How you handle crime and punishment in your fantasy world is an important aspect of creating a vibrant and real culture. The legal system you create should reflect how society views law generally, as well as the values of society. This article provides a starting point for considerations of criminal law in your fantasy world. … Read more
When it comes to writing, I like to say that there are no rules. However, that is not entirely accurate. There is one rule: Use What Works Weren’t you listening? One rule! That’s it! This is a pretty obvious rule, assuming your goal is to write something that other people want to read. If that … Read more
With self-publishing on the rise, you can now bypass the traditional route, but there are still some of us out there that prefer the “submit, submit, submit” method. So why won’t you get published either way? Well, let me tell you, young grasshopper. It could simply be that you’re not finishing anything. Here are five … Read more
Maintaining your audience’s suspension of disbelief is a challenge that every fantasy writer must face. Obtaining, and holding, that suspension relies on your ability to convey a believable story, setting, and cast. If the suspension of disbelief is dissolved, so is the reader’s will to continue on with the story. So, how do we make … Read more
“I’m stuck.” These two words ring in your ears. That blank page. The blinking cursor. After three hours of hard-work, all you have is this: The Knight of Moonberries by John R. R. R. R. Johnson The knight walked… And that’s it. That blank page is waiting for you to blow it up. Fill it … Read more
In two previous articles, I’ve talked about ways to help authors better understand their characters, as well as techniques for using fantasy to enhance the stories those characters are a part of. With this article, I’m going to take a departure from the style and nature of those posts to try and put my words … Read more
This article is by Martin White. Every epic needs an opposing force, and in most high and heroic fantasy, that opposing force is evil. Sometimes, it’s literal Evil with a capital E, embodied in an army of twisted champions. Other times, it’s the sort of evil that kicks puppies and kidnaps damsels. Either way, it … Read more
When others learn I am a writer, one of the most common questions I am asked is “where do you get your ideas from?” Now the obvious answer is “everywhere,” because life is inspiration for fiction. But one of those places where it is easiest to draw the direct correlations between what I see or … Read more
With a few rare exceptions, genre fiction is generally dismissed – even disdained – by “serious” authors and critical reviewers alike. Fantasy book sales are miniscule compared literary fiction; even the other genres outsell it. If you want to get rich, you’re better off writing “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” than “Bonds of Sisterhood.” So … Read more
Science fiction and fantasy feed my mind and soul the way that pancakes feed my belly. And, I crave them just as much if not more. When something in these genres comes about that especially moves me (or, I believe will move me), I live tweet on Mythic Scribes about it. I knew Once Upon … Read more