This article is by B.K. Bass, and is presented by Worldbuilding Magazine. “Diplomacy without arms is like music without instruments.” —Frederick the Great, Prussian King (1712-1786) Everybody has likely heard the phrase “the world’s oldest profession” associated with prostitution. However, that phrase originates from the 1889 short story “On the City Wall” by Rudyard Kipling. … Read more
This article is part 1 of a series on Fantasy Fortifications by Toni Šušnjar. Fortifications are one of major parts of fantasy fiction, especially high fantasy. But they are also oh-so-often wrong, even though many basic details are typically right due to prevalence of models to build on. A common mistake is ignoring how weapons … Read more
This is Part 7 of the Mythic Guide to Heroes & Villains. Constructing a proper story without an excellent villain is almost impossible. Their absence from a story is almost always limited to plotlines in which the hero is his own worst enemy, and the story focuses on him defeating inner demons. More commonly, the … Read more
We often hear of apprentices in fantasy tales — Ray Feist’s “Magician Apprentice” comes to mind first — but apprenticeship is only one step. This article is about the next step: the journeyman (they were always men; I know of no examples of female journeymen, although there were cases of women who became masters). Once … Read more
This is Part 6 of the Mythic Guide to Heroes & Villains. The Fatal Flaw In some cases, a character’s flaw may be so pronounced that it is almost a defining quality. A good example is Superman’s debilitating reaction to Kryptonite. Without this single weakness, Superman would likely be one of the most boring fictional … Read more
This article is by B.K. Bass, and is presented by Worldbuilding Magazine. Often when we think of medieval history and medieval fantasy, the noble knight in shining armor is one of the central concepts that come to mind. Along with this imagery comes castles, people saying “m’lord,” and those same knights kneeling at the feet … Read more
Most everyone knows the story of the shoemaker and the elves. The Grimm brothers gave us the version most of us know, and it begins this way: There was once a shoemaker, who worked very hard and was very honest: but still he could not earn enough to live upon; and at last all he … Read more
In order to be a writer, there is one thing that you must do: write. Really, that’s all there is to it. Sit down and write. You’ll be a writer. What’s a little more difficult is to write something that others enjoy reading. I found that out the hard way. Just because I’d written something, … Read more
Full admission here: I really struggled with the topic for this article. I considered writing on other parts of the craft but came to the conclusion that, if my musings help get anyone else out of a writing funk then this effort will be worth it. In the scope of this short article, I hope … Read more
This is Part 5 of the Mythic Guide to Heroes & Villains. Destined The hero is sometimes selected for a special task by the hand of fate itself. This characteristic is primarily found in fantasy and religious settings, which are well-suited for narratives with a mystical element. In order for destiny to play a hand, … Read more
