Tag: books

Storytelling

How to Become a Writer: Self-Publish vs Traditional

Thread of Souls

The fifth in a series on how to become a writer.

While we talked about different writing careers in our Overview post, this one focuses on book authors. Whether children’s or adult’s, whether fiction or nonfiction, we all come to the same question. Self-Publish vs Traditional. What is the difference? Which one is best for my situation? What are the pros and cons of each?

Traditional Publishing

With traditional publishing, you submit your book (or book concept depending on your situation) to literary agents. This requires information like a short “elevator pitch” along with a multi-page, highly detailed breakdown. Sometimes you might land an agent very quickly, other times it could take hundreds of agents. The brutal truth is many aspiring authors never land an agent.

An agent will then be your representative, pitching your book to publishers. The goal is landing a book deal. After that, your manuscripts will go through rounds of editing with the publishing house’s official editors. They must agree on the final document prior to publication.

Pros:

  • You have the big name of a publisher on your book.
  • You have an agent representing you and working for your best interests.
  • You get the use of the publisher’s official formatting, artwork, and marketing teams to put your best foot forward.
  • You get your book fine-tuned by professional editors.

Cons:

  • Just because you get one book deal with a publisher does not mean they will sign you again for a second book.
  • Who agents pick to represent is more based on books they feel like working on at the time and not necessarily on the quality of your writing. Most readily admit they turn down plenty of great books because they aren’t in the mood to do that genre right now.
  • Just because you have a professional marketing team doesn’t guarantee your book will ever make money.
  • Editors can force you to make changes to your manuscript that you don’t want to in order to be published. We’ve heard plenty of stories from upset authors that the book published is not the one they wanted to write.

Self-Publishing

Self-publishing is where you publish your book yourself on a platform such an Amazon’s KDP. You are in charge of all formatting, book cover art, and marketing. You have much more freedom over the final product, including the price and what formats it’s available in. You don’t have to do it all alone, though. There are many freelancers online that will design your book cover, edit your manuscript, and even format the book for you. But that is money out of your own pocket.

Pros:

  • You have 100% control over the final product and can publish the book exactly how you want to.
  • You have a greater choice of publishing platforms, instead of having to go with whoever offers you a book deal.
  • You can set the price you want.
  • Most publishing platforms allow you to easily change the book cover, summary, and even interior content (within reason) should you want to make updates.

Cons:

  • You have a very limited reach as there is no professional marketing team behind you.
  • You most likely will be putting your own money into the book at some point, especially if you hire freelancers to help you.
  • You have to learn it all on your own, so it is easy to make mistakes.
  • It typically takes indie authors much longer to make money and get recognition, though every situation is unique.

Conclusion

So, Self-Publish vs Traditional, what is best for you? We went with self-publishing our book because we wanted full control over its content. We have definitely spent plenty of money on it, and it’s definitely an uphill battle to get our book marketed out to readers. But we feel we made the right choice for our needs.

If you have the patience and perseverance to wait on being chosen by an agent and publisher, and a willingness to collaborate on your story, then you will likely be happier with the traditional route.

Don’t forget that you can always do both! Publishers used to turn their nose up at anyone who self-published and didn’t want to work with them, but in this digital age times have changed.

Helpful Tip!

Be wary of scam publishers out there. If they want you to pay them to publish your book, they are not legitimate. A real publisher has faith your book will do well and will never ask for money up front.

Also, for our fellow indie authors, be wary of scam book marketers. They promise outreach to a lot of readers, but in reality, they have no significant, engaged following and your money will be wasted. Always do your research.

The Spool of Souls: Updates & News

Interview With Our Book Cover Designer

Thread of Souls

We talk with our book cover artist Vivien Reis!

It was well over a year ago now that we decided to hire a professional book cover designer. We are both creatives and artists, but we didn’t have the tools, time, or graphic design experience to really create the covers we wanted. After many weeks of searching through freelancers on Fiverr, we found Vivien.

We have worked with her for all four books in Thread of Souls and are looking forward to continuing to work with her for the rest of the series and many books to come! We chatted with her about her inspiration, how she goes about designing books covers, and how she got started!

How did you get started as a designer?

