Cameron Montague Taylor

Fantasy Author & Fiction Editor

writing community

New Patreon Tier for Writers!

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Starting February 2024, I’m opening a new tier on Patreon just for writers:

The AuthorShip tier is designed for writers looking for craft resources, support, and a (small but growing) chat community on discord. Patrons at this tier will get a clean, craft-only feed, with access to all writing-related posts (but none of my own fiction).

(If you are interested in my writing, you can find it and all the benefits of AuthorShip membership at the Schooner, Brigantine, and Galleon tiers where I post drafts of my novels, flash fic, and other extras.)

Here’s what AuthorShippers get:

  • Monthly, Patreon-exclusive, intensive craft videos
  • Monthly craft-of-writing blog posts
  • ‘Writer Beware’ posts whenever I get wind of questionable behavior in indie publishing
  • Downloadable writing resources (no schedule for creation; made as needed)
  • eARCs of any craft of writing books released during your patronage
  • Ask Cee & jump the queue! Have a question about craft? Ask on Patreon or discord and get a written or video response*
  • Discord chat access to talk craft, chit-chat, or do writing sprints
  • Access to the Q&A log; I’ll post copies of questions and answers to Patreon. Many of these will be Patreon-exclusive, but I reserve the right to clip video answers for social media

*Which response format I choose will depend on how I can deliver a clear and efficient answer. If I can’t answer a question for whatever reason, I will let you know. How quickly I answer will depend on my pre-existing obligations; patrons jump ahead of questions asked by TikTok commenters and will be answered in order. Please note that I’m unable to look at excerpts as a general rule; if I decide I need an excerpt in order to answer your question, I will ask for one. Please note that responses will be available for others to see either on Patreon or social media (or both).

Interested? Click on the Patreon logo to check it out:

Click here to check out Cee's patreon!

Morning Pages: Only My Pride

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Welcome to Morning Pages — it’s time for a monthly roundup. I hope you have your pencils sharpened and ready to write. Want to join in on the fun? Pick a prompt, set your timer* and get ready to let the words flow. Feel free to post the results of your work in the comments below where we chat about writing and (if the mood strikes us) get a craft discussion going.

If you want critique from other commenters, use #YESTHANKS in your comment. Otherwise, you can tell us about your flash fic and the process you went through to write it. And of course, I’m always open to hear what you think about my excerpts! You can follow the links below to find them on Patreon (but please bear in mind: I post MPs as-is without any polishing).

*you can write for as long as you want, but most folks choose 15-30 minutes.

What I learned this month: Subjective omniscient is not for me.

I’ve read a lot of subjective omniscient stories (a favorite is Fredrick Backman’s Beartown, which I highly recommend, though it has heavy themes). For those who haven’t tangled with subjective omni, it’s a style of narration that, much like true omniscient, uses a narrator who isn’t a physical character in the story. This narrator has their own personality, voice, and opinions. While they’re all-seeing and all-knowing like true omni, the ‘subjective’ part also allows them to peek into characters’ heads and tell the reader what those characters are thinking and feeling.

Increased psychic distance makes it different from third limited, because the reader doesn’t actually experience the story as if they were any of the characters, nor do those characters get a narrative voice. It’s more complicated to write than third limited, imho, because it’s difficult to direct the narrative to prevent head-hopping and even harder to prevent voice bleed between the characters and the narrators.

I’d never intentionally choose to write subjective omniscient (I find it crazy difficult to craft), but being an editor means I occasionally encounter writers braver than I in the wild. I recently tangled with a short excerpt from a writer who struggled with head hopping but wanted to write in subjective omni, and holy hell, it was so much harder than editing for third limited.

So. Much. Harder.

Right now, I’m torn re: whether I want to edit it, or whether I’m simply not a good fit for writers who use subjective omni. I think I’d like to practice a little more, but my gut is telling me that I’d be a better dev editor for that style, and would perhaps prefer to refer those writers to a colleague for their line/copy needs.

I imagine this isn’t the most titillating of revelations for members of the general bookish public, but here we are: the things a fiction editor ponders on the daily.

The Prompts:

“Did you hurt anything?” “Only my pride.”

Baseball ‘verse: Marshall Bedford doesn’t appreciate smack-talk from batters–especially when that smack-talk hits too close to home.

“Write a scene from the perspective of a bereaved character.”

Oceana ‘verse. Somehow, even the cat knew he was grieving.

“A character has unsettling (and perhaps prophetic) dreams.”

Oceana ‘verse. The worst thing about a far-seeing talent was how difficult it was to tell dreams from prophecy.

“How would a shapeshifter escape an arranged marriage?”

