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Black Garden by Tom Warwick

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Black Garden is a sci-fi novella by Tom Warwick. For more information about the book, click on the Amazon link below.

Purchase on Amazon or read in KU

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I'm Hannah, an editor, author, and writing coach. I love helping writers like you polish their stories, enhance their craft, and chase their publishing dreams.

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We’re seven days into Camp NaNo and the month of We’re seven days into Camp NaNo and the month of July 🎉 How’s your WIP coming along? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #CampNanoOrNot20 Day 7: Progress Check-In ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ For my official check-in, I’m at 4,114 words at the time of posting. I’m ahead of schedule ... I got inspired this weekend! I've been writing at night, and I have my writing group tonight, so I'm hoping to break 5k before the day is over. 🤞 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Whether you’re ahead of schedule, on track, or ‘behind’ the goal you set for this month, remember that our productivity does not define us as writers or as humans. Yeah, you’ve got to get words down if you’re an author, but don’t forget that brainstorming, rewriting, plotting, revising, and daydreaming are all part of the creative process. You may not have as many words on the page as you wanted to, but that doesn’t mean you aren't working on the story in some way. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Let me know how I can support you this month. Whether you need a listening ear, want a link to join our Camp NaNo Discord server, or need an objective review from an editor, I’m here to help. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ How’s your July? What are you working on? ° ° ° ° #indiesareworthit #indieauthorsbeseen #authorpreneur #amwritingfantasy #authorchallenge #writerchallenge #campnano2020 #campnanowrimo #writeeveryday #selfpublishing #indiepublished #writingabook #writingsprints #bookediting #writerstips #instagramwriters #indieauthorlife #bookeditor #writinginspo #writersden #writingcoach #selfpublished #indiepub #writersconnection
Do your secondary characters need to be developed Do your secondary characters need to be developed and serve some purpose? Short answer: yes. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #CampNanoOrNot20 Day 6: Secondary characters ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Secondary characters can serve multiple purposes in your story. They aren’t just there for a witty bit of a dialogue thrown in during tense scenes, though they can do that too. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In fact, well-developed secondary characters can make or break your story. A cast of minor characters who serve no purpose and play no role will slow things down and detract from the plot. But minor characters who build upon the story as it unfolds? They’re great! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ So, what can your secondary characters do? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 📚 Reveal key details about the plot 📚 Motivate the protagonist *or* antagonist 📚 Serve as a foil for your MC 📚 Highlight an important theme 📚 Expand the worldbuilding/set the tone 📚 Create more conflict for your MC ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Think about it. We’re all the main characters in our own stories (of life), and our friends and family are the ‘secondary’ characters. They play many roles in our lives, including some of the above. Your fictional secondary characters should be multi-dimensional too. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ How they fill these roles may vary. Maybe they find a clue or more info your MC needs. Maybe they’re wise and offer guidance throughout the hero’s quest. Maybe they function as an embodiment of one of your themes. Maybe they represent the culture of your world. How they fill this role will change from character to character and story to story. Get creative and see what works! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Feel like your minor characters are stagnant? Drop your questions below and let’s work on some character development! ° ° ° ° #indiesareworthit #fantasywriter #amwritingfantasy #authorchallenge #writerchallenge #campnano2020 #campnanowrimo #writingtipsandtricks #selfpublishing #indiepublished #writingcommunityofig #writingabook #writingsprints #bookediting #writerstips #instagramwriters #indieauthorlife #bookeditor #writinginspo #writersden #writingcoach #selfpublished #indiepub #writersconnection
'If there really was a demon locked within the pal 'If there really was a demon locked within the palace walls, Aelius would find it.' ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #CampNanoOrNot20 Day 5: Share a line you love ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 'He would burn the entire city to the ground if that’s what it took to finally bring Volaris to its knees.' ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Today's #campnano post is actually from my WIP! I'm still in drafting mode, and this has been a very different project for me. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It's a novelette, from my villain's POV, and I'm totally pantsing it. 😂 A far cry from my usual 100k novels that I've outlined. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ But hey, I'm having fun! And that's just as important as the other parts of the writing process. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We'll see if those lines make it into the final draft, but right now, they definitely speak to my MC's goal. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Have you ever written from a villain's POV? 🤔 ° ° ° ° #indiesareworthit #fantasywriter #amwritingfantasy #authorchallenge #writerchallenge #campnano2020 #campnanowrimo #writingtipsandtricks #selfpublishing #indiepublished #writingcommunityofig #writingabook #writingsprints #bookediting #writerstips #instagramwriters #indieauthorlife #bookeditor #writinginspo #writersden #writersofig
