Recent content by S J Lee

But to answer your Q - Gimli, Aragorn and Legolas never call themselves "warriors" - but they are good at fighting. Someone willing to fight bravely when they need to, and who take care of their weapons/training before the war starts are what makes "legit warriors"...?

what do you mean by "warrior"? Do you mean a professional solider? A VETERAN professional soldier who has actually been in battles? Or just a farmer who has been trained as a reservist? A boy brought up to study martial arts? A brigand who bashes a lot of people on the head? Please understand...

was he thinking, feeling, aware of this motivation at the time? If not, then keep it from the audience. If he WAS thinking about it while he did X, then it's harder to justify ... or rather, it is less likely to work when the reader figures it all out most people in a do or die situation would...

I read that RAGE tale long ago...turns out it is VERY unrealistic. Protagonist shoots teacher then he and classmates sit down for a long heart to heart that is half genuine and half forced and they wait for the cops to show up. The long yakky heart to heart isn't realistic, methinks. Real school...

to ME, food on its OWN is dead boring. Now, if he food sarked some flashback memory ... or the character made aDECISION to eat it refuse it ... which had consequences, that would be interesting

not original, but "Daddy, there is someone under my bed," Jake said. When I look underneath, another Jake says "Daddy, there is someone pretending to be me on my bed."

If it was DIALOGUE in " " marks I would have no problem with it. Otherwise ... if I got the vibe the writing was good and the writer had DELIBERATELY chosen to stick to it cos he liked it, no worries - if I got the vibe he was an ignorant noob without an editor, not so good... He should of done...

one minor-ish quibble A Mongol bow was "light" in that it doesnt weigh much ... BUT it was not easy/light to draw (ie, to pull the string back). On the contrary, it was brutal. Most modern men with office jobs would have no chance if suddenly told to use it, I'd guess. Genghis' men worked at...

I would take a step back and remember the following before you hop on on your soapbox (and then DO hop on a soapbox, but don't be "preachy" in an obvious way ...) Ask yourself - WHY is the world why it is? And then ask yourself why your fantasy world is different. (this only matters if your...

umm...you want me to answer that? I read the free sample of Way of Kings on Amazon, first few pages. Got as far as page 7 and had to stop. Terrible exposition, the whole thing was clumsy and overdramatic, it read like it was written by a 12 year old. Sorry, only one person's opinion. But you asked!

21 or so including a few I dumped after 10 pages. Sorry, Sanderson. No way.

Elizabeth Moon's Paksenarrion books had female and male co-ed warriors and there were bowls of "birthbane" herbs in the mess. No need to go any further than that. No details given whatsoever, no side effects on fertility later (apparently). Cos fantasy. However, ask yourself what happens next...

I wouldnt say "make seem realistic"- I would say, "as many as seems true to the world you have created" - ie, without violating suspension of disbelief. Yes, this is ALMOST the same thing....

yes, but that isn't really an answer.... ;-)

Read the Illiad. Achilles killed way more than you are worrying about. So - where does your hero come in on the Achilles-o-meter?