He thought he’d have a pliant, quiet bride. He was wrong.

Get Involved!

Answer the prompts or dive straight in and respond to others’ comments — let’s share our knowledge, our experience, and have a discussion we can all learn from! Don’t want to miss a post? Subscribe to the blog in the sidebar to get notified about new posts.

Today’s questions:

  • What’s your favorite POV to write in (ie: first, third limited, omni)?
  • Do you pick a single POV, or do you like to have multiple POV characters?

Looking for more writing? Become a Patron!

In addition to flash fiction, my Patreon hosts full-length novels, artwork, behind-the-scenes worldbuilding, and more. Click below to check out the tiers I offer and support the blog!

Click to visit my patreon!

Morning Pages: Fireweaver

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Welcome to Morning Pages — it’s time for a monthly roundup. I hope you have your pencils sharpened and ready to write. Want to join in on the fun? Pick a prompt, set your timer* and get ready to let the words flow. Feel free to post the results of your work in the comments below where we chat about writing and (if the mood strikes us) get a craft discussion going.

If you want critique from other commenters, use #YESTHANKS in your comment. Otherwise, you can tell us about your flash fic and the process you went through to write it. And of course, I’m always open to hear what you think about my excerpts! You can follow the links below to find them on Patreon (but please bear in mind: I post MPs as-is without any polishing).

*you can write for as long as you want, but most folks choose 15-30 minutes.

What I learned this month: Things take time!

It’s a truism, I know. Recently, though, I’ve found it particularly difficult to cope with fiction’s timelines. It takes months to write a book, months to edit one, years to build a business and a brand. Whenever I branch into a new area, I start from square one, and while this is a fundamental part of the learning experience, I tend to place unreasonable expectations on myself for how well and how quickly I ought to get the hang of things.

The crazy part about writing is: no matter how many books we write, some elements of writing fiction will always feel difficult. This difficulty is what draws me to fiction, I think; it’s miserable and magical to wrestle with words on a page and hope they capture a fraction of what’s inside my head. The constant struggle to progress as a writer can be overwhelming or disheartening at times, and so this month, I’ve tried to truly embrace two-steps-forward, one-step back as a good thing.

(But it’s hard not to rake myself over the coals for taking those backwards steps.)

If I’ve learned anything this month, it’s that a perceived step backward in one area of my writing often precedes a big leap forward — almost as if my writing is a rubber band that needs time to wind up as I spin my wheels trying to figure out this one specific thing. Sometimes it’s an element of craft. Sometimes it’s an aspect of marketing, packaging, or design. Sometimes it’s about processes or editing.

The times when I feel like I’m backsliding are often the times when I learn the most important lessons.

To be more specific: I’ve really, really struggled to get work done in March (any work of any kind). Though I’m leaving March dissatisfied with my output and feeling like I’ve backslid in many ways, I’ve also emerged with loads of new tools for time management and guiding my creative process. Now, I get to bring those tools into April.

Here’s hoping this next month is the step forward I’ve been waiting for.

The Prompts:

“A character struggles to carry out a difficult or unsavory task.”

Imran on Bow Watch: It’s hard to stay awake for a midnight watch.

“Firefighters are the only ones who know the real truth about house fires. They are started by evil fire elementals. In order to put out the fire, the elementals responsible must be killed. The firefighters are sworn to secrecy, the public can never know.”

Cyprian Cavish from Deathmark has a younger brother named Griffin. Griff works as a firefighter in Ilia’s Central district.

“They dug deep into the underwater caves, not realizing what they’d woken up.”

It took a long time for Dareus’ faith in the church to die. This was one straw of many.

“Character A helps Character B get past their heartache.”

Marshall isn’t quite sure how he and Max Battista became best friends after a career of refusing to speak to one another…

Get Involved!

Answer the prompts or dive straight in and respond to others’ comments — let’s share our knowledge, our experience, and have a discussion we can all learn from! Don’t want to miss a post? Subscribe to the blog in the sidebar to get notified about new posts.

Today’s questions:

  • How do you manage your time as a writer or creative?
  • What systems / processes do you use to keep yourself on track?

Looking for more writing? Become a Patron!

In addition to flash fiction, my Patreon hosts full-length novels, artwork, behind-the-scenes worldbuilding, and more. Click below to check out the tiers I offer and support the blog!

Click to visit my patreon!

Morning Pages: After Many Miles

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Welcome to Morning Pages — it’s time for a monthly roundup. I hope you have your pencils sharpened and ready to write. Want to join in on the fun? Pick a prompt, set your timer* and get ready to let the words flow. Feel free to post the results of your work in the comments below where we chat about writing and (if the mood strikes us) get a craft discussion going.

