maliawritesbooks

[maliawritesbooks]

[maliawritesbooks]

[maliawritesbooks]

good places to sleep: 

by the green pond behind the abandoned manor

on the sun-dappled riverbank with your arm thrown over your eyes

in the temple ruins, at the foot of the towering marble likeness of your lover-god(dess)

at a roman banquet, beneath piles of fragrant rose petals

in the abandoned manor’s solarium as it rains 

[maliawritesbooks]

Ten questions to ask a friend who just read your novel

Here are ten questions to ask that will not put your friend in a tough spot, but will still give you some useful input on your novel:

1. At what point did you feel like “Ah, now the story has really begun!”  2. What were the points where you found yourself skimming?  3. Which setting in the book was clearest to you as you were reading it? Which do you remember the best?  4. Which character would you most like to meet and get to know?  5. What was the most suspenseful moment in the book?  6. If you had to pick one character to get rid of, who would you axe?  7. Was there a situation in the novel that reminded you of something in your own life?  8. Where did you stop reading, the first time you cracked open the manuscript? (Can show you where your first dull part is, and help you fix your pacing.)  9. What was the last book you read, before this? And what did you think of it? (This can put their comments in context in surprising ways, when you find out what their general interests are. It might surprise you.)  10. Finish this sentence: “I kept reading because…”

Your friend is probably still going to tell you, “It was good!” However, if you can ask any specific questions, and read between the lines, you can still get some helpful information out of even the most well-meaning reader.

Source: Examiner

[maliawritesbooks]

A one sentence summary of my current WIP in its earliest stages.

I’m excited to see if/how this will change as the story evolves. 🌹

Does anyone else out here have one of these bad boys for their novels?

I’d love to read them! 😊

[maliawritesbooks]

Rough Excerpt --  I did a quick timed write this morning before work and this is the immediate result. (:

Gravel bit the soles of her feet as she made her way to the bridge, leaving crimson beads upon the stones. The night was alive, vibrating with the symphony of cicadas. Moonlight kissed the bare flesh of her shoulders and a summer breeze caressed her, tangling her hair and gripping the thin fabric of her slip against her thighs. 

Light glinted off the metal of the revolver and the moon shrank away, disappearing behind rolling dark clouds. The wind’s pets turned harsh and gooseflesh prickled her arms as her fingers clutched the steel railing overlooking the surging River. 

[maliawritesbooks]

amazing dog! beautiful! stunning! can’t wait to see what u put out

If I had a nickel for every time I heard that... am I right?

(I’m not. I’m sorry.)

YOU are stunning, my friend. Thank you very much!

[maliawritesbooks]

About Little Ole’ Me

Hello. It’s me. I was wondering if you would give this blog a little read.

See what I did there?

Gosh, I’m clever.

About My Blog

I don’t know how you wound up here, but I’m excited about it. Welcome. Pull up a chair. Or don’t. I’m not the boss of you.

What is this witchcraft? This is my blog. Boom.

But more than that, this site serves as a celebration of the bond between fantasy and reality.

On average, I spend way too much time swashbuckling in my own head to pay attention to my surroundings. Which, we can all agree, is potentially problematic when you’re trying to do cute things… like work… and drive

RIP neighbor’s fence. You were strong.

My car was stronger.

I think that this is a pretty common phenomenon.

The not focusing part… not the destruction of private property. Well maybe that too… but I digress.

This is the place where I will share my experiences. Both as an aspiring novelist and as a twenty-something wife and fledgling freelancer with really cute pets.

Why should I read this hullaballoo?

Art, theatre, film, literature… they all have one thing in common: they provide safe havens.

Our lives are turbulent and learning to navigate them is complicated to say the least.

Everything is fast paced.

People are less patient. People are more demanding.

Everybody wants something from everybody.

It gets old.

Fast.

Individuality is thrust upon us before we are ever given the chance to learn who we are, let alone who we want to be.

That’s where fiction comes in.

You can open a book or turn on a movie and, for the briefest of moments, earn a reprieve.

You can lead countless lives and have countless adventures.

Art places the human experience on display in a way that is distant enough to make us feel safe, but real enough to leave an impact.

Through fiction we create a place where we can observe; we create a place where we can understand.

Fiction has helped shape me.

As it has so many of you.

Let’s embrace it.

Together.

Here you will find…

Tributes to fandoms.

In depth looks at characters people love.

In depth looks at characters people love to hate.

Samples of my writing. (Plays, short stories, excerpts from my novel, etc.)

A chronicle of my experiences writing my first novel.

A chronicle of my experiences as a freelancer.

DIY endeavors.

Life Advice. (Because it’s funny to watch me pretend like I’ve got my crap together.)

Writing Advice. (↑↑↑)

& the list goes on.

I mean, clearly, the list doesn’t go on because I just, in fact, ended the list. It’s just I’m bad at conclusions and that’s a popular thing that people say and so I thought I’d give it a try and, well, here we are.

Anywho…

We are always evolving, changing, and growing. I expect my blog will be no different. I invite you along for the ride.

About Me

↝ My name is Malia Marie.

↝ I’m a freelance writer from Birmingham, Alabama.

↝ I’m twenty-five.

↝ I am five feet tall with hair like Mufasa.

↝ I graduated from Birmingham-Southern College in May of 2016.

↝I earned my bachelor’s in English-Theatre Arts.

↝ I love Disney.

↝ I’m a Sith. 

↝ I’m a Slytherin.

↝ I don’t like chipotle.

↝ I’m adorable.