I’m self-taught and got started with designing my own book cover nearly five years ago. I collect hobbies and am constantly looking for new ways to be creative. I’ve done pottery throwing, jewelry making, knitting, crocheting, embroidery, furniture repair, painting…the list goes on! Once I started looking into cover designers for my second book, I realized that digital design was a creative avenue I hadn’t pursued before. I love a challenge and I love learning new things so I jumped into the world of book design and haven’t looked back!

I love being part of bringing someone’s book to life. The design process is typically one of the final stages to publication and it’s fun to share in the client’s excitement to release something they may have spent years working on.

How do you begin coming up with ideas for a book cover design?

Every cover design project starts with the client brief. I like getting a list of several items important to the story—they may not all be included in the final design, but it gives me more options to work with. I also like to get some examples of covers that the client likes or thinks fits the tone of their novel well.

Mix that with market research and I typically have a pretty good idea of where to go for the concepts. I usually have a mental image of the concepts and then jump into compositing images. Some ideas don’t work at all and about half of my projects reach a point where I think “this looks terrible, I don’t know what I’m doing!” Much like writing a book, I have self-doubt, no matter how many covers I’ve designed. I’ve learned not to listen to that doubt though and look at each project as a challenge to improve my craft.

Do you have a favorite book type of favorite book genre to design for?

Fantasy books hold a special place for me since that’s what I got started on. My first client was a romantasy author I’ve known for years. I told her I wanted to get started in design and would design the cover for her latest book for free. I had a lot to learn at the time, but I’m so thankful for her! Fantasy books are the most challenging for me, but the most rewarding!

Are there any book covers done by others that you are a big fan of?

So many! I’m constantly looking to improve, and drooling over other designer’s work is part of that. I like to analyze book covers now in a way I never did before. Looking at ways images are layered together, how typography can be its own design element for the book, how other designer’s choose color and contrast to make a cover pop. Some designers I follow are Micaela Alcaino (Ig: @micaelaalcainodesign), Franziska Stern (Ig: @coverdungeonrabbit), and Lexxie (ig: selkkiedesigns).

Do you do any other design work?

I mainly provide interior design and formatting, and book cover design. I work across all genres, and can provide marketing materials as well (ad mockups, social media banners, etc.).

Vivien Reis
www.VivienReis.com/cover-design
Vivienreis.covers@gmail.com

Reviews

Flavors of the Multiverse Cookbook Review

Thread of Souls

Our thoughts on the new Heroes’ Feast Flavors of the Multiverse official D&D Cookbook.

We received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. We make no money off of this product and are not affiliated with it.

The first D&D official cookbook, Heroes’ Feast, came out many years ago. A couple of the recipes we still use today, though we’ve done our own variations on them over time. Flavors of the Multiverse is a follow-up, providing more fantasy-based cuisine for you to try.

The book is quite pretty and quite hefty. There are 200+ pages of recipes, art, and short stories. It’s well thought out and well-composed, making cooking fun for those who are inexperienced at it.

Is it Healthy?

I wouldn’t consider the book as a whole to be a healthy cookbook. Most of the recipes require sugar and fats. Some of their healthier recipes, like the Chopforest salad, tend to be side dishes rather than full meals. It would be difficult to customize most of these meals to be healthier.

Is it Allergen or Diet-Friendly?

If you have allergies such as dairy or gluten, or follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, you won’t find much here. They stick with the stereotypical fantasy genre meal that more has roots in our own imagination of what medieval life is like rather than the reality. Such as the fact that almond milk was frequently used in the Middle Ages, and that meat was not eaten every day because of hunting variables. Of course, this is set in their own universe, so they have free reign over what they consider standard food.

flavors of the multiverse

Is There a Variety of Recipes?

No. As mentioned above, they stick with what stereotypical fantasy cultures should eat. It would be nice to see more dishes inspired by Asian, African, or Latino cuisine. What they do have is some side dishes, plenty of dinner dishes, various drinks, and desserts. Here’s some of what you can expect:

  • Goldenstars: baked pasty pockets filled with sausage, potato, and leeks. Contains: sugar, gluten, eggs, and dairy.
  • Halfling Game Birds: a chicken wing dish.
  • Fried Soy with Vegetables: a skillet tofu and veggie dish. Contains: soy and sugar.
  • Spiced Pork and Orange Peppers: baked pork on a bed of spicy peppers.
  • Fire-Wrapped Golden Fish: fried fish meal. Contains: gluten.
  • Undermountain Alurlyath: a sherry-based drink with lemon and cucumber.
  • Green Dragon Blackbread Muffins: a pumpernickel-like bread. Contains: gluten, dairy, sugar, and eggs.

