Rachel Starr Thomson

First, an Advent update: I am still working on revisions! I made such major revisions the last time around that a whole new ending was required, so I am currently writing that whole new ending. Writing should be wrapped up by July 10; first polish by July 15; and then I wait for feedback from beta readers. Thank you for caring.

It’s a MUCH better book than it used to be.

Now, to segue into today’s writing tip, I have noticed that every time I sit down to write I spend a lot more time sitting than writing. It’s HARD to come in from the cold and just start in on a scene, capturing its mood and emotions effectively. But I have developed a trick for helping myself get into the writing, a trick that also works to jump-start ideas or bring more sensory life into a scene: I call it entering the moment.

Pick a character from the scene you’re working on (ideally the character whose POV you’re writing in). Read what you’ve already written so you have the basic setting details in your head.

Now, close your eyes and enter the moment.

What can you feel? See? Smell? Hear? What colours meet your eyes?

Are you sitting, standing, running, riding?

If someone else is speaking, how are you listening to them? Are you emotional, detached, frightened, joyous? What does his or her voice sound like?

Try to sense the sun and the wind; try to smell the forest or the attic dust or the apple pie.

Just sit and soak it all up for a few minutes. Enter the moment as fully as you possibly can. Get inside your character’s skin and just feel.

Then open your eyes, type a few of those details, and see what happens.

My graphic skills leave much to be desired, but thankfully my sister Deborah’s artwork is so gorgeous that even I can’t ruin it! This ad will be placed in a book of encouragement from homeschool graduates put together by Amy Puetz. I’m also contributing a chapter to the book.

Rael of Reflective Beauty has reviewed Burning Light:

The middle of a series can be a hard book to read and, I expect, to write.  But Rachel Starr Thomson has done very well here.  This second book in her Seventh World Trilogy is just as exciting, just as full of wonder, and even cranked up a few notches from the first book.  It’s much more intense, and dark, and sad.  Characters grow miles deeper.   Wonderful and horrible new places in the Seventh World are explored.  I think even Rachel’s storytelling and word-smithing improved, and that’s saying a lot!

Check out the whole review here . Thanks, Rael! Positive reviews are fuel for The Advent-writing fire.

The Advent is now a complete first draft!

A messy first draft, full of loose ends, accidentally dropped characters, rambling sentences, and scenes that are too sparse.

But I am finally happy with this story (which is now in its third completely different incarnation); finally satisfied that it’s the story it’s supposed to be. I typed the last words of the first draft yesterday afternoon and bought a hot chocolate and a cheese croissant from Tim Horton’s to celebrate. The book will now lay fallow until after Christmas, while I keep up with my student papers and an insanely busy touring schedule. Then revisions begin.

Thanks for all your encouragement on this journey .