Introduction

 Hello, fellow writers! Welcome to Quilltree!

What Is Quilltree?

This a writing blog where I occasionally post tips, prompts, and musings from my writing journey that will hopefully help other young writers. The stray book review or publishing opportunity might crop up, as well, along with some fun games and word definitions. Let the language-related randomness begin!

Why the Weird Name?

In the blurb (isn't that a delightful word?), I say:

A tree is a fine example of the writer's journey. The process of writing is a process of growth, of reaching towards the stars while diving deep into the earth. A writer needs the roots of experience and the leaves of inspiration to remain healthy and continue to improve. Hopefully Quilltree provides just that.

This explanation was inspired in part by a beautiful short story by JRR Tolkien, called Leaf by Niggle. One of the prominent elements of this story is a tree with numerous leaves, each one uniquely brilliant. An artist might only finish painting one such leaf in his lifetime, but together, all of us are contributing our own leaves to the tree. Each of our pens--our quills, to use a more literary term--is contributing to the beautiful creation.

A tree is in a unique position in all Creation in that it grows in two directions at once--simultaneously branching out to great heights and developing strong roots. Successful writers need both, as well: We must keep our eyes on the stars, always reaching for something higher than ourselves and pointing the way to it for others. But at the same time, we must remain grounded in the reality of the world as it exists, in all its brokenness and decay. Hopefully Quilltree will help you along the writer's path as you grow stronger in your craft.

Who's Writing All of This?

The simple answer is, me. I'm AR Kuhn, a college student and avid fantasy writer who hopes to publish a novel someday. I've been writing since I was nine years old, and since then, God has called me to use my writing for Him. What that will look like, I don't yet know in entirety, but helping other writers improve their craft by blogging my own experiences seems like a good start. Here's my official author website.

My faith informs everything I do, and while this blog isn't specifically targeted towards Christians, the resources I point to and the worldview I write from are distinctly Christian, and I occasionally post something directed towards Christian writers specifically, which you can find here.

Three random facts about me: I was homeschooled, I love hats (and cats... and chocolate...), and my favorite color is blue.

The more precise answer: Occasionally, my close friend and fellow writer, who blogs under the name Puck, will do a guest post for Quilltree, and I do the same for her. You can find her writer's musings at Arachwean Journal.

Another odd author-related thing you might notice on the older posts is that I sign off with a "Q." For a while Quill was my pen name, and this is a remnant of that anonymity, which I'm working to change as I update the archives.

There Is a Lot of Stuff Here. Where Should I Begin?

Over the past three years of blogging, I've built up quite an archive of posts... some of which are more helpful than others. The latest posts always appear in the feed, and if you want to see what people have found useful lately, there's a list of the most popular posts at the bottom of the page. But if you're looking for specific help with one aspect of writing, browse the Genres along the side of the page, or check out the What Are You Writing? page, where I recommend posts based on where you are on your journey. (This is updated on occasion.)

If you want to take a dive into the archives, be warned: The older posts are constantly deleted or changed as I improve upon the blog's structure. What's there today might be gone or significantly edited tomorrow. But there might still be some jewels in that worn-out mine, if you care to dig.

What Going on With the Reading Challenge? (Among Other Things)

As of January 2023, there is a high volume of Christian content going up on the blog, namely the Christian Writers' Reading Challenge, which will remain available in the Christian Writers genre after it officially ends in Spring 2023. The Reading Challenge is the most ambitious thing I've published to date; If you're here because you found the Challenge on social media, welcome, and I hope you find the other posts on this blog helpful, as well.

In upcoming months, I hope to expand further into Christian content and book reviews alike (old hands may have noticed that most of the Top 5 genre has mysteriously disappeared in this season of updates). This process includes the continuation of the series I began about literary dichotomies, starting with Order and Chaos.

Accompanying this change in direction (formerly I posted primarily writing prompts and poetry) is an increased volume of posts for new writers, including a series on backstory, some general style tips, and various posts about how to build quality fiction from the ground up.

Do You Post Your Own Writing?

From time to time I'll post a short poem or add a chapter to a fun little fantasy story under the working title of As We Go Along, but for the most part, this blog is focused on how to improve your writing (be it fiction, non-fiction, or poetry). In the future, I hope to traditionally publish my writing, which limits what I post online. However, if you're interested in learning more about my personal projects, you can subscribe to my mailing list (which is the little pop-up you see when you first visit my blog).

Thank You for Visiting Quilltree!