The concept of The Hero’s Journey is a well-known trope amongst writers as it is commonly used in modern day storytelling. Since most contemporary stories are character driven, it helps that The Hero’s Journey is also focused on the protagonist and how to guide them through the story. It also helps that elements of The … Continue reading Using The Hero’s Journey to Understand Plot Structure and Character Development
Author: Raphael K Mohan
Book Review: Skyward #4 – Defiant by Brandon Sanderson
I remember as soon as I saw this book listed I preordered it as soon as I could. I can’t remember the last time I was so excited for a book to arrive. I haven’t been moved by a series like this since The Shadow of the Fox series by Julie Kagawa. The Skyward series … Continue reading Book Review: Skyward #4 – Defiant by Brandon Sanderson
Author Update: Books update, Schedule for the year, and Future Plans
Hello Everyone!One week until December and one more month of 2023 left. This year has flown by far took quickly, it feels like yesterday I was planning out my goals for the year. That being said, while I did complete some of my goals for the year, there was still quite a bit I hadn’t … Continue reading Author Update: Books update, Schedule for the year, and Future Plans
How Much Worldbuilding is Enough?
Something I’ve always thought about is how much worldbuilding does a story need to have? It’s especially daunting when writing a story in either a fantasy or science fiction setting in a fictional world. There’s a lot that goes into establishing a setting for the story but there’s a question of the balance between worldbuilding … Continue reading How Much Worldbuilding is Enough?
Book Review: Yumi and the Nightmare Painter – A Cosmere Novel by Brandon Sanderson
Another of Brandon Sanderson’s Secret Project books, I was curious to see how this one would turn out. While I didn’t much care for The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook, I absolutely loved Tress of the Emerald Sea so I had mixed expectations going into this. The premise was interesting and considering the creativity in the first … Continue reading Book Review: Yumi and the Nightmare Painter – A Cosmere Novel by Brandon Sanderson
Author Update: Draft #3 underway and on schedule, Updated Editions likely early 2024
Hello Everyone!It has certainly been a rather insightful week between editing and starting an online art program course. I want to say I’ve been more focused this past month and to a certain extent that has been the case. I’ve made some good progress on the third draft of book 3 that I’m happy with. … Continue reading Author Update: Draft #3 underway and on schedule, Updated Editions likely early 2024
The Struggle with Long Term Creative Goals
Hello Everyone! I’ve been thinking about this past year and why I struggled so much to finish the drafts for my third book. The first draft took years to complete but I chalked that up to quarantine and how that affected all of us, but the subsequent drafts this year took much more effort to … Continue reading The Struggle with Long Term Creative Goals
Showing Romance in Storytelling
While not always necessary in all stories, romance can be that additional touch on top of a well thought out storyline. It adds that added bit of drama and tension that a lot of people love to see. It can help with the character development of those involved and can lead to heartwarming scenes or … Continue reading Showing Romance in Storytelling
Story Musing: Travel and Distance
Worldbuilding and character development can be two of the most difficult parts of writing any compelling story. Each takes a long time and careful consideration to come across as believable. One of the most common ways to tell a story is through the concept of the hero’s journey, where the protagonist is forced to go … Continue reading Story Musing: Travel and Distance
Book Review: Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
Romance novels were never really stories I had taken much interest in. While I do appreciate romance in stories I’ve read, I’ve always stayed clear of romance centered novels as they often tend to focus more on the physical side of romance while I prefer the tender and sentimental moments instead. With that being said, … Continue reading Book Review: Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
Raph's Cozy Musings 