fossil five

Life’s Labyrinth in Embracing Our Creativity

/ Rus VanWestervelt / Leave a comment

Last night, I was gifted with the opportunity to read for Howard County Poetry and Literary Society (HoCoPoLitSo)'s Wilde Readings series. I read an excerpt from the third chapter of my novel, Fossil Five, where Cassandra reads a letter she wrote to herself five years ago. Personally, it's an incredibly ironic moment, as my own … Continue reading Life’s Labyrinth in Embracing Our Creativity

Fossil Five Released to Beta Readers in One Week

/ Rus VanWestervelt / Leave a comment

It's 4:56 a.m., and I have just dropped off my daughter at work. I pour a fresh cup of coffee, sit down in front of my laptop, and open my working revision of my latest novel, Fossil Five. Seven days to go, I think. Seven days until I release my story to 15 readers around … Continue reading Fossil Five Released to Beta Readers in One Week

The Writer’s Craft: Rethinking Structure When Drafting

/ Rus VanWestervelt

I'm not much on labels, but in 1981, Betsy Flowers published an article in Language Arts that talked about the four different kinds of writers. Without going into too much detail, here they are: Madman: Unleashed, uninhibited writing that's a free-flow from brain and heart to parchment. Architect: Planned structures of the story, plotting out … Continue reading The Writer’s Craft: Rethinking Structure When Drafting

Fossil Five: Prologue

/ Rus VanWestervelt / 7 Comments

Note: The following is an early draft of the Prologue of my latest novel-in-progress, Fossil Five. I am participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), where writers from around the world participate in a 30-day, 50,000-word event to write a complete novel in one month's time.  Synopsis: Five alums attending the funeral of a former … Continue reading Fossil Five: Prologue