Tag: how to write

“How do you get inspired to write?” 3 Straightforward Ways to get Inspired


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Obligatory photo of my new wireless mouse!

Hi readers! Today I want to take a look at the toughest question of all – “How do you get inspired to write?”

Don’t forget to try and win a copy of both of my prequel novellas – The Last Gladiator and Roma Aeronautica!

Continue reading ““How do you get inspired to write?” 3 Straightforward Ways to get Inspired”

Three Easy Ways to balance your Personal Life and Writing Life

For those writers out there struggling to stay focused – 3 Ways to Balance our Personal and Writing Lives!


By Daniel Ottalini

If he had a watch, he'd be making sure to stay on schedule
If he had a watch, Julius would be making sure to stay on schedule.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve got a life. No really, a life! You know, a life outside of the world(s) you create on the electronic page? One filled with friends, family, another job/career, a hobby or interest, vacations, etc. And those parts of your life have requirements. I have to work a certain number of hours a day, between X and Y. I want (and need) to hang out with my family on this date all day long, etc etc. The boys and I will be going to the hockey game next Friday. All of these are great examples of life impacting you and your time.

Continue reading “Three Easy Ways to balance your Personal Life and Writing Life”

Do You Need a Glossary?

Do you need a Glossary? – Tips and Tricks for the Self-Published Author on creating a helpful glossary.


Hey there all you self-published writers!

Got a big book you’re about to bring out?

Does it have…

  1. A million characters to keep track of (Ala Robert Jordan, Tolkien, or Martin?)
  2. Words in another language (Real, made up, modified – this is me!)
  3. obscure military, technological, or scientific terms?
  4. a PhD worth of terminology?
  5. A fantasy world of made up locations, animals, magic, etc?

Then you, my dear compatriot, probably need a glossary.

Some simple rules to follow when creating a glossary.

  1. Follow my Significant Other’s rule – if she doesn’t know what it is, the average reader won’t (I.E. Better to leave it in than keep it out of the glossary)
  2. Add the humor or additional backstory – the glossary is a great place to add sneaky extra bits of information, backstory, or other fun, world building tidbits.
  3. But be careful – don’t say it is one thing in book one, then something different in book two.
  4. Find some examples from great fantasy books to help you out.
  5. When in doubt, ask your editor or beta readers to underline or identify the words they didn’t know to help you out!

There you have it! I hope this helped! Glossaries can really make your book much more approachable, and people will love finding those hidden ‘easter eggs’ in the back of your book (but never tell them where to look, it is more fun to find them on your own!)

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