YAASHA MORIAH
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YAASHA MORIAH

EXPLORE FANTASTIC WORLDS
Welcome to the pages of my Traveler's Journal!

Should the Hero Kill the Villain?

1/24/2020

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What should the hero do when he finally has the villain in his power? Use non-lethal means of incapacitating his enemy? Kill him? In this video, I talk about why authors (or readers) choose one over the other, and why sometimes killing the villain is necessary.

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Finding the Story in Life

5/5/2017

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It was Ben Franklin who said, "Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing."

Sometimes it's a little hard to do both at once.

That's why I'm taking a break from HIDDEN FACE through May to blog about story, life, and all the behind-the-scenes things that create a story worth writing about.

And to ask you a really serious question.

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When Life Gives You a Plot Twist

2/26/2017

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This past week, my main character took matters into her own hands and decided for me how The Seeing Queen (Book 3 of the Firewing Chronicles) was supposed to end. Being the spaghetti-brained gal that I am, that experience made me think more deeply about life.

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Five Lies that Writers Tell Themselves

12/16/2016

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Lie: Someone else has done it before.

Recently, an author in a writers' group I am part of asked (in so many words), "What authors makes you feel like you have nothing left to offer? For me, it's Tolkien. I feel like there's no way I can possibly measure up to him, and that he's already written what I am trying to write and written it better."

​Others chimed in. For some, it was a specific author. For others (me), it was any author who wasn't themselves. 
​

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10 Quotes about Freedom from Science Fiction and Fantasy

7/4/2016

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My blood runs with the DNA of nine ancestors from the Mayflower, several more who fired their rifles during the Revolutionary War, and many others who engaged in the defense of their freedom in various ways. Even centuries later, I am still enjoying the fruits of their many sacrifices. The story that they began I now have a responsibility to continue.
​

Even in fiction, that battle cry for freedom still emerges. That desire of the soul to follow truth without infringement by another echoes through our stories. Today, I'm going to share ten quotes about freedom from science fiction and fantasy.

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Story Analysis: Men in Black - Best of the Best

5/13/2016

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My favorite part of the testing scene in Men in Black (1997) is the moment when 2nd Lt. Jake Jenson looks at Jay like, "Take that, you moron." But you know that Jenson is the moron.

One memorable scene can make an entire story unforgettable. As a reader, you likely have a "memory bank" of such scenes, that moment when you realized that, just for that one scene and the emotional response it evoked, you will forever be a fan of the story.

So let's take a look at the test scene (the scene I call "the best of the best" for multiple reasons) and see what it does for the story.


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On invisible villains, with an excerpt from The Dying Prince

5/6/2016

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Click here to follow the progress of The Dying Prince, Book Two of the Phoenix series.
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This week in The Dying Prince, I wrote an important scene in which one of the characters is able to get closer to their mysterious enemy--the Forbidden--than any one else has gotten so far. I needed to reveal enough to give the story a little more momentum--more questions, more chills--but not enough to blow all the secrets in Book Two that should be discovered throughout Books Three, Four, and Five.

I began to write the scene with the appearance of a nebulous figure:


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Orson Scott Card and Thoughts on Literary Criticism

4/19/2016

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​I've just finished ​Ender's Game (review to be posted soon!)​, but, before I even got into the story, I encountered a fascinating discussion in the introduction by the author. I think Orson Scott Card brings up some great points. What do you think?


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Truth in Fiction: Enjoying Weather

2/2/2016

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One of fiction's greatest strengths is its ability to comment on life in the form of story. This is what my Truth in Fiction blog post series is all about.

Today's #TruthInFiction is an observation about weather, made in the book That Hideous Strength by C. S. Lewis.

Tweet: Fiction's strength is its ability to comment on life in the form of story. http://bit.ly/1hqyfNF #TruthInFiction via @YaashaMoriah
Tweet: Fiction's strength is its ability to comment on life in the form of story. http://bit.ly/1hqyfNF #TruthInFiction via @YaashaMoriah

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Fiction & Sex: Where's the Line?

1/15/2016

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I’m generally cautious when it comes to sex in fiction. Now, Christians are probably waiting for me to give an answer like, “Never mention sex in fiction.” Liberals are probably waiting to dismiss everything I say because I’ll be too restrictive for them. I’m probably not going to satisfy either party. Why? Because I think the answer is more complicated than “Never include sex in fiction” or “Include sex just as openly as you would any other part of life.”

Christians, the Bible has tons of sex in it. You can hardly go a chapter in the Old Testament without someone sleeping with someone else, and some of those stories aren’t exactly family friendly. Non-Christians, I’m about to make it pretty plain that sexual openness doesn’t always lead to satisfying sex—or a satisfying story.

I’ll tell you right up-front: I’m not going to tell you what the line is. But I’ll give you enough information so you can consider what is a good, realistic, artistic portrayal of sex in fiction.

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    Yaasha Moriah

    I write YA/adult fantasy & sci-fi that explores fantastic and interconnected worlds, with stories that burn through the darkest realities with hope and redemption.
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