Will TTRPG Players Like It?

I believe so. Anything that encourages more cooking at home is a useful tool and a great way to bring people together. There’s plenty of traditional and some more interesting recipes in the book to teach people new cooking skills. Whether you want to cook up a full meal for the game, snacks, or just whip up some drinks, there are so many recipes here to choose from. It has plenty of helpful tips and encourages the use of fresh ingredients. Despite the limitations of its breadth, it is still a fun book to have on hand for most D&D parties.

You can purchase Flavors of the Multiverse here.

Storytelling

How to Become a Writer: Education

Thread of Souls

The second in a series on how to become a writer.

“You write for television? That’s amazing! Did you go to school for that?”

Dorian smiled at the old friend he’d passed in a restaurant that day, many years ago now. “Kind of, yeah. I took classes at a college.”

“That’s so awesome!”

If you hope to become a writer one day, or if you are a writer looking to elevate your career, you’ve thought about education and training needed. After all, most job postings mention required degrees. While there is still a heavy bias against job candidates that don’t have degrees but still have all the skills, paying for higher education isn’t your only option.

The Higher Education Path

If you can afford it and have the time, degrees are a great way to get the training you need, develop a network, and look more impressive to potential employers. Here is a quick FAQ of things to consider regarding degrees.

Q: Does it matter what college I go to?

A: If you go to a college that is well-known for their creative arts programs, you will have a better network after graduation that can help you on your job search.

Q: What degree should I get?

A: Degrees in Writing, English, Journalism, and Communications are all good options. Universities that offer “Fine Arts” degrees are always a plus.

Q: How advanced of a degree should I get?

A: Most employers want a Bachelor’s degree, but an Associate’s is still helpful. A Master of Fine Arts degree looks very impressive, but unless you intend to work for a university a graduate-level degree may not be worth the money and time.

Q: Do writing jobs actually require a degree?

A: It depends on the job you want. As we talked about in our Overview post, there are many career paths. If you want to be a journalist or a copywriter, a degree will be useful. If you want to be an author or a freelance writer, it is less useful.

The Non-Traditional Education Path

If you don’t have the money, time, or desire to pursue a degree (who can blame you?), there are other options. I personally used Coursera for a Certificate in Creative Writing from Wesleyan University, and I completed it all within my free trial period (I am a fast student, though).

No, this is not sponsored by Coursera, though I wish! But I do think they are a great option for people. It’s online and at your own pace. You can get some training and certificates for free or for very little money. Do your own reserach to determine what is best for you, but here are some good programs to look into:

  • Weslyn University’s Creative Writing Certificate program
  • Michigan State University’s Write Your First Novel Certificate program
  • University of Colorado Boulder’s Business Writing Certificate program
how to become a writer

The “Only Training” Path

If any type of formal education isn’t for you, but you want to showcase that you have been trained, there are still options available. The digital age is great! Pursuing professional development is also useful for those with degrees, as well. Make sure that any training you do you list on your portfolio, resume, LinkedIn, or whatever it is that you use for your career.

  • Read informational books on writing skills, especially in your chosen discipline such as creative writing or academic writing
  • Watch 1-hour long talks via Skillshare from industry professionals that talk about how to perfect your craft and give you resources
  • Attend in-person or online seminars and workshops about writing (you’ll need to keep a lookout for upcoming events online)
how to become a writer

You can read the Overview here.

Keep on the lookout for future posts in this series!

Storytelling

Best Holiday Gifts for Writers

Thread of Souls

We talk about what are the best holiday gifts for the writers in your life!

Giving meaningful gifts makes an impact on people. It shows you understand them and care about their interests. If you have a writer in your life you want to give a gift to, this post will help you out! Or if you are a writer, feel free to send this post to your friends and family as a “suggestion”.

For the Old-Fashioned Writer

For writers that enjoy that old-fashioned aesthetic, some of the best holiday gifts are ones that invoke that sense of nostalgia. The ones that tie the writer in with all the authors that came before. You don’t have to go antique shopping. Online shops and places like Etsy will have everything you need for that vintage look.

  • A typewriter
  • A quill and ink pot
  • An old journal for notetaking
  • Printed poems and passages from famous, or not-so famous, writers
  • A scarf that has a poem or book passage printed on it

For the Digital Age Writer

Some writers love technology and how it has improved writing efficiency and outreach. Whether they are published authors that prefer to type, or writers who like to post stories online, there are many options to get them the perfect gift.

