Is Imitation Integral to Fantasy?

As a twelve year old boy I resolved to write my first fantasy epic.  Through months of toil I hammered out a draft and set it aside. When I returned to it, I was surprised to discover just how unoriginal it was. The plot borrowed heavily from The Lord of the Rings, with strong shades … Read more

Who’s Killing Fantasy? You Are!

I recently took my daughter to buy some books in a rather large UK book chain and was dismayed to discover that the Fantasy section had all but disappeared. Whereas a decade or more ago it took up an entire wall, it’s now reduced to shelf space maybe eight feet long, if that. What’s worse, … Read more

Why the Star Wars Prequels Failed

Like most children of the 1980s, I grew up surrounded by Star Wars. Star Wars lunch pales were the rage at school. Star Wars toys, books and magazines littered my room. And the Darth Vader outfit was the Holy Grail of Halloween costumes. Yet the most admired of all things Star Wars were the movies … Read more

The Third Eye: Unleashing Creative Inspiration

Many spiritual traditions teach the existence of an invisible third eye, which functions as a gateway to higher realms of consciousness. It’s believed that this third eye allows us to experience visions and other mystical phenomenon. According to this belief, although each of us is born with an inner – or spiritual – eye, we … Read more

The Banquo At Your Banquet

Do you believe in spirits? Have you ever suffered an indefinable disquiet in the still of the night, ears straining as you pull the covers tight about your shoulders? I have. I’ve heard the whispers. They echo. They reverberate down the years. I didn’t understand their murmurings at first, but in my youth I don’t … Read more

How Much Do Endings Matter?

Recently a feud of sorts has developed between George R.R. Martin, author of A Game of Thrones, and Damon Lindelof, the mastermind behind Lost. When Martin was asked if he felt nervous about ending his series, he answered that he feared “pulling a Lost.” When Lindelof learned of this interview, he lashed out on Twitter, … Read more

Why Write a Fantasy Novel?

This is a question I’ve thrown around in my mind like a ping-pong ball ever since I was old enough to understand what fantasy actually is (the literary genre, that is – I doubt anyone under the age of twelve needs any lectures on the power of the imagination and the hours of fun that … Read more

5 Tips for Inspiration

This article is by Laura Jorgensen. What is the impetus that gets a writer writing? Why do people even start writing? And after they’ve decided to make that plunge, how do they keep coming up with new ideas? For me, I love stories. I studied English Literature in college so that I would be able … Read more

Game of Thrones – The First 100 Pages

Since Mythic Scribes is going to be live tweeting during each episode of Game of Thrones, starting on April 17th at 9:00pm, I decided that I would read the book.  At first, it was slow going.  In fact, I was a little concerned that it wouldn’t keep my interest.  After all, how can I tweet … Read more