Tagged: Rambling Prose

Hey there! I’m sharing the transcript (almost but not exactly word-for-word) of my latest episode of my Rambling Prose YouTube channel.
On this episode I discuss very briefly the background of how I got into the urban fantasy genre and give 3 quick tips for those who want to write the genre as far as how the market currently stands. I am a YouTube newb so the quality will get better as time goes on. If you find my videos helpful, please click subscribe, like, and share on social media. Thanks so much!

Hi, and welcome back to another episode of Rambling Prose. I’m Kasey Mackenzie, author of the Shades of Fury series for Penguin Random House under their Ace imprint and I’m represented by Ginger Clark at Curtis Brown. Please check out my Phoenix on the Rise series – I’ll pop the links where you can find it below. I write mostly urban fantasy and paranormal romance, but I do also write fantasy, science fiction, and romance.

Today, though, we’re going to focus on urban fantasy, which is my absolute favorite genre to read and write. Don’t get me wrong, I love many other genres, too—but this one definitely holds the keys to my heart. At its simplest, urban fantasy mixes magic and the real world. It has its roots going back to ancient mythology, when cultures all around the world looked to explain the inexplicable natural phenomena around them in a way they could understand. I will often describe what I write to those completely unfamiliar with the genre as Harry Potter written for an adult audience. Now don’t go getting the pitchforks and mobs. It’s completely okay that many of us adults also enjoy Harry Potter! It’s just something that even people who don’t read fantasy are pretty familiar with.

So You Think You Can Pants? 8 Pre-Planning Tips Before You Strut Your Stuff

Hey you guys! Time for me to share the transcript from my latest episode of Rambling Prose, So You Think You Can Pants? 8 Pre-Planning Tips Before You Strut Your Stuff, for those who either can’t or prefer not to watch the video. Please do consider clicking like or subscribe on that video if you can. It’s always helpful and appreciated!

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Hi, and welcome back to another episode of Rambling Prose. I’m Kasey Mackenzie, author of the Shades of Fury series for Penguin Random House under their Ace imprint and I’m represented by Ginger Clark at Curtis Brown. I write mostly urban fantasy and paranormal romance, but I do also write fantasy, science fiction, and romance. As mentioned in a previous episode (which you should totally go watch!) I am what the writing community calls a pantser, meaning I write mostly by the “seat of my pants.” Staring at a blank page just waiting for inspiration to strike can sometimes be daunting. On the roughest days, it can also be extremely unproductive! Being a pantser doesn’t mean you can’t do some pre-planning, although it’s definitely not for the faint of heart!

So you think you can pants? Let me share 8 pre-planning tips to help make your pantsing life easier before you strut your stuff.

First what I like to start with typically is the hook, the theme, and the initial conflict. Hook: Something intriguing or different about your story that immediately draws readers in and makes them want to keep reading. The hook is something intriguing or different about your story that immediately draws readers in and makes them want to keep reading.

Time to share the transcript (even if not exactly word-for-word, I do improvise somewhat!) from my Rambling Prose YouTube Channel, Episode 2: Starting a New Book.

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Hi, and welcome back to another episode of Rambling Prose. I’m Kasey Mackenzie, author of the Shades of Fury series for Penguin Random House under their Ace imprint and represented by Ginger Clark at Curtis Brown. I write mostly urban fantasy and paranormal romance, but I do also write fantasy, science fiction, and romance. I’m currently working on revitalizing my indie publishing career with my Untamed Elements series. You can pick up Book 1, Reborn in Fire, from Amazon now; and Book 2, Forged from Flame, is available for pre-order. That book’s official launch date is May 1^st. I’m hard at work on Books 3 and 4 of this first Quartet, Phoenix on the Rise, with the plan to launch those in the months after Forged from Flame so readers won’t have long to wait.

Since I just started Book 3, Embraced by Embers, this week, I thought it would be a great chance to talk a little about my own process at the start of a book. I’m what many in the writing community call a “pantser,” meaning I write “by the seat of my pants.” Other writers are what you would call “plotters.” Logically enough, that means they plot ahead of time. Pure plotters outline most (if not all) of the main details of their books before they ever set pen to paper, finger to keyboard, or voice to recognition software.

Now, as with most things in life, there are many people who fall somewhere in between those two extremes. I don’t even consider myself a 100% pure pantser. I do perform a little pre-planning as far as getting a vague idea of the main storyline, the major characters, and since I write mostly fantasy and science fiction, the most important elements of world-building like magic or government systems. Beyond that? I pretty much fly into the great wide open (as the late, great Tom Petty sang), making up crap as I go and hoping it all comes together in the end. Okay, kidding just a little bit. I mean, I DO totally make up crap as I go, but the beauty is that my subconscious is putting all the pieces together into a neat little package that my conscious mind just has to go back and polish to a prettier shine once the first draft is complete.