Picking a World
So you’ve decided to write a fantasy novel, but the big question on your mind is: “What fantasy world do I set it in?” This is an important question to answer before proceeding with your book. Many...
View ArticleWriter’s Den: Developing Supporting Characters
No matter what genre you write in, or what kind of book you’re planning, inevitably the story will touch more than just your protagonist and antagonist. These supporting characters are what breathe...
View ArticleWriter’s Den: Writing a Good Critique
As writers, especially in this world of so many new indie and self publishing options, we take on many tasks. From writing and editing our books, to illustrating, creating trailers, and also marketing...
View ArticleWriter’s Den: Using Feedback to Better Your Work
Writing a book is hard. Nobody told me this when I started writing my first novel. I went in blind thinking, “Hey, I can do this, it’s just words right?” Well, over time I’ve learned that it’s more...
View ArticleWriter’s Den: What’s in a Name?
“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Or so wrote the great William Shakespeare. But would it really? Names are important in fiction. It’s hard to identify with a character that has a long...
View ArticleWriter’s Den: Describing the Indescribable
Hoglers don’t exist. You’ve never heard of them, and I’ve certainly never heard of them. As an object of the imagination, they defy description. This is a challenge that faces all science fiction and...
View ArticleWriter’s Den: Using Game Worlds in Writing
As a fantasy author, I try to keep up with the trends in the industry. The dos and the don’ts are important to what I do. A discussion came up one day on one of the message forums I frequent about...
View ArticleMagically Systematic
One of the keystones of the fantasy genre is magic. Whether it be dark and mysterious, lost and forgotten, or as common as forks and spoons, it is an ever-present theme in our favourite fantasy books....
View ArticleWriter’s Den: Plotters vs. Pantsers
There are two types of writers in the world: those who plot out their writing, and those who write by the seat of their pants. Plotters and Pantsers. (Yeah, yeah, I hear you shouting about hybrids,...
View ArticleWriter’s Den: Lights, Camera, Action!
The cornerstone of almost all great fantasy books is the action scenes held within them. This is also one of the skills that many authors of today have trouble with. A good action scene will draw...
View ArticleWriter’s Den: Inspiration’s Inspiration
I tried to figure out what to write about this month, but couldn’t find the inspiration. Usually something comes to me, but not this time. And then it came to me: Inspiration. It’s the word I dread...
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