Father Mine
Let’s talk about the short story Father Mine, first. Okay… squeeee! This short story revolves around Bella giving birth and Z’s relationship with their daughter, Nalla, just… I’m a sucker for babies. I’m also a sucker for Zsadist, he and Rhage are my absolute favorite characters! Also, big scary vampire males melting for a small baby. If you are anxious about the amout of drama in J. R. Ward books I present fluff (with some drama because it’s Z and he has issues, but mostly fluff!) It was so heartwarming and adorable and I cried and Z is SUCH a dad!
The Insider’s Guide
This is a little break in the Brotherhood books, but it comes in a good place. I had a ton of fun reading the interviews with the characters and getting to know more about our boys! (Who are all adorable dorks, let’s be honest.)
I would definitely recommend this book for writers.
J. R. Ward talks a lot about her decision making and how she relates to her characters, which is honestly very similar to my own writing process. She sees things and writes them down and her characters are like living people in her head.
I saw a comment on Goodreads (why I continue to read Goodreads comments when I never agree with them I don’t know) that was rolling their eyes at the fact that J. R. Ward claims to write this way. That she has no choice over her story and the characters do what they want. I’m here to tell you this is a legitimate creative process because it’s exactly the way I write. I make an outline, and my characters look at my outline, laugh, and throw it out the window! They scream at me when I’m supposed to be doing other things, they scream at me while I’m sleeping, they give me headaches, and I have threatened them with Nerf guns and time outs with no cookies. This is why it’s taking me 6 years to figure out what I want the trilogy I’m writing to even look like!
Trust me when I tell you you have to be very brave and just a touch insane to be a writer because no one in their right mind would do this work for fun. It’s thankless most of the time and everywhere I look people seem to think it’s easy until they try it. So, if a writer tells you they have no control… they probably don’t their brain spits out a story and they write what they’re told because we need to write. It’s in our blood.
Sorry, this turned into a rant about writing, but it’s very relevant. This book made me feel like I was a legitimate writer. I’m on the right track and my process doesn’t seem so absolutely bonkers any more. It taught me a lot about my own writing and gave me a lot of advice. I think it’s going to become one of my favorites when I’m having writer guilt or doubt.
XOXO~ B
Have you read the Insider’s Guide or did you skip it and why? Are you a writer? What’s your writing process? Sound off below!
To read more of my Black Dagger Brotherhood reviews look here.
