After a recent break from writing, I’m back in the chair and am assessing my unfinished stories and the world I’ve forged around them. One story in particular, The Rage Within, was written to explore a race called the Dagorans. They are a gray-skinned folk afflicted with a berserk-like rage. Sifting through my notes revealed … Read more
Developing one’s confidence as a writer isn’t easy. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I know my own path has been an arduous one, and confidence waxed and waned along the way. I read a fair amount of articles written by a variety of authors and bloggers, and in doing so, it’s become apparent … Read more
If you’re reading this article you might be thinking two things: 1. Why would a fantasy website feature an article about being burned out with fantasy? 2. I’m burned out on fantasy, so I want to see what this guy rants about. Well, to put this into perspective, I’m a life-long fan of fantasy, have … Read more
This article is by Thomas Cecil. I recently attended WisCon, a feminist SFF convention in Madison Wisconsin. I saw and heard a lot of great things, but one of the panels I keep thinking about is the one about policing and how we can use fiction, particularly science fiction and fantasy fiction, to help imagine … Read more
This is Father’s Day weekend, and I am a stay-at-home dad with three young sons and a daughter who will be born sometime next week. My Father’s Day commitment to them is my pledge, right now, to no longer let them, and the stress they cause me, keep me from writing. It’s time to embrace … Read more
This article is by Sara C. Snider. For those who don’t know, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is an assessment tool created by Isabel Briggs Myers and her mother, Katharine Briggs, as a means of understanding and making accessible the different psychological types theorized by Carl Jung. The result of this tool is the collection … Read more
The Hydra is a many-headed creature, fierce and dangerous. If a head is cut off, two more will grow in its place, making it a difficult monster to defeat. The Hydra story comes from the Labours of Heracles, and, like the Phoenix which I wrote about last time, has gone from being a single individual … Read more
Oh crap. You have that sinking feeling in your stomach, don’t you? Just the mention of the word publish makes your pulse quicken. But maybe it’s for a good reason. Getting ready to publish can be nerve-wracking, soul-searing, and heart-soaring all at once. That’s a lot of hyphenated words. So when is the right time … Read more
The sound of steel clashing against steel rings in the distance. Smoke billows into the air, carrying the horrid stench of the battlefield. Through the fluttering tent entrance a muddied, bloodied, messenger runs in. “Commander, we have their fortress surrounded…” The commander rises from his plush, velvet seat, and adjusts his belt. “Splendid!” he exclaims. … Read more
This article is by Daniel Adorno. As a fantasy and scifi geek, the settings I choose for my stories are always quite imaginative. I want to transport the reader to some distant planet outside of our galaxy. Or to a magical realm with a deep history and interesting creatures like centaurs or wyverns flying around. … Read more