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
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
Organized crime has become a mainstay in modern fiction. From suited-up dons to street thugs struggling to survive, criminal networks make for interesting stories. As writers and worldbuilders, how do we make organized criminal groups believable? Buckle up, because in this article I’ll tell you how. 1.Mafias and Gangs In the golden olden days, the … Read more
One of the first things I learned when I got into writing was that I was supposed to ask others to read my stories and give feedback on them. Apparently it wasn’t enough that I’d written something – others were supposed to give me their opinions on it and I might even have to [gasp] … Read more
There once lived a girl who wrote the best fantasy books in all the land. She was only twelve years old, having picked up a paper and pen to tell stories starting at age eight. She outsold all the big names in her genre, made millions of dollars, and never even went to college. She … Read more
This article is by Jessica Wood. There are quite a few discussions about what makes a good writer, and they generally all come down to the same points; somebody who is hard working, perceptive, widely read, imaginative, and has close attention to detail. But what are the specific characteristics needed by a fantasy writer? What … Read more
Have I mounted the mountain of poetic titans? Is my skill so vast, that my own mind I frighten? Have I reached the heights of Byron and Shelley? Will wicked awe, make me poetry’s Machiavelli? … No, nope, definitely not and no. My roaming poeming is and shall likely remain rather mediocre, but practising it did … Read more
Swords, castles, princes, serfs – just those four words are enough to place readers in a fantasy setting. They evoke a place both mysterious and reminiscent of fairy tales, archaic enough to hold secrets, but grounded enough to be relatable. It’s a trope to make all magical settings feel familiar. Let’s reboot the Medieval Kingdom. … Read more
Thank you, internet, for making this job harder. Strong characters and worldbuilding are no longer enough. The well-timed spot of humor was once the mark of Shakespeare. But now fellow writers, all of us have to learn to be clever. Let’s start by reading a novel that’s funny. Do you accept your first reading quest? … Read more
This article is by Frank Cavallo. A few years ago I published my first novel. Nothing major, it garnered a small advance, with a relatively small print run at an up-and-coming indie press. Hardly JK Rowling territory, but as I’m sure all of us can relate, it was something I’d been trying to do for … Read more