Novel Magic: Writing Out of your Comfort Zone

Take a trip to the Old West for a paranormal romp. Watch for a review of An Angel’s Wylder Assignment soon

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Writing Out of Your Comfort Zone

By Tena Stetler

Magic, the paranormal, and the unexplained have always been my wheelhouse. Even as far back as grade school, I wrote vampire tales for my friends. When I took the opportunity to write full-time, I polished one of my paranormal romances and submitted it. Lo and behold, I received a contract offer. Yippee! This was 2015, fifteen books, and six years later, I still write paranormal romance/mystery novels. But 2021, I strayed from my comfort zone and wrote An Angel’s Wylder Assignment for The Wild Rose Press multi-author Wylder West Series. While still paranormal, the book is also historical, western, time-travel, and a mystery. Whew, did I bite off more than I intended. since I am a seat of the pants writer, and my characters drive the story. They took off on a chosen path, including a spirit quest, visions, and there was no looking back regardless of what research was required. What a Wyld ride! But also fun!

Because paranormal is anything I can imagine and have an overactive imagination, I can write anything I want and make it work. I love magic. So it was quite a change to have to do research. What was life like in 1878? What appliances were available, hot and cold running water? Not so much unless you were rich. Mode of transportation, horse and buggy or on foot? Then, the blacksmith craft my hero was saddled with in the assignment. Yes, there is magic. What a learning curve.

I made a few mistakes, i.e., 1878 Western language, and was immediately corrected. Don’t use “yummy” in dialoge for 1878. LOL I ran my manuscript by a couple of TWRP historical authors who also wrote in the Wylder series. A couple of their characters appeared in my book, and I learned more. Thank you, Laura and Kim.

Would I do it again? Probably. I have a story simmering for a couple of my secondary characters, Luke and Jilly, who are clamoring for their own story. So we’ll see.

I learned a lot and grew as an author writing this book. Stopping to research while I was writing was trying at times. I had a lot of fun discovering how life was in the Wild West of Wyoming Territory in 1878. I recommend every author try writing out of your comfort zone! My current writing endeavors are strictly paranormal, cozy mystery, and a sequel to Mystic Maples set in an Irish castle.  

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A Sample

They waved goodbye to their friends and slipped out the back door. It was a bit of a walk to the Mists, but porting in broad daylight wouldn’t be wise. As they walked through the eerie Scottish Mists, the silence wrapped around them like a smothering blanket. A stand of druid stones emerged from the thick fog towering above them. Chinoah shivered against him. Magic rolled off the stones in warning. With the image of the 1878 blacksmith shop in his head and whispering spirits in his mind, their adventure began. His hands tightly wrapped around Chinoah, their duffels secured on their backs. He closed his eyes and focused his vision on Wylder, Wyoming Territory of 1878 inside Dugan’s Blacksmith shop. This was his first mistake. He was unsure of the blacksmith shop’s interior, as he’d never seen it. Instead, they are unceremoniously dumped, what he hoped was only several yards outside the shop, in the worst blizzard he’d ever seen. He tightened his grip on Chinoah. Guess I paid too much attention to the description of the building itself and let that disrupt my landing location. The wind-driven snow swirled around them, making visibility difficult if not impossible.

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Meet Tena Stetler