This article is by Anne Marie Gazzolo. Authors can use narrators in many different ways to add value to any story. Among them, they can speak directly and indirectly to their audience, inform the readers of things not even the characters inside the story know, give a look into the heart and soul of the … Read more
This article is by Cate Morgan. There’s no doubt about it: there is a lot of noise out there in the crowded, Dread Interwebz when it comes to what I refer to as the Self-Publishing Fandango. It’s like a tango in the respect that it sounds sexy at the outset, and certainly looks sexy when … Read more
I recently came to a part in my Work in Progress (WIP) when I said, “Huh, this doesn’t look like it’s going to be a standalone after all.” While I believe there are a lot of important decisions to make about your book (awesome characters, coherent plot, enough giant roach mutants, traditional vs. self-publishing), one … Read more
This article is by Joseph Zieja. Cons are vicious, insane things, where emotions run as hard and fast as the alcohol, where dreams are made and broken at bars, and where George R. R. Martin sends people out for cheese steaks at three o’ clock in the morning. You will meet people dressed in costumes … Read more
This article is by Anne Leonard. A current – and recurring – topic of conversation in the SFF writer/ blogger/ reader community is the lack of people of color (POC) writing and publishing in the field. (This is also an issue in the literary community in general; here’s a recent post on the subject that … Read more
Romantic relationships are a part of being human. Not every novel needs a romantic subplot. But given enough time and depth, most characters will develop that side of their lives. If we’re ignoring love, we aren’t writing fully realized characters. If we as writers can tap into the allure and mystery of romance, we have … Read more
The last dozen fantasy books I’ve read would be classified as epic fantasy. Some kind of hero or heroine goes on a quest, or there are world-spanning conflicts between kings and queens. I guess you’re expecting me to say, “Ugh, I’m so sick of epic fantasy.” Actually, no. I quite enjoy these kinds of stories … Read more
This article is by Joseph Malik. Today I’m going to discuss an underrepresented weapon in fantasy, although it was likely the single greatest casualty-producing weapon on the medieval battlefield until the development of the longbow. A Gran Espée de Guerre by Michael “Tinker” Pearce. (www.tinkerswords.com) It’s a sword. It’s arguably the sword. It’s the Oakeshott … Read more
This article is by Rhiannon Paille. Catching Fire, the edgy, emotional, and jarring sequel to Suzanne Collin’s The Hunger Games trilogy pushed the boundaries, pitting teens against teens in a battle royale to the death, winner takes all. In light of the popular Suzanne Collin’s books, everyone is looking for a way to up the … Read more
This article is by A.L.S. Vossler. Fan fiction is the lowest life form of the writing universe. If you had asked me what I thought about fan fiction about a year ago, that is what I would have said. I had not always looked down so fiercely on fan fiction. I was never a huge … Read more