Traci Ashbe Dark Epic Fantasy Author

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Old manuscripts are never a waste. Mine them!

For example, those manuscripts you used to learn your craft? You can always pull ideas, characters, settings, etc. from them.

I have a future project that I’m pulling things about the current villain from. I could never get the villain out of my thoughts and recently, when I was trying to brainstorm a new manuscript out he came and fit right in. He’s not exactly the same, but he could be! His attitude, his powers, they niggled at me when I was trying to discover what drove this future villain. I couldn’t determine how to bring his powers into being, what they’d be like and then my gaze fell across this old set of books and bam, I had my idea as to how to work them in.

I’ve also used…