The beauty of sci-fi and fantasy? Building a setti The beauty of sci-fi and fantasy? Building a setting that feels both familiar and fantastical, like home and like new! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #CampNanoOrNot20 Day 4: Introduce your world ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ But worldbuilding can also be intimidating. Whether you’re creating an entirely new world or not, try starting with the basics: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 📚 How is society structured? 📚 What type of government(s) exist? 📚 How does religion fit in, if at all? 📚 What are the geography and climate like? 📚 What kind of tech is there? 📚 What’s the history of this place? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ These overarching elements act as a framework before you add details like: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 📚 Food and drink 📚 Common smells and sounds 📚 Clothing & fashions, including hair and makeup 📚 Architecture 📚 Population density 📚 Art & culture ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Remember that your world can also create obstacles for your characters. There might be natural disasters or something major like political revolution. You might also include smaller obstacles like poisonous plants or a brief weather delay.  ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ And perhaps most importantly, one of the central conflicts in fiction is who (or what) has the power to stop your MC from reaching their goal. This might be a political system. It might be nature itself. Ask yourself who and/or what has this power as your worldbuild for a more engaging plot and rich world. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Worldbuilding is one of my favorite parts of writing and editing. In fact, even though I’m writing in the same universe as my novel, this prequel novelette takes place in the past. It’s making me ask new questions about the world I’ve built, especially since my MC is actually the villain in the novel. Fun stuff! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Do you like worldbuilding? What’s your fav part? The worst? Let’s talk! ° ° ° ° #indiesareworthit #fantasywriter #amwritingfantasy #authorchallenge #writerchallenge #campnano2020 #campnanowrimo #writingtipsandtricks #selfpublishing #indiepublished #writingcommunityofig #writingabook #writingsprints #bookediting #writerstips #instagramwriters #indieauthorlife #bookeditor #writinginspo #writersden #writingcoach
Main characters are the lifeblood of your story. Y Main characters are the lifeblood of your story. Your plot is important, yes, but your characters and their decisions are the driving force behind everything. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #CampNanoOrNot20 Day 3: Introduce Your MC ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Your protagonist should be proactive (takes action), not reactive (only reacting). If your MC isn’t making any choices that lead to new outcomes or obstacles, your story will fall flat. It’ll be boring. An MC who sits on their hands while things happen around/to them is a weak MC. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Side note: this isn’t a blanket statement. If your MC’s whole arc is to gain their own agency, the beginning of your story might start with a reactive protagonist who becomes proactive later. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Your MC’s decisions should hold some weight in the plot. These decisions and actions often lead to some kind of disaster, which creates a new obstacle that yields a new decision. That’s pretty much basic story structure 😜 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ MC has goal ➡️ Encounters obstacle ➡️ Makes a decision ➡️ Rinse & repeat ➡️ DISASTER ➡️ new decision ➡️ start this again! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Let’s look at an example. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 📚 Goal: Your MC wants coffee from their favorite cafe. 📚 Obstacle 1: Dead car battery.  📚 Decision 1: Walk or call a cab? They decide to call a cab. 📚 Ob. 2: The driver gets lost. 📚 Dec. 2: They decide to help the driver navigate by pulling up their own GPS app.  📚 Disaster: When they finally get to the cafe, it’s closed!  🌟 Now they have to make a new decision, which may be a revision to their goal or a new plan. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ After all, if your character just stopped after the dead car battery and waited for something to happen, there would be no story. 🤷 And if there’s no story, your reader will get bored and choose a different book! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ TL;DR: As you write, have your character make decisions. They may have to be reactive at times, but overall, a proactive main character helps drive the plot and keep readers engaged. 🙌
A new month means a new planner spread, and a new A new month means a new planner spread, and a new planner spread means new goals. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #CampNanoOrNot20 Day 2: July writing goals ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ For my Camp NaNo project, I’m aiming for 15,000 words. ✍️ As this project is more about discovery and understanding than anything else, that feels like the right goal to start with. That may change as I get into the story, but it’s what I’m working on for July. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Besides my novelette, I’ve got all kinds of client projects this month. Fantasy novels, romance stories, and guiding several authors through the technical side of self-publishing are all on my editorial calendar for July. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It’ll be busy around Between the Lines HQ in July, but the editorial assistants and I are looking forward to the process. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ What are your goals for this month? ° ° ° ° #indieauthorsbeseen #aspiringauthor #writingtipsandtricks #planwithme #campnanowrimo #bookeditor #publishingpro #selfpublishing #indiepub #selfpub #indieauthorlife #authorchallenge #writerchallenge #writeveryday #writersden
It’s officially Camp NaNoWriMo! And that means i It’s officially Camp NaNoWriMo! And that means it’s officially the start of #CampNanoOrNot20. If you haven’t seen this floating around IG yet, check a few posts back in my feed, and don’t forget to grab your story template from my story highlights. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #CampNanoOrNot20 Day 1: Introduce Your Project ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I’ve decided to write a prequel novelette to the project I completed during 2019’s NaNoWriMo. Why? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Prequels are fun, novellas are more reasonable for me in this season of life, and most importantly, I need a break from my novel. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I’m burnt out on my main storyline. I need clarity on the history of my antagonist, and brainstorming isn’t working for me. What has worked so far is writing scenes from his perspective. What better Camp NaNo project than a prequel novella based on my novel’s villain? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I don’t know where this story is going to take me. I don’t know if I’ll ever use this novella for anything other than bringing clarity to myself. But no words are ever wasted. Every word helps you learn something about yourself, your story, or your writing style. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Whether you’re participating in Camp NaNo or not, I hope you tackle your writing goals this month! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ QOTD: What are you working on in July? ° ° ° ° #indiesareworthit #fantasywriter #amwritingfantasy #authorpreneur #authorchallenge #writerchallenge #writingsprints #indieauthorsunited #instawrimo #campnanowrimo #campnano2020 #aspiringauthors #authorsofig #authorgram #writingabook #writinginspo #bookeditor
