Mills
I’m Marieke, a writer of fantasy. I’m Dutch, love sushi, adore dogs, am an avid reader, eat vegan/vegetarian half of the time and have a great love for the English language. I’m currently working on my first fantasy novel, The Fourth Ruling.
7 Beautiful Lord of the Rings Book Covers
For the true Lord of the Rings fan, simply owning one version of Tolkien’s books is not enough. Going into one of my book-seeking frenzies, I’ve listed some of the most gorgeous covers of The Lord of the Rings.
The Agony that is Editing Your Novel and Devising a Plan to Tackle It
Quite the title I know. It’s right about where my mind is though. Jogging in placing, pumping myself up for editing. Oh, joy. Well, apparently a joy to some! I heard a fellow writer tell me they enjoyed the editing just a few weeks ago. They liked it, because it meant the book they had written was coming together, improving, becoming something readable. Yes, that does sound great, but can I just snap my fingers and have it be done already?
Romance Writer Emily Merrill’s Road to Traditional Publishing
Romance writer Emily Merrill has taken the time to answer some of my questions about her road to traditional publishing. From dealing with sensitive topics to the editing process to managing a fulltime job and creative writing, Emily gives a peek into her life as an author and her path towards writing Mine.
Participating in NaNoWriMo Without Attempting to Write 50,000 Words
We’re halfway through November, which means it’s the midway point of NaNoWriMo. Just like millions of other writers, I started on 1 November. I had outlined my novel, created my characters and got going. Without the intention of reaching 50k.
Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus | How Mary Shelley Crafted an Epic Tale
Halloween was the perfect time to start reading one of the classics: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. This narrative surprised me in more ways than one. In many regards I had formed the story in my head the way Hollywood had shaped it. A mad scientist, thunder and lightning, a barely sentient monster with bolts in […]
My big move to the UK
I’ve just gone through a big change. As of the start of October I’ve emigrated from the Netherlands to the beautiful Leeds in the UK. Yorkshire, hello!
Storytelling in The Picture of Dorian Gray
For my first storytelling review on YouTube I decided to choose The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. It’s a great classic for a reason. Wilde’s poetic writing, his plot twists and Dorian Gray’s character arc mold the story of the narcissistic Dorian Gray. Warning: spoilers ahead!
Write with all senses
Senses, we have five of them: sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. For creative writing, you can accomplish a lot using all of the senses. To truly engage a reader in the surroundings of your world, you can use so much more than just the eyes to explain what your story is made up of.
How Designated Survivor makes politics about people
My most recent Netflix binge series is Designated Survivor. I’ve been amazed at how they manage to make politics so much about people. Taking a closer look at the storytelling, I’m starting to understand exactly why this show on politics is so approachable.