The third issue of our fantasy magazine, Myths Inscribed, is now available. This issue contains three terrific stories, as well as a piece on Babylonian mythology. FICTION: Painted Truths by Martin Spernau The Ravenous Flock by Adrian Diglio [part 2 of 2] [a Warp and Weft feature story] Paying the Troll by Karen Leigh Baxter … Read more
Recently at Mythic Scribes, we’ve enjoyed some exceptional articles on world building. I have incorporated tips from several already, with noticeable improvements in my organization and productivity in this challenging craft. This process has also led me deeper into my worlds. In fact, lately I have been almost overwhelmed by all I have yet to … Read more
All good books start from somewhere. That inkling of an idea sparked by reading a great book, taking an afternoon walk, or even being walloped over the head by the muse. Time passes. Maybe months, maybe years. You see that idea grow into a story concept, the story concept become a rough outline, the outline … Read more
This article is by Stefon Mears. Years ago, on The Simpsons, Lucy Lawless uttered the now famous line, “A wizard did it.” In context the line was a broad dismissal of the myriad small errors fans are famous for finding in their favorite shows. Found an inconsistency? Blame it on a wizard. Ironic, really, because … Read more
Whether you’ve just begun your novel or are in the midst of editing it, this exercise can help answer some important questions: How will readers like my characters? Have I done enough foreshadowing? Is there enough humor in the story? Does my conclusion do the novel justice? Of course, each writer will have many different … Read more
This article is by Katie Cross. It was so hot that summer, I would have preferred vomiting barbed wire to walking outside. The air was muggy and thick with humidity so high that a permanent haze settled in like a fog. I didn’t see my thermostat go below 80 degrees for far too long, even … Read more
If there’s one quality that seems to characterize writers, it’s our need for time alone. Time to think. Time to daydream, to play with our words. History elevates the solitary writer as a kind of legend: that elusive genius, scribbling furiously in a forgotten attic, until at long last (usually upon completion of their magnum opus) they … Read more
This article is by Brendan McNulty. Wikipedia defines purple prose as “written prose that is so extravagant, ornate, or flowery as to break the flow and draw excessive attention to itself.” It’s one of those writing styles we’re always told to guard against. The best way to look at it is to see what is … Read more
When worldbuilding, writers tend to focus on topics such as magic systems, fantasy races, kingdoms, politics, and religions. These elements form the settings, the backdrops against which our stories take place. But consider your world. Not the world you’ve created, but the one you live in. What is important to you? What aspects of your … Read more
This article is written by Ken Hughes. What do sports brackets have to do with writing a story? Almost everything. A plot depends on conflict and contrast between its characters, and on building interest in them over time. A tournament’s system is about matching opponents together and tracking how that changes. It’s one of the … Read more