Have you ever read your work and thought, “Omg, Have you ever read your work and thought, “Omg, that character sounds so stilted.” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🙋‍♀️ I think we’ve all been there! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ When I’m copyediting, one of the things I consistently help authors do is tweak their dialogue. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Choppy dialogue frequently interrupted by action, ‘strong’ dialogue tags, info dumping in dialogue, or not providing enough exposition can pull your reader out of the story. That’s not ideal! What do you do if that’s the case in your draft? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 📚 Use contractions. Contractions are as old as language itself and are fair game in fiction. They can take your dialogue from stilted to natural in a few quick changes. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 📚 Check sentence structure. Using short sentences, especially with frequent action interruptions, can disrupt your flow. Unless this is intentional, try revising this. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 📚 Combine actions. If you have dialogue interrupted by multiple actions, try combining these actions if appropriate. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 📚 Trust your judgment. If you think something is awkward as the author, readers probably will too. And if you combine sentences and think it’s too hard to follow, it probably is! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This isn't an exhaustive list. Dialogue is too complex for ONE Instagram post. However, as an editor, I find that small revisions to dialogue usually make the biggest differences. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If you think your dialogue is awkward or unnatural, or if beta readers tell you it needs work, take heart! It’s probably easier than you think. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Do you like to write dialogue? Do you think it’s easy or hard to get it ‘right’ in your story? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ P.S. Don’t forget! Camp NaNo or Not 2020 starts tomorrow 😜 Will you be joining us? ° ° ° ° #indiesareworthit #indiepublishing #bookeditor #fantasywriter #instawrimo #amwritingfantasy #aspiringauthor #authorslife #selfpublished #indiepub #writersconnection #writeeveryday #writingcommunityofig #writers_tgoether #writersblock #commonmistakes #indieauthorlife #bookediting #writerstips #writingtipsandtricks #indieauthorsunited #writingsprints #instagramwriters
Your story deserves to be told. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Your story deserves to be told. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I know it might be hard to write at this moment. There’s a lot going on in the world right now. Sitting down to write a novel may feel like the last thing you “should” be doing. Or maybe it feels like one more thing that’s got you “stuck” where you don’t want to be. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It’s okay if you feel either of those things, or neither of them, or something else entirely. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The world needs stories like yours to help us escape (for a moment), learn, and grow. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ And you also don’t have to do this whole ‘writing and publishing’ thing alone. Your story deserves to be told, and you deserve to have people supporting your author journey. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Consider me your newest friend in publishing. Your cheerleader, your fan, and your friend. Your friendly neighborhood editor, if I may borrow some language from a famous superhero. 😜 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ What do you feel like is holding you back in this moment? If you don’t want to share publicly in a comment, you’re always welcome to DM me! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ P.S. Need help revising or publishing your novel? Send me a DM! I’m scheduling clients for late summer and early fall, and I’d love to talk to you about your project. ° ° ° ° #indiesareworthit #bookeditor #bookcoach #writingcoach #publishingpro #amwritingfantasy #aspiringauthor #authorslife #selfpublished #indiepub #writercommunity #writersofig #authorpreneur #writeeveryday #indieauthorlife #indieauthorlove #bookediting #authortips #authormindset
Happy Friday, writers and creatives! Before we hea Happy Friday, writers and creatives! Before we head into the weekend, I want to tell you about the new #CampNaNo prompt series @juliascottwrites and I are hosting next month! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ (And yes, July is somehow just a few days from now! 🙈) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Much like our November #NanoOrNot19 ‘challenge,’ Julia and I wanted to host one for July’s #CampNaNo as well. This time around, though, our prompts are designed to help you connect with your readers and potential readers, not *just* other writers. 📚 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We encourage you to get creative with your posts, participate when you’re able, and use the prompts as inspiration for connection and community in July. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ You don’t have to be participating in Camp NaNo to join this event. Share whatever you’re working on, share multiple projects, or promote your published books. It’s up to you 🌠 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We also have a new story template for this round of prompts! View my stories or my highlights in my profile for a copy you can screenshot and use. You can also screenshot this post to save the prompts or share if you feel inclined. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Whatever you do, don’t forget to use the hashtag #CampNaNoOrNot20 on your posts so we can find them and cheer you on! And don’t forget to tell your writer friends 😉 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Will you be participating? I hope so! I can’t wait to see what you’re working on in July. 🎆 ° ° ° ° #indiesareworthit #indiepublishing #authorchallenge #writingchallenge #writerchallenge #campnanowrimo #writingsprints #writingchallenge #julywritingchallenge #selfpublishing #authorpreneur #amwritingfantasy #campnanowrimo2020 #writingtip #indieauthorsunited #writerscommunity #writinglife #instagramwriters #indieauthorsbeseen #bookeditor #wipshare
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