For readers:
Want to find me on social media?
Facebook | Instagram @selacarsenwritermom| Twitter @selacarsen
You can also follow me on my Amazon page, and on BookBub to get notifications of new releases.
And I’d love it if you signed up to get my newsletter (check the bottom of the page!)
If you found me via the Nocturne Falls Universe, then you might be interested in both the original Nocturne Falls series by Kristen Painter, as well as other stories by other authors in the NFU.
For Mythology, Fairy tale, and Folklore Nerds:
Everything that I write, no matter the heat level, no matter whether it’s sci-fi or paranormal, has at its heart something that started in mythology or folklore or fairy tales. I can’t help it. It’s how I’m wired. And even though it looks like I’m just making things up on the fly (ok, sometimes I am) I do quite a bit of research into those original stories so that I know *how* to make things up.
So here are some of the sources I regularly use to help me out.
Jackson Crawford – YouTube channel by a cute cowboy who also happens to be an expert in Old Norse languages
Norse Mythology for Smart People
Theoi.com – Greek myths
Pantheon.org/Encyclopedia Mythica – myths from around the world
Bulfinch’s Mythology – Greek and Roman myths, a little bit of Norse, plus King Arthur, the Mabinogeon, and the Legend of Charlemagne. (public domain)
Edith Hamilton’s Mythology – Greek, Roman and Norse mythology
Joseph Campbell’s The Power of Myth
Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces
Russian Fairy Tales by Alexander Afanasyev
W.B. Yeats Irish Folk and Fairy Tales
Vladimir Propp’s Morphology of the Folktale
Aarne-Thompson Motif Index of Folk Literature
For Writers:
When I sat down that first day of writing, dripping from the shower, I Googled “How to write a romance novel” and found e-harlequin. Even though I’ve never targeted Harlequin or Silhouette, I found an amazing support group and friends from all over the world.
A couple of years later, some crazy chick named Kristen Painter (we’ve known each other for a long time now) started spreading the word about a new romance writing community she had co-founded with Jax Crane. They called it Romance Divas. Like a good little sheep, I joined up and haven’t regretted a single second. The Divas and Diva Dudes who frequent the boards there write across all genres of romance, from sweet inspirational to sizzling erotica. Anything you ever wanted to know about writing romance, you’ll find at Romance Divas.
For shaping characters (if you do a lot of pre-planning before you write) or for hours of time wasting (if you’re a wing it and we’ll see what happens type of writer), take the Myers-Briggs Personality Test. Just so you know, I’m an ESFP.
My friend, Michelle Styles, also swears by the Enneagram as an indicator of character types.
Miscellaneous Helpful Links for Writers:
- The Costumer’s Manifesto
- 20,000 Names
- The Elements of Style ~ No, it’s not fun and cute and interactive, but it’s well organized and it gets the job done.
- Jane Friedman – Start Here: How to Self-Publish Your Book (the basics)