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Cobbler: I'm thinking of clues. Like a piece of glass put in a description of a scene, and later you find the murderer wears glasses. It's feedback if your beta readers don't notice how odd it was that there is glass there, or conversely, think you should take it out as being too much detail, not realizing there might be a covert reason for it being there.

In my case, it just said it had expired yesterday and hadn't been renewed.  Glad it's fixed.  You're the man, Sol.

MAP OF NEW FAIRY

A new, improved version is now available.  I put it on my white board, and it is much better.  My handwriting still sucks, but as you read the story, you should be able to figure out what the scrawls mean.  I is amazing how clarifying map drawing is.  I noticed that there was no bridge between New Fairy and New Gwynnedd (much later in the story than I've posted.)  Rhiannon's sister and brother-in-law visit her from that kingdom. I suppose they could have taken a boat.  lol  Just let me know if you want one of these.  I'll email a picture to you.

There is no picture of New Dyved, the next kingdom over to the south.  It's a coastal kingdom, it's capital city is on the Severn, which is a river/Great Lake.  The mountain range that is on the New Fairy map continues, and it has what used to be lush farmlands to its south, as well as provincial capitals.  But just knowing that is a big aid in visualization, for those of you reading that story.

Love, Rhia

John:  You don't need a complicated or intricate or convoluted plot.  A simple beginning, middle, end will do, with lots of conflicts along the way. As my Great Aunt Maude would say, to reach your destination, it helps to know where you're going.

Oh, and it's not 'either-or.'  You can have great prose and still read the road map.

Welcome aboard, Mrs. Piddles.  Michael Moorcock, who made his living writing potboilers (what we'd call "best sellers" today), suggests looking around, and getting inspired by ordinary objects.  A mirror becomes a soul stealer.  You're following his advice perfectly, with your friend's pearl.

Hi Iris:  Welcome.  This is by far the best writing-forum/group I've seen on the web.  There are others that claim their fair share of successful writers, but we have our fair share, and success is up to the writer, imo.  (But hey, I belong in the 19th century; what can I say? I believe a guy without a college degree can go around and ask people if they would be willing to give him money so he can come up with his software ideas, and, twenty years later, become the richest man on the planet.  Obviously absurd.  Bill Gates is an urban legend.)

Family?  Once upon a time, we fought like one, but the people here all are professional writers, aspire to be professional writers, or have professional writing thrust upon them.  And they will be very helpful.

John:  You always preface your insights with, "I'm drunk right now and don't know what I'm talking about."  In vino veritas.  All the points you make are worth considering.  The only thing that shocked me was--you have a lady love????  (J/K) 

Hugs, Rhia.

PS:  I really resonated with the advice:  write what you want to read.  Why I got into writing:  couldn't relate to all the stuff out there.  That's advice right up there with Edgar Rice Burrough's self-talk:  "Hell, I can write as bad as that [referring to all the best sellers at his time]."

MAP OF NEW FAIRY:  JUST EMAIL ME IF YOU WANT IT.

It would probably be best for you all to just send me a message with your email address to find the Map of New Fairy.  That way you don't have to do anything complicated.  You'd have to join Yahoo, set up your Flickr account, then scroll throw the 2000+ photos I've put there to find it.  I may also post it on FB, in my copious spare time.  lol

corra:  Appreciate your thoughts.  Conventions are tropes or memes that are heuristics only.  I don't put much stock in them.  Maybe if I find a muscular, handsome throbbing FBI agent, or a billionaire who will marry the detective that first suspects, then exonerates him from a murder charge, and she gets to stay a detective when she marries him, rather than become  his escort and factotum for his charities, I will change my mind.  You see the level I'm thinking of, not Herman Melville, or Jane Austin, but Lisa Jackson or Nora Roberts.  People do bug me to be deeper in my writing (both at home and here on the site), so maybe I should re-read my Melville.  lol  I was just curious as to whether this "trend" meant anything--as I can go in many directions in my writing:  romance, adventure, or mystery.  And yes, I know, I should do my thing.  These are all my things.