Category Archives: Worldbuilding

2026 Writing Goals

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I sat down the other day and wrote a list of things that I want to accomplish this year in my Writing. I ended up with 10 in my writing planner, and another 17 which I wrote up while at work on Saturday. Some of them overlap, so lets have a look and see what we can make of the two lists.

Attend the Riwaka Fair and sell my books (6 books!) This was on the 2nd of January and I sold 6 books. That’s 4 more than last year. And I even made a couple of connections with people who were interested in writing. I love encouraging people, so I like making these connections and sharing information.

Publish Finding Faith in March – ebook and paperback. I’ve also written the start of a prologue, that I will release in February – I just need to finish it.

Publish Gaining Grace in July – ebook and paperback.

Publish Having Hope in November – ebook and paperback, and I need to create an epilogue to show the girls in the future – not sure how far yet.

Finish writing Quin and Stef – I want to get this done by the end of March2026

Finish writing Revelations I also want to finish this by the end of March

Write and complete Modern Cinderella by August 2026. I already have this outlined, so it shouldn’t take much to write it up.

Write and complete Redemption by September – this is the last of the Angel books, so I can edit and publish them for 2027.

Start writing Simon and Mel starting in October / November.

Edit Quin and Stef (for publication 2027)

Edit Modern Cinderella (for publication 2027)

Edit Resurrection (for publication 2027)

Edit Redemption (for publication 2027)

Earn $500 from my books (Jan to Dec 26)

Establish Alli Harris – create a website, facebook and instagram page for my darker writing (more fantasy and science fiction romance.)

Create an audio book of Cursed Love – This is one thing I want to achieve this year, in my learning a new skill, is recording and editing Cursed Love. I’m actually keen to video me reading it and releasing it on Youtube – but I need to get a bit more confident in front of the camera.

Have 500 people on my Catherine Mede facebook author page, and 500 people in my newsletter list. Currently I have 210 and 310 respectively, so I don’t think 500 is too big an ask.

I think that just about captures everything. That’s seventeen items all up, so I will keep you posted on updates, probably once a quarter, so that we all know where I am at, and you guys can kick my butt if I don’t get things done on time. Nothing like a bit of accountability.

What happens when you start creating

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Have you ever noticed when you write, or create, that you’re suddenly inspired to create or write more, not necessarily in the same story or oeuvre, but it’s like a lightbulb goes off in your head, and suddenly you have ideas, more than you know what to do with.

When I’m writing, I’m solely focused on the story that I’m writing, and getting that done. But if I’m driving my car, or listening to a podcast, ideas seem to be brewing in my head. Circulating and percolating. And the next thing, I have a good idea for a story. I have three story ideas I’m toying with at the moment, a bounty hunter / assassin, a sequel for my Ice Planet (Shards of Ice) story, and a Cinderella retold story. They are all vastly different stories too, one is a fairytale, one is a science fiction romance and the other is… well it isn’t quite sure where it wants to sit yet, other than it’s a woman who helps abused women escape their partners, and makes the ex’s pay for the privilege. I mean, where on earth did that story come from? I was listening to a podcast about the Pinkertons when the idea of a woman who helps other woman and basically distracts the husband while her team of specialists get the woman out of the house and gives her a whole new identity. I mean there’s still a lot of concept that needs to be worked out, and a storyline, but I can see her, wearing leather pants, long flowing hair, femme fatale type.

I love coming up with up with story ideas, and I write them down, because sometimes I forget things or lose a train of thought, but I have notebooks everywhere with bits of story ideas in them. I’ve taken to carrying notebooks around with me because you just never know when an idea will strike. And sometimes it’s just an inkling, and other times it’s a full on complete concept of a story.

And this all happens because I’m being creative and feeding my creativity with reading, writing, watching programs, listening to music, or podcasts – anything can trigger an idea. Music was instrumental in my first Dragon story, which still needs to be completed. I haven’t quit on the idea, but the story became the neverending story, and I couldn’t have that. I need to find an end point and then a start point for the next couple. The story is still perculating.

Don’t give up if you find that you can’t find the inspiration or ideas aren’t flowing. Try a different medium. If you write, listen to music. If you draw, play a game, or watch a movie. Look at photos online. If you create music, read a book. Find another way to get those ideas up and running.

Prying the Story Strands from the Ether

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Sometimes in writing you strike a problem, like painting yourself into a corner, and sometimes it can be hard to find a way out of the problem I’ve written before about brainstorming and bouncing ideas of other people to see what works and what doesn’t. But this time nothing was sticking.

I’ve recently had this problem with my dark Angel story. I had started writing it, but had crunched to a halt, trying to work out where I wanted the story to go. I’d spent some sleepless nights trying to work out the problems, but unfortunately nothing was coming together. Brainstorming only seemed to complicate matters.

I decided I needed to work out what I had and where I wanted the story to go. I had a fair idea of the storyline, but it wasn’t flowing, it didn’t seem to be cohesive and the storyline kept falling part.

