Advice for Fantasy Writers This article is by Toni Šušnjar.Note: This is Part Two of a two-part essay. Here is the link to Part One. Feudal Army Feudal army is a complex beast: it may include landed troops, mercenaries, town militias, conscripted peasants, or any combination of these. Thus estimating size of a feudal army … Read more
Advice for Fantasy Writers This article is by Toni Šušnjar. One of basic elements of fantasy warfare is fantasy army. And one of basic elements of army is its size, which will affect organization and logistics, as well as strategies and tactics it can employ. Thus, prospective fantasy writers should understand factors which limit the … Read more
This article is by Lynea Youmans. Faith-based fantasy. A sub-genre of its greater counterpart. There are many books that align with this genre, but do we ever hear of them or clear out the figurative shelves when they go on sale? Perhaps this is the first you’ve ever heard of it, how a fantasy tale … Read more
November is National Novel Writing Month – also known as NaNoWriMo, or just NaNo. It’s a writing challenge that takes place during the month of November, and the goal is to write a 50,000 word novel in a month. That’s right. An entire novel – Fifty Thousand Words – in one month. You can read … Read more
Sometimes magic systems fail. Instead of wonder they cause confusion. Instead of building conflict they create plot holes. And instead of deepening our characters’ struggles they enable the dreaded deus ex machina. But we can avoid these issues by turning to a classic, well defined system. It’s a trope to streamline spells. Let’s reboot Elemental … Read more
This article is by by Toni Šušnjar. Distinctive personal insignia on shields had been used to identify warriors in battle since 800 BC in Phrygia. But this insignia was not heraldry as it was not hereditary (familial). Heraldry appeared in mid-12th century, and flourished during 13th and 14th centuries. First formal heraldry in England appeared … Read more
In my previous article on writing groups (which you can read here), I talked about some popular ways writers connect. From online forums like the Mythic Scribes writing forums to community workshops, there’s no shortage of ways writers find each other, and just as many reasons they’re out there searching in the first place. In … Read more
This article is by Alex Baker. Fantasy is a genre that has always resonated with teenagers. Whether it’s imagining themselves exploring the halls of Hogwarts in the pages of Harry Potter, or deciphering the alethiometer in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series, for many teens fantasy is a chance to immerse themselves in a universe … Read more
Like many writers I’m a huge fan of many things – from novels and superheroes to anime and Doctor Who. But recently, watching a show with my young daughter, I’ve been pulled beyond a threshold I never expected to cross. I started writing fanfiction. It is the best thing to happen to my writing in … Read more
In 2017 our team released our first full-length urban fantasy novel. After the frenetic pace of finishing, editing, formatting, publishing, and promoting our first offering, we thought we would take a well-earned vacation before jumping into the sequel. We set out to take a month to regroup, but one month quickly turned into four and … Read more