Philip Overby 
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
The elusive muse. Long considered dead by some, still widely sought after with hounds, nets, and harpoons by others, the concept of “invoking the muse” still lurks out there in the writers’ ether. Inspiration can be fickle: it doesn’t always necessarily come when you want it. There are some tried and true methods for getting … Read more
Often writing advice comes at a price. You don’t always know what works and what doesn’t unless you actually put it into practice and get results. I’m here to say that every situation is different. So understand that as a writer, it’s up to you to find out what works. Below, I’ve presented 15 alternative … Read more
World-building is a topic that comes up often in fantasy writing circles. If you’re writing epic fantasy, most often it’s going to be in a world of your own creation. Even if you’re writing in our own world, if you have fantasy elements in your story (e.g., magic, mythical creatures, necromantic hamsters), then you have … Read more
The key to finding your way as a writer is to discover what kind of writer you are. Are you the type that talks about writing but doesn’t really do it much? Are you the kind that works diligently every day, but always ends up deleting or scrapping the whole manuscript? Are you the perfect … Read more
You’re working on your current project when a beautiful faerie lands on your laptop and says, “Hey! Why are you writing this boring story? Look over here!” Wow, a story about elven wyvern hunters in 18th Century Central America is much more interesting than my current Work in Progress (WIP) about mutant horse-thieves in a … Read more
I’m not wearing pants. However, when writing novels, sometimes I like to sit in my jeans or maybe pajama bottoms. Wait a minute. I know what you’re thinking. “Is he really going to talk about the benefits of writing with or without pants?” Well, I was going to… I think the more appropriate question might … Read more
So first you may be saying, “Film classic? Conan the Destroyer? Ha!” Hear me out. This isn’t going to be a glowing review of why Conan the Destroyer is the best movie ever made. Nor will it be a review trashing a movie that is maligned by most fans of fantasy cinema. It will be … 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
“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