If you want critique from other commenters, use #YESTHANKS in your comment. Otherwise, you can tell us about your flash fic and the process you went through to write it. And of course, I’m always open to hear what you think about my excerpts!

*you can write for as long as you want, but most folks choose 15-30 minutes.

What I learned this month: Oh BOY have I learned about craft this month.

Throughout January, I’ve read a craft book called Story Genius by Lisa Cron. She uses a different method for structuring story and building character than I’ve ever seen, and working through her story-building guide has helped me hone the way I think about construction and character alike.

One of my favorite concepts from story genius: The story begins long before the first page of the novel. By page one, the protagonist has a complex history and relationship with themself and others. These preexisting story elements shaped the protagonist to be who they are, and therefore set them up to confront the story’s external problem head-on: a problem they’re uniquely ill-equipped to solve.

In order to build out the ‘first half’ of the story, or the part that happens before page one, Cron provides several exercises to assist with story concept, character backstory / development, and scene structure. This month, I tackled prompts for my upcoming novella, Deathmark. They helped me learn about Cyprian, the protagonist, and Jael, his love interest–and how their backstories and transformative memories intertwine to make them 1) ideal partners who will 2) have a terrible time solving the story’s external problem.

If you haven’t yet read Story Genius, I highly recommend it! Though Cron’s process can feel somewhat prescriptive, the prompts and exercises were generative enough that I was able to look past some of the book’s issues and appreciate the new perspective it gave me on craft.

The Prompts:

“The ocean is a sentient being–a trickster–who entertains itself by messing with people. What happens when it falls in love with a sailor?”

Sister Ocean was many years old when she first saw him.

“Self-destruct.”

Not all characters handle difficult backstories well. Jael Soti from Deathmark is most certainly in that category.

“After Many Miles” by the Ghost of Paul Revere

A song prompt in the Oceana ‘verse yielded a story about the long journey to the afterlife.

“Write a traumatic or otherwise pivotal event from your character’s childhood that impacted who they became as an adult.”

“Keri Lake:” Deathmark. Cyprian Cavish has always looked out for his little brother.

Picture Prompts

“The Watcher:” Have care with what you say in front of them, lest you disappear like the others.

Get Involved!

Answer the prompts or dive straight in and respond to others’ comments — let’s share our knowledge, our experience, and have a discussion we can all learn from! Don’t want to miss a post? Subscribe to the blog in the sidebar to get notified about new posts.

Today’s questions:

  • What’s your favorite craft of writing resource?
  • Why / what did it teach you?

Looking for more writing? Become a Patron!

In addition to flash fiction, my Patreon hosts full-length novels, artwork, behind-the-scenes worldbuilding, and more. Click below to check out the tiers I offer and support the blog!

Click to visit my patreon!

Morning Pages: The Dreamer

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Welcome to Morning Pages — it’s time for a monthly roundup. I hope you’ve got your pencils sharpened and ready to write. Wanna join in on the fun? Read the prompt, set your timer* and get ready to let the words flow. Feel free to post the results of your work in the comments below where we chat about writing and (if the mood strikes us) get a craft discussion going.

If you want critique from other commenters, use #YESTHANKS in your comment. Otherwise, you can tell us about the flash fic and the process you went through to write it. And of course, I’m always open to hear what you think about my excerpts!

*you can write for as long as you want, but most folks choose 15-30 minutes.

What I learned this month: I’ve been blocked lately. Or, if not blocked, deeply unmotivated to write. Work is partly to blame (it’s crazy right now!). It’s difficult to find energy to be creative when I can barely struggle my way out of bed in the morning. Part of the difficulty I’m having re: writing and getting work done is a result of how hard I find it to get back into the complex pattern of a preexisting story. I have two big projects open right now, and both of them really require that I screw my head on straight before I put my hands to the keyboard. Instead of trying to get myself into those story worlds, however, I motivated myself by trying out a new one (probably the next standalone in the queue after Tombs of Glass).

I’m not in love with it, but getting the opportunity to explore the new world and try to visualize one of the story’s main settings for the first time was fun. It certainly satisfied my need for creative activity — one which has been going sorely unmet of late.

Sometimes I avoid writing in future story-universes because I’m afraid I’ll jinx it, I guess — that I’ll write the most interesting, pivotal, or important scene… and once that’s down on paper, I won’t feel the need to actually go through the process of writing the novel that’s supposed to surround it. Over the past year of so, I’ve become less convinced this would ever happen to me (especially if I love the idea enough), so I’m trying to give myself permission to play in these future worlds even before they’re solidly lodged in my book queue. I’m looking forward to writing more flash fic in this universe in the future!

