Things Are Rarely What They Seem

No, that title isn't some play on conspiracies. But it is a bit coincidental that my third novel actually does involve a conspiracy... of sorts. No more details just yet, as it's far from complete.

Over the past month, I've joined an author workshop. We meet on Saturdays (albiet on video calls, like everything these days), and take turns leading the call. In my session, I leaned heavily on the technology that I use to craft stories, and I learned of new solutions from other authors (new solutions to me, that is). Speaking of which, I have learned so much from these other storytellers already, it's enhanced my workflow, and I'm thankful for all of the tips.

I won't bore you, Dear Reader, with deep-dives into "the dramatic curve" or "the three-act structure", but suffice it to say... it's helping me to elevate my stories,

One of the key things we discussed, early into the meetings, was "defining your Umbrella", which really just means "What's a single phrase that helps to categories all of your writing?"... For me, it turned out to be this:

-THINGS ARE RARELY WHAT THEY SEEM.

This slogan is so simple, yet so true for all of my favorite books, movies, or stories - of any kind. It's also a big part of what made me want to write, to begin with. So, it's no surpise that it fits with my first two novels, as well as all of the random scraps of stories I have written here or there (many to become published work, in the future).

Perhaps now, more than ever, my "Umbrealla" fits perfectly for the current novel that I'm working on. I can't wait to get it into your hands (although it will be a while before it's ready).

Until next time...

May your books keep you up at night.

- Daniel