I had a piece of paper and I wrote down what I already had. I had about seven or eight chapters already written, but it kind of felt rushed. Like too much was happening in the first few scenes.

Then I worked out where I wanted the story to go. I knew where I wanted it to start, where I wanted it to head, and the climatic ending.

Then I filled in the gaps.

And it worked out! After working out a sentence or two for each part of the story structure I expanded it out until I had chapters. And this is where a character from the previous book needed to come back into this story, and with the addition of this one character, everything fell into place.

And it means that the chapters I’ve already written don’t have to be ditched. I only need to rework them to fit them back into my story structure.

I think the problem came from pantsing the story, and as I told you before, I am a plotter, and so not taking the time to plot out how I want the story to go was my problem. Unlike pantsers, I don’t feel like I’ve already done the story when I plot it out. I feel like it’s a guideline for me to work from. If I find a new direction to go in, I can, but I have the plotting there to come back to and weave the story together.

This angel story is going to be published under my other pen name, because it’s has more fantasy elements in it – in fact it’s all fantasy crossed with science fiction, but at this stage, I’m only concentrating on getting the story to come together.

I hope to have Quin and Stef and this story finished before the end of the year. Fingers crossed I can get it done.

Living Your Best Life

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It has been obvious to me lately that we need to be living our best lives.

So what does that look like for me?
Living my best life is being with those I love, doing the things I love, and not taking things for granted.

Stepping out of my comfort zone and trying something new isn’t something that I do often, but when I do, I’m always grateful for the opportunity to try something new. I always yearn to do the things I love, and I’m slowly getting back into doing those things again.

Writing is something that I’m passionate about, and as long as I can write, I will continue to do so. But recently I’ve decided to go back to writing the slightly off the wall books that I’ve always wanted to write, like fantasy and science fiction. Why? Because that is where I really enjoyed the story telling and developing a whole new world (worldbuilding). To a degree I get to do that with Tuivale and my Men in Kilts series, but it doesn’t have that fantasy aspect that takes the story to the next level, adding elements that are otherworldly, or just out of this realm of possibility.

I will continue to write contemporary romance and Womens Fiction, because I still have a lot of what if questions that need answering, but I have a need to express my inner weirdo to get it out of my head and onto paper.

Sickness and Writing

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I’ve been sick this week, and as a result, very little has been done.

You’d think with having time off work because of sickness would allow me more time to get jobs done, which yes, I did clean the house, do the laundry, the multitude of dishes etc, but writing…nothing was done.

This is it takes a certain energy to write, edit, process when I’m writing, and when I’m sick, it’s like my brain is scrambled eggs. It can’t quite comprehend what I am supposed to be doing without trying to figure out who is chasing who, who is using what weapon, and weather cold spaghetti is worth eating…and that’s in my writing.

As I have two stories on the go at the same time, it’s hard enough keeping storylines straight without being sick. Being sick adds a whole new dimension of “what was I thinking” to the entire endeavour.

But never fear, I’m feeling much better. Better enough to get out for a walk and clear my head.

Introducing Quin and Stef

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Let me introduce you to Quin and Stef. They both work at Fixit Engineering

Stef is outgoing and enjoys partying, with Mel and Jody. She has a block of land which she lives on in her caravan. But winter is coming, and her house hasn’t been started yet… Stef doesn’t do cold (sounds familiar) and doesn’t want to live in the caravan over Winter.

Quin lives on his own in a two bedroom house. He plays social rugby on a Saturday over the winter season for the Tuivale team. He’s a bit of an introvert, but doesn’t mind hanging out with his friend Jake.

Quin can pay his mortgage, and his bills, but has very little left over. He needs a flatmate to help him out.

When Stef says she needs a place to stay, Quin makes the suggestion that she move it. It’s only until her house has been built.

I have been pantsing a lot of this story, which is quite strange for me, but I do have a plan for these two. Unfortunately, they’re against fake dating, which was my original plan for them, instead they want to keep their relationship hidden from their workmates, friends and family. This is proving to be very interesting.

Writers block aka Creative Block

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Sometimes when writing, you come to a crashing halt, and you can’t write anymore. Some call it writers block. It’s like when you paint yourself into a corner. There is little option of getting out without making a mess of the work you’ve already done.

I like to think of it as a creative block, because subconsciously, my story is telling me something isn’t right. I recently had this happen in my Romantasy story I’m writing. I’d successfully finished the first part, and just started on the second part, and I was three chapters in, but the third chapter just wasn’t resonating, and felt forced. So I sat back from it.

The thing is, when I’m out walking, I generally let my mind wander in my stories to see if there is a better way, or to find the direction it wants to move in. But unfortunately, it’s been stubbornly blank.

Until Saturday.

On my drive into work, I realised what was wrong. I’d already written that they needed to do surveillance around this person, but then I’d already written that it wasn’t possible, hence painting myself into a corner.

But there is more than one way to do surveillance on a person – such as using their own surveillance against them. They would be able to hack into their security system and see what was going on.