  • A subscription to an online note-taking or worldbuilding software such as Evernote or Inkarnate
  • A new mouse or keyboard
  • A writer-themed mousepad
  • An e-reader
  • A voice-to-text system for the computer

For Those That Like Personalized Gifts

Taking the time to give a personalized product is very sweet. Writers love their work, their characters, and what they do. Shops like Etsy and Shutterfly offer personalized options for a variety of products.

  • A mug with their book or story cover art on it
  • Christmas ornaments that say the names of their characters
  • Notebooks with the cover labeled “Next Story Ideas”
  • Customized t-shirts for writers from shops like Etsy
  • A set of writing dice
  • Themed jewelry such as quill tip earrings

What are your picks for the best holiday gifts for writers? Share with us!

creative
Storytelling, TTRPGs

Our Top Free Resources for Creators

Thread of Souls

We take a look at our favorite free resources for creators we use in our projects.

Whether you are a writer, an artist, a TTRPG player or game master, or anything else in the wonderful world of creativity, having a good set of resources is a must. We’re talking about tools you use, software you rely on, and a go-to’s to generate ideas. This is a list of our favorite resources.

For Naming Characters

Sometimes you think for a long time to come up with the perfect character name. Other times, you just need something fast. Our free resource go-to is a site called Baby Names. The reason why we like this so much is its Advanced Search option. Here you can search for names on a global scale by letters, by syllables, and even by their meaning. I particularly love to look up meanings to get ideas. For example, I may want a name that means “hope” or “light” and I’ll get a huge list based off of only that.

For World-Building

Whether you need a battle map for a TTRPG game, a city map for reference, or an entire world map, we are big fans of Inkarnate. We use it both in our games and for our book series. Having a map to reference is invaluable, and even Inkarnate’s free option has a huge array of possibilities. We recently reviewed Inkarnate and its features.

Map of the Oasis in Berenzia created by us on Inkarnate

For Note Keeping

Note: as of December 2023 Evernote raised its price from $60 a year to $130. We no longer recommend this app given the value for the money and no longer use it ourselves.

We are in the middle of writing an eight-book epic fantasy series based off our TTRPG game. There is a lot to keep track of! What designs were in this god’s temples? Did that library have a name? Have these two crossed paths before? It can easily get overwhelming. Evernote has been a game-changer for us. It’s our top pick as a free resource for creators that need to keep track of details. It does have a free option, though we used paid so we can share it across two computers. You download it on your computer and can organize notes through tags and categories to make them more searchable.

For Designs & Mood Boards

I always love Pinterest when it comes to mood boards and ideas, however, if you want to customize things, we love to use Canva. The one drawback is that its free version is limited in options. We pay for it simply because we use it for so many things. But for a long time, we only used free and still enjoyed it. You can do graphic design, choose from photos, search gifs and videos, and much more! We’ve used it to design city symbols and banners, to create pantheon sigils, and for in-game digital handouts.

Symbol of Sunspire created by us on Canva

Do you have any free resources for creators that aren’t on this list? Share below!

The Spool of Souls: Updates & News, Thread of Souls

Thread of Souls: Book V Preview Excerpt

Thread of Souls

Excerpt of the upcoming fifth book of the Thread of Souls series!

We’ve been working on the fifth book in our Thread of Souls fantasy series since early this year. We expect it to be released in spring of 2024. As we draw ever-closer to its publication, we want to give you an excerpt from an early chapter as a preview! While this has been edited, it is still not in its final form and may be edited more.

Enjoy!

RUUDA

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.

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Ruuda kept her head down and hood up as she trudged through the rainy Eleste’si streets. Flanked by Jasita, Wash, and Unolé with Teshuva, the group tried to move as quickly as possible without drawing the attention of the Thornguard. 

Something else has drawn their attention, anyway, she thought sourly. 

Even in the dark of the night, a glow lingered in the direction of the docks, framing the graceful silhouettes of buildings. And from it, a thick cloud of smoke. Ruuda knew what it was. The remains of the ship that was set ablaze. The trap sprung to catch Taliesin, and kill her. 

But she was still alive. She had Jasita to thank for that. The healing elixir the crystalmancer had brought along saved her life. 

