The Mark of the Fool

I just finished The Mark of the Fool by J. M. Clarke and I loved it.

I do wish the ending had been more satisfying, but book two comes out next month!

The writing itself is very clever with an upbeat tone throughout - things I aspire to in my own stories. This book makes me want to write.

(I hope you enjoy my attempt to recreate a scene from the book. I’m trying something new. Let me know what you think.)

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I saw a meme that defined Tradition as “Peer pressure from dead people”.

It made me laugh, then got me thinking.

Tradition is a great way to make a story feel more authentic and to let readers know what things are important to characters. (You can see this in The Mark of the Fool when the MC runs away from tradition.)

Tradition is one of the many tools I use as a writer. I have a daily writing tradition. Simply keeping that tradition is a mark of success for me.

We’re officially in the holiday season when many people are most aware of their traditions. Some people even create new ones.

Being Christian, I always look forward to time with family and giving meaningful gifts. My family always reads from The Bible and The Book of Mormon to remember the Christ’s birth and the love of God. As a kid, it was boring. I wanted to open my presents. But now it’s among the most meaningful parts of our celebration.

We also find a service activity we can do as a family in the days leading up to Christmas. Often that means putting together care packages, visiting nursing homes or taking food to someone in need.

If you ever want ideas on how to serve in your area, check out Just Serve, Light the World, Light the World Vending Machines and Basement Philanthropy. 

What are your favorite traditions?