Interview Insights Into Creativity

Over dinner last Saturday night, I was talking with a friend about the creative life. Although we’ve known each other for fifteen years, she hasn’t been particularly interested in the topic until now, given she works in government and her husband’s an engineer – they just don’t walk in those…

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It Doesn’t Matter How Or What You Read

I recently found some old school reports from ages 8-10 years. It was of course interesting to read them, but even more interesting to contemplate the memories they prompted… 8 Years Old: 9 Years Old: 10 Years Old: 11 Years Old+ At 11 years old, I then passed the 11+…

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Every Day is a Hot Chocolate Kind of Day!

Writers are well-known for enjoying a drink while they write. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway were practically alcoholics, apparently. Most writers I know prefer a tea or coffee. As for me, I like a sparkling water, coke zero, or a proper hot chocolate. There’s something about chocolate. Probably the naturally…

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How Our Voices Reflect Us

One of the last checks I do in a novel before I send it to my publisher is a voice check. I read through every main character’s dialogue from beginning to end, and only that dialogue, to make sure they each sound consistently like them. Because how a person speaks…

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Launched! ‘When Dark Waters Burn’ is out!

Launched! When Dark Waters Burn is officially out in the wild for those with an adventurous spirit and a warm heart. Just watch out for the water-ants, snap snap! – “Cements Shapter’s reputation as a master of immersive worlds.” Tawny Frogmouth Magazine – “An emotional read which doesn’t let go.”…

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Immerse Yourself in the Little Differences! #worldbuilding

Wow, what a wonderful review of my upcoming release When Dark Waters Burn in this month’s The Tawny Frogmouth magazine! The full review is over here (on p44), but here’s how it begins: “When Dark Waters Burn… cements Shapter’s reputation as a master of immersive worlds.” Funnily enough, I love…

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