It was rather obvious, but for some reason I was trying to rationalise them having to stay in apartments above the property, which would give them a clear view, yet somehow be obscured. The rule is, if you don’t believe it, your readers won’t either.

Hacking into the security system it is. And the whole story is starting to flow again. And I can’t wait to get them mixed up in a new set of problems that will only be concluded in the third book.

Tuivale Worldbuilding Pt3

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Come and meet some more of the locals at Tuivale, the setting for my Men in Kilt’s series.

Andrea owns and operates the second hand shop, the Tuivale Community Centre. She started it one summer after an extended period of no rain and some of the locals had lost crops due to the drought conditions. In order to make things better and easier, she set up the second hand shop and with the funds raised is given to those in the community in need. She also is in charge of the food bank, and she knows the locals who need the most help.

Her daughter, Genie – or Gen owns and operates the Nailed It Beauty Salon. She studied hard to gain her beauticians degree despite being mostly deaf. She is very proficient at her job and well liked by the locals.

Dr Jason Partridge has become part of the furniture, and has been a family doctor for most of the Tuivale community. He runs the Tuivale Health Centre with his wife Patricia who is the receptionist. The nurse at the clinic is Matilda Shaw and handles any of the medical emergency’s that come in. Gerry Stone is the physio, and moved to Tuivale three years ago to take up the physiotherapy position.

Tuivale Community Chemist is run by Roger Flaxmore, but he is close to retiring and looking
to head north to Tauranga to retire in the next couple of years.

Worldbuilding 101 – Tuivale Map and some locals

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As promosed, a chance to meet some locals at Tuivale.

The Tuivale Tribune is the weekly newsletter which is produced by Elsie from the Tuivale Holiday Inn. Elsie is a busybody and knows everyone’s story, or at least she thinks she does. Between Elsie and Julie, who runs the Crusty Loaf, they think they know who does what and when.

Ian Tiddsdale owns and operates the Tuivale General Store is a genuinely nice guy who actually does know more than the Tuivale Tiddlers as he calls Elsie and Julie. People tell him all sorts of things, but he keeps mum, because he isn’t one to tell tales.

Glyn Davis runs the Highlanders Arms, the pub, and the adjoining restaurant, the Kilt and Kirtle. He started the Tuesday Night Quiz to bring more people into the pub on a quieter night of the week. Each money, money raised from the quiz is donated to a local group who have requested financial help.

It was Glyn who started the Men in Kilts club as a means to connect with others who had Scottish heritage and proud of it. Turns out, Tuivale has a large contingent of men claiming Scottish ancestry.

But only Old Man McDonald knows how to play the bagpipes, and he does so very badly. Glyn hopes that one of the younger men will take them up.

To give you some idea of the size of the town, here is a map of Tuivale.

Tuivale.pdf – 1

Worldbuilding 101 – Welcome to Tuivale

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Any story, whether contemporary or fantasy needs worldbuilding. Most of my previous stories have been based in Nelson, and I’ve created businesses to fit into that the actual world, but I’ve named streets that don’t actually exist. It’s all for the sake of privacy.

For my Men in Kilts series, I wanted to have a seaside town, that was fictional, and I didn’t want it to relate to any existing town, so I created Tuivale. It’s a popular tourist spot, being on the gateway to the Abel Tasman National Park. With a population of around 2,500 people, the numbers swell during the summer season when visitors arrive to start the Abel Tasman Track and visit the golden sand beaches to sunbathe.

Tuivale has a town centre, complete with a supermarket, two cafe’s, two restaurants and a pub called the Highlanders Arms. The restaurant based at the pub is called the Kilt and Kirtle. There’s a garage for all the mechanical needs, along with a car parts shop, a handyman complex that sells outdoor living and plants. There is also a beautician and women’s wear shop. There’s even an engineering workshop, where the first of my protagonist’s work.

There’s a school that caters for years 1 – 8, but they will have to head to Motueka High School to complete Year 9 – 13. There is a small facility in Tuivale, however, that caters for the small number of people who are in apprenticeship training, called the New Zealand Training Institute. It looks after those doing apprenticeships, including the studying part of their training.

There is a sports complex next to a sports field, which provides for soccer, netball, rugby, rugby league and hockey. The inside facilities cater to pickleball, basketball, squash, badminton, and has a rock-climbing wall. One of the inside arena’s also plays host to the occasional Roller Derby tournament.

There is a First Responders Station where the fire brigade is based with easy access to the main road, along with an ambulance and a one officer police station. There is a small emergency department and maternity suite at the First Responders Station.

Tuivale is a popular place for young professionals – but not a yuppie haven. There are a few retired people who live there, but they are in the minority. The average age is about 45. Most of my heroes and heroines are in their late twenties to mid-fifties – with a variety of tropes to cater for every story, like age gap, fake dating, one bed, boy next door, best friend’s sister,

Over the next few weeks you’ll get to meet some of the people who populate the town, and some of them will have books of their own to tell their love story.

Next week we’ll meet some of the people who populate Tuivale.