“We wear wedding rings to denote marital status. How else are partnerships (of any kind!) broadcast through fashion/jewelry/styling in your world?”

“Rings:” Oceana ‘verse. Arden makes a sly statement using local customs.

“Legend has it, an ice queen resides in the north.”

Oceana ‘verse. Siath doesn’t like the way the court talks about House Verhaaren.

“Where do we go when we dream?”

Tal learns the tools of his father’s trade.

“Write about a candlelit procession—for a wedding, a funeral, or a major holiday.”

The winter solstice is a time for special celebrations in the Oceana ‘verse.

“Homecoming + gates + canter.”

Valory from the Oceana ‘verse comes home after his first time traveling abroad.

“Careful. The moon’s gaze is upon you.”

Ryn has a difficult time adjusting to a land without sun.

Get Involved!

Answer the prompts or dive straight in and respond to others’ comments — let’s share our knowledge, our experience, and have a discussion we can all learn from! Don’t want to miss a post? Subscribe to the blog in the sidebar to get notified about new posts.

Today’s questions:

  • Do you do any pre-writing (scenes, flash fics, etc.) before you start a story?
  • Are you ever afraid that getting those pivotal scenes down while pre-writing will kill your drive to start/finish the story?

Looking for more writing? Become a Patron!

In addition to extra flash fiction (at least once a week), my Patreon hosts my full-length novels, artwork, behind-the-scenes worldbuilding, and more. Click below to check out the tiers I offer and support the blog!

Click here to visit Cameron's patreon page!

Morning Pages: Friendly Ghost

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Welcome to Morning Pages — it’s time for a monthly roundup. I hope you’ve got your pencils sharpened and ready to write. Wanna join in on the fun? Read the prompt, set your timer* and get ready to let the words flow. Feel free to post the results of your work in the comments below where we chat about writing and (if the mood strikes us) get a craft discussion going.

If you want critique from other commenters, use #YESTHANKS in your comment. Otherwise, you can tell us about the flash fic and the process you went through to write it. And of course, I’m always open to hear what you think about my excerpts!

*you can write for as long as you want, but most folks choose 15-30 minutes.

What I learned this month: This might not be particularly writing related, but I’ve learned that when I have something important happening on a particular day, I’m entirely incapable of focusing on anything but that thing. I had an important job interview over the phone the day I wrote “Friendly Ghost“, and holy cow, even though the interview only took a half hour total, my mental energy was shot. I tried, desperately, to get words down on the page, but only managed to eek the flash fic out in the moments before going to bed, long after winding down from the day’s buzz.

I’d like to figure out what it’d take to nudge my brain out of that space and into a more productive place — or at the very least, a place where I could focus for more than a few minutes at a time. Anyone have tips? Now that I’ve realized this about myself, I’d love to figure out a way to ameliorate it in the future.

The Prompts:

“Whenever we try a new and unusual meat (alligator, snake, etc.) we always joke that it ‘tastes like chicken’. But what do the animals (or supernatural creatures) that prey on humans think we taste like?”

“Onion Rings:” Lor from Hook, Line, Sinker is back… and she’s hungry.

“Your character walks into a long hall of portraits. What do they see?”

Oceana ‘verse. Arden doesn’t remember his mother.

“Character one: *Bursts through the door, looking panicked*
Character two: “What did you do?”
Character one: “Nobody died.”
Character two: “WHAT KIND OF AN ANSWER IS THAT?!”

“Nobody Died:” Anya and El from Weaver end up with another companion.

“Your MC is a psychic sketch artist for law enforcement. A victim comes in to describe a crime. What do they see?”

“Cat Burglar:” Otherwise known as a long-form dad joke.

“Bar fight + carrots + snow.”

“Snowflake:” Oceana ‘verse. Some lads don’t know how to take a hint. Miss Ehrin is happy to teach them a lesson.

“A house haunted by friendly ghosts.”

Casper ain’t got nothing on this.

Get Involved!

Answer the prompts or dive straight in and respond to others’ comments — let’s share our knowledge, our experience, and have a discussion we can all learn from! Don’t want to miss a post? Subscribe to the blog in the sidebar to get notified about new posts.

Today’s questions:

  • What are your coping strategies when you’re having trouble concentrating?

Looking for more writing? Become a Patron!

In addition to extra flash fiction (at least once a week), my Patreon hosts my full-length novels, artwork, behind-the-scenes worldbuilding, and more. Click below to check out the tiers I offer and support the blog!

Click here to visit Cameron's patreon page!