Faith-Based Fantasy

This article is by Lynea Youmans. Faith-based fantasy. A sub-genre of its greater counterpart. There are many books that align with this genre, but do we ever hear of them or clear out the figurative shelves when they go on sale? Perhaps this is the first you’ve ever heard of it, how a fantasy tale … Read more

NaNoWriMo Milestones List

November is National Novel Writing Month – also known as NaNoWriMo, or just NaNo. It’s a writing challenge that takes place during the month of November, and the goal is to write a 50,000 word novel in a month. That’s right. An entire novel – Fifty Thousand Words – in one month. You can read … Read more

Elemental Magic: Trope Reboot

Sometimes magic systems fail. Instead of wonder they cause confusion. Instead of building conflict they create plot holes. And instead of deepening our characters’ struggles they enable the dreaded deus ex machina. But we can avoid these issues by turning to a classic, well defined system. It’s a trope to streamline spells. Let’s reboot Elemental … Read more

Basics of Heraldry

This article is by by Toni Šušnjar. Distinctive personal insignia on shields had been used to identify warriors in battle since 800 BC in Phrygia. But this insignia was not heraldry as it was not hereditary (familial). Heraldry appeared in mid-12th century, and flourished during 13th and 14th centuries. First formal heraldry in England appeared … Read more

Writing Groups Part 2

In my previous article on writing groups (which you can read here),  I talked about some popular ways writers connect. From online forums like the Mythic Scribes writing forums to community workshops, there’s no shortage of ways writers find each other, and just as many reasons they’re out there searching in the first place. In … Read more

Fantasy Unlocked: How to Get Teens Started with Writing Fantasy

This article is by Alex Baker. Fantasy is a genre that has always resonated with teenagers. Whether it’s imagining themselves exploring the halls of Hogwarts in the pages of Harry Potter, or deciphering the alethiometer in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series, for many teens fantasy is a chance to immerse themselves in a universe … Read more

The Mentor: Trope Reboot

Fantasy novels are complex tomes filled with beguiling magics, curious creatures, unspeakable names, countless political fiefdoms, more breeds of elf, and thousands of years of adventure. Your readers have to learn all those new particulars without wanting to burn your book in rage. Thankfully there’s a trope for teaching those details. Let’s reboot the Mentor. … Read more

Reaching Beyond the Common Narrative

What is the common narrative? The common narrative is the system of default characters and stories that a society tells. If you look at the preponderance of stories in a culture, you will usually find strong patterns about who is written about—whose stories are considered important enough to tell. In the western world, our common … Read more