“Where are we going?” Unolé asked. The tips of her horns, adorned with gold, stuck out from her hood. 

“To talk to a smuggler,” Ruuda replied. “It’s the same woman that got Taliesin and I out of the city when we first left the Deep Hollows. She’s near the southern border wall. Her name is Zayra, and she’s not friendly.”

“We don’t need her to be friendly,” Wash said, “we just need her to get us underground.”

Wash had been all-business since the attack had happened, his usual dry humor and teasing gone. While Ruuda and Taliesin had been away at the docks, the rest of the group had been attacked by assassins of the cult of Aranese. They’d survived, though Unolé had been badly injured. With Taliesin gone, Ruuda knew the burden fell on her to guide the others. They’d never been to the Deep Hollows before, they’d need her knowledge and skills to survive and find their friend. 

I’d be faster on my own, Ruuda reasoned. But she knew she couldn’t leave them behind. Taliesin had asked her not to. 

Once they had recovered enough from their wounds, the group had packed as lightly as possible and left the Sanguine Vestibule. Ruuda had left her barrel behind. It would only slow her down. They had quickly spoken to Hwalla privately, away from his children, explaining that Taliesin had been kidnapped and they were going to rescue him. The dark gnome had been deeply worried, and wished them all the best. Ruuda felt sorry for Hwalla. His entire life had been uprooted because of Aranese’s influence. 

Damn that goddess. I hate her. 

As they hurried through an open town square, they passed a large and ornate stone fountain. Built atop it was a statue of a high elf with her hand on a mirror wreathed in ivy and leaves. There was something about it that made Ruuda sad. 

“What does it mean?” Unolé asked Jasita, gesturing to the statue. 

Jasita’s fair, angular face peered up against the rain to take in the fountain. “It is a symbol for passage into the Wilds. It’s in mourning of what was lost when the high elves were cut off from that plane of existence.”

Unolé paused for a moment, then said, “You work for the people who did this, but you’re a high elf.”

“The people who did this are long dead.”

They continued swiftly and silently through the streets until Ruuda recognized the area where she’d first met Zayra. Tall stone walls bordered them, and the alleys ran narrow and dark. The usual design of the city, all cherry blossoms and pinks and blues, was less present here. 

Ruuda turned to her companions. “Stay in this alley. I’ll go forward and talk to her privately.”

“I can help if you need me to,” Jasita offered, fingering the moonstone ring along her finger. 

“I know. But I’ve got this.”

Ruuda stepped out alone and pulled back her hood. Her wild hair, dyed all the colors of fire, hung drenched past her shoulders. She knew the roots were coming in white now. It had been a very long time since she’d dyed her hair with the enchanted dyes of her people. 

White just like Taliesin’s hair. 

Ruuda glanced around, steeled herself, and said aloud, “Zayra! I’ve come with a job.”

A long moment passed, and then a dagger flashed through the air. It sped by Ruuda and embedded itself in the wall near Wash’s head. The soldier flinched, and Jasita squealed in surprise. 

A dark shadow dropped from a rooftop before Ruuda. A lithe woman in a dark cloak. Pulling back the cloak revealed the dark elf smuggler, Zayra. She looked just as Ruuda remembered, though it had been nearly two years. She was almost six feet tall, with her white hair tied back into a bun and scars marking her gray skin. 

“I count four of you,” Zayra spat with her arms crossed. “Are there any more hiding?”

Ruuda sighed in exasperation and motioned for her companions to join her. “Just the four of us.”

Wash and Unolé strode boldly out and Jasita shuffled less confidently after them. Zayra’s red eyes took them all in. Ruuda noticed a barely perceptible frown pass Zayra’s face as she noticed the stained blood on their clothes and patched-up injuries. 

“What services do you need from me?” the smuggler demanded. 

“We need to be taken to the Deep Hollows. Unnoticed,” Ruuda answered. 

Zayra tilted her head to one side. “I understand you going back home, little dark dwarf, but why would these Surface-dwellers wish to go underground?”

Wash was quick to answer. “We’re all adventurers seeking to hunt monsters and earn some gold.”

A scoff escaped Zayra. “The Deep Hollows is a dangerous place. You won’t return alive. Especially someone as petite as you, half-fiend.”

Unolé’s purple eyes narrowed. “I’ve fought plenty of monsters in the last year. I am not afraid.”

