Recent content by Malik

I know it's a movie and not a book, but The Incredibles handled this absolutely beautifully. Sitting in the car listening to police scanners, Lucius is recounting a time when a Big Bad had him on a platter but wouldn't stop monologuing. Later, Mr. Incredible nearly snuffs Syndrome by getting...

In epic fantasy, the world is a character with its own arc. The characters' actions change the world; that's what makes epic fantasy "epic." You, as the author, need to know what the world was like before all the shenanigans, and you need to know what it's going to look like afterwards. The...

Goddamn, that's hilarious. Well done. Outstanding observation. There's no way they could have known what was important until they got on the ground. Absolutely. In THE NEW MAGIC, the Big Bad's "Secret Weapon" is his map room. He had his army pretty much pace off his entire little kingdom, and...

Also, this, from STONELANDS, which you can find in the book. It's a military SF/fantasy crossover, and having been an intelligence analyst and briefer, I couldn't have written the book without not only a map, but military symbology and graphics for each mission. I made this up exactly the way...

I keep a framed 36x48 wall map above my desk for quick reference. I also sell copies at signings. Readers seem to think it's nifty.

Apologies. While we're on funny passages, my sister just sent me a message about this part of STONELANDS, in which a hardened gangsta turned Special Forces badass has a habit of becoming more eloquent and verbose the drunker he gets. -------- “You wanna leave him behind? He’ll totally hunt...

Dude's name is Jordan Eugene Hanssen, BTW. No bullshit, he exists. Google him. Also, he's a damned fine writer and storyteller. Legendary heroes walk among us. They may be in line next to you at Trader Joe's. You'll never know. He represents a whole other trope that would derail this thread. I...

There's a sense in my books that elves who bond with humans or hang out in the human world are the elf equivalent of "crazy cat lady." I'm sure a lot of elves just DGAF about humans and their problems. I have an elderly neighbor who's not so much a shut-in as just insular and keeps to his own...

In my series, elves view humans very much the way we view our dogs. Dogs aren't with us forever, but they live these short, intense lives completely devoted to us, willing to die for us. Our role, conversely, is to help them successfully navigate a world that wasn't made for them. I created my...

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In this case, the SIA is trying to bring two scientists up to speed deskside on what the military knows about the portal, and the door-kicker about to lead the Team is looking over their shoulders, hopelessly lost. The SIA in Stonelands is a self-insertion; I've had that gig. He's a minor...

Especially when Higher asks why an E9 sent up an RFI about whether or not the Chinese control the sun.

And from STONELANDS--again, this one wrote itself, based entirely off deskside briefings I've given: (Stannard: Navy SEAL Master Chief; Bob: PhD; Medved: Senior Analyst for the unit, just trying to get through this.) Every Senior Intelligence Analyst keeps liquor in their desk.

Being retired military, I have a gallows humor that permeates my work, including a lot of unintentionally slapstick violence. Because, seriously: violence can be goddamned hilarious. I've had readers tell me that my debut, DRAGON'S TRAIL, reads like Deadpool d*ckpunching his way across Westeros...

In the final edits, I can see the bits that I wrote to intentionally be funny. They're never as funny as the unintentionally funny bits that sneak their way in. I'm a firm believer that there are some lines you write, and some you just write down. The former feel forced by comparison to the...