“You should be. I’m not keen to smuggle idiots, much less Surface-dwellers, down into my home.”

Ruuda felt hot, angry tears bite at her eyes. Taliesin could be suffering at his moment, and she was here wasting her time in negotiations. But before a furious retort could fly off her tongue, Unolé stepped forward and held up a pack that jingled with gold coins. 

“How does one thousand gold per person sound to you?” Unolé asked in a tone that implied she already knew the answer. 

Everyone looked to Unolé in surprise. 

Zayra fumbled with her words a moment before asking, “Is that your money, or did you steal it?”

“Why would it matter to you?” 

“I don’t want trouble coming my way.”

Unolé’s eyes narrowed further. “And we don’t want you to bring us into any trouble. We want to get safely and quietly down to the Deep Hollows.”

Wash spoke up, his arms crossed over his chest. “Why are you arguing with us about this? Isn’t your whole job smuggling?”

“I don’t like speaking to a man,” Zayra sneered. 

“Enough!” Ruuda stepped forward, holding her hands out. She turned a fiery glare to Zayra. “A dark elf male was taken by another dark elf tonight at the docks. Do you have any information about this?”

For the first time a smile crossed Zayra’s face. “I might. If you up the price to five thousand gold, I’ll tell you what I saw.”

Ruuda leaned in toward the other woman. Despite the substantial height difference, Ruuda’s strong build was imposing and her expression like a roaring wild fire. Zayra leaned slightly back, hand hovering by the dagger at her hip. 

Ruuda growled, “For five thousand you tell us what you know, and you get us to the Deep Hollows without trouble. Understood?”

Zayra’s tone had lost much of its bravado as she replied. “Agreed.”

Notice: all content is protected and copyrighted under Tal & Ru Travels LLC.

Storytelling

Why We Don’t Use AI to Write

Thread of Souls

With the spread of AI in the creative field, we give our thoughts on it and why we don’t use AI to write our stories. Or anything, for that matter.

It wasn’t long ago that I was on LinkedIn. On the front page I saw a post by another writer who loved using AI, specifically ChatGPT. He was fully championing it’s use for everyone’s writing. This perplexed me and I shared my thoughts that an AI’s writing will never be up to the caliber of a human’s writing.

“It does need editing, I’ll admit,” he said. “But it sure makes things faster, doesn’t it?”

I never responded, but it left me thinking. Dorian and I got into the writing business because we like to write. Because it was a hobby before it was a job. Because we can’t see ourselves doing anything else. We are creators in the heart and soul. Why would I want to minimize something I feel like I was born to do? Why would I want to cut out any part of that process?

don't use AI to write

Prior to being laid off last year, we both worked for a very large online game on the creative team. I launched the very first narrative arc for this game in a series of short stories. Everyone on the team took turns writing a short story a week. We remember finding the writing of one of our team members odd. Their stories were confusing, and the writing was hard to chew through. They briefly mentioned in one virtual meeting that they used a software to help them write. At the time, I didn’t realize they were talking about AI.

After being laid off, we looked for jobs. The writing field was polarizing when it came to AI. Some jobs wanted you to work with their AI to be faster. Others said they wanted “real writers” and anyone caught using AI would be terminated.

So where do we stand on all of this?

I can see the benefit of AI for people who do not know how to write. But even then, it requires editing to sound normal. For professional writers, I don’t see any reason one would need to rely on AI. And I couldn’t imagine tossing away any part of what I love to do most.

For fun, I decided to compare lines I have written in our books to the way AI would write them. Asking AI to offer me different ways to word my original work, here is what it produced.

  • My original writing: “That’s just madness,” Ruuda sighed. “Gods are terrible.”
  • AI’s suggestion: “It’s madness, plain and simple,” Ruuda sighed in frustration. “The whims of the gods are quite vexing.”
  • My original writing: Taliesin and Ruuda walked several feet ahead of her, side by side, often exchanging looks like a silent conversation.
  • AI’s suggestion: Taliesin and Ruuda, on the other hand, walked a few paces ahead of her, walking side by side. They frequently exchanged meaningful glances, conveying their thoughts through unspoken words, resembling a silent, wordless conversation.
  • My original writing: The field of tall grass, bronze in the harsh sunlight, slapped across Unolé’s skin as she ran. It tugged at her legs, threatening to trip her. But she pushed on. She had to. At least until she and her sister found somewhere to hide. All that mattered now was keeping the little girl at her side safe.
  • AI’s suggestion: The expansive expanse of sunlit bronze tall grass brushed against Unolé’s skin as she sprinted, its slender blades teasingly tugging at her legs, as if conspiring to make her stumble. Nevertheless, she persevered. She had no choice but to keep running, at least until she and her sister discovered a sanctuary where they could seek refuge. The paramount goal was ensuring the safety of the little girl who clung to her side.

Final Thoughts

No, we don’t use AI to write and never will. The quality is terrible and the phrasing laughable. It doesn’t have the ability to change tone in subtle ways depending on how a character is speaking. And honestly, the examples above were some of the “best” it produced. It had a hard time differentiating that we meant “gods” as in a pantheon, instead of “god” like a swear word.

But the most important reason is that we like to write. It’s fun. And I am still as puzzled today as I was the first time I read the LinkedIn post by a professional writer who wanted to use AI just to get his writing over with faster.

Reviews

Book Review – Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving by Pete Walker

Thread of Souls

Our review of Pete Walker’s book focused on Complex PTSD.

I knew I needed to find new ways to cope with my Complex PTSD, or CPTSD. Diagnosed in 2021 and after receiving some therapy and doing a healing journal, in 2022 I still found myself struggling with the symptoms. Of course, in retrospect that is not a long time! But I wanted to learn more, so I could arm myself better against the symptoms.

I stumbled across Pete Walker’s book while browsing my kindle app. What drew me to it most was that the author himself has CPTSD. I thought I could learn a lot from him, and that it would be good to have some validation for what I experience and feel.

“Complex PTSD” is an overview of the tasks of recovering, and an illumination of the silver linings that can come out of effective recovery work. It is also a map of the recovery process, and contains a great many practical tools and techniques for recovering from CPTSD. It is also richly illustrated with examples of his own and others’ journeys of recovering.

Amazon’s Book Summary

The Writing Style

I am an avid reader and writer, but even I did find Walker’s writing style very advanced. It is not something I minded as I love words and discovering new ones. However, the advanced style might deter some from reading it. The sections are laid out logically, and the content flows easily from one subsection to the next.

The Content

This is an all-encompassing book for those struggling with CPTSD. It starts from the basics and works its way through recovery strategies. What I really liked was that Walker began with understanding CPTSD and the different “styles” of it you may experience, based on the Four F’s (Flight, Fight, Freeze, and Fawn). So many times, I found myself nodding enthusiastically, thinking, “Yes, that’s me!”

Walker uses multiple real-world examples from his clients and from himself in how CPTSD impacts daily life, and what to do when a trigger strikes. I found this to be extremely helpful. It has helped me understand why I react to certain things the way I do, and how to navigate those situations.

Walker includes a section toward the end that is useful for therapists and those seeking therapy. It talks about therapy styles and what tends to be the most helpful for CPTSD sufferers.

The Impact

I cannot minimize the positive impact this book had on my life. I still use the strategies and phrases he described, and I understand myself and my emotions better. His section on “emotional flashbacks” was extremely helpful, as this has been the basis for a lot of problems I struggle with.

I cannot recommend enough that anyone struggling with CPTSD reads this book. It will change your life and give you a whole new understanding of your conditions, and a toolset to combat it.

Storytelling

How it Feels to Publish Your Book

Thread of Souls

Do you have a dream to publish your book? Perhaps you think about having a large following of readers, being famous, or getting good money. But none of that is important if you don’t love the process. The true reward of creating, is having a creation. The real payoff, the thing that matters the most, is holding your published book in your hands.

I’ve have written many things throughout my childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. Books hundreds of pages long written in notebooks with pencil. Multiple award-winning fanfics. My dream, however, was to officially publish a book.

It felt significant to have the book fully written, edited, and finalized. The process of publishing the first time was overwhelming. It had to be formatted a certain way and data set up specifically in the KDP system. It took me days to figure it out with a great deal of stress (I am very practiced at it now!).

But when that book finally came in, and I could hold it in my hand, I was blown away. Dorian and I stared at it, flipped through it, and set it in a place of prominence. We had worked together to create something, and now we had brought a new story into the world!

How does it feel to publish your book? It feels like the achievement that it is. That all your years of hard work were worth it. Your story is now yours to read as you please. While having other readers and making money are good results, they pale in comparison to simply the act of creating. That is something that can never be taken away.