Recent content by WilliamElse

I believe Tolkien once said that Tom Bombadil was intentionally 'an enigma', which explains (or rather doesn't explain) his oddly discordant appearance in the book. Personally, I've always liked him, although it wouldn't hurt if he laid off the singing once in a while... I can see that the...

That has been my approach too. I won't say that listing places I've been published has helped me to get accepted, but I'm pretty sure I now get more personalised rejections!

Sad to see that MAR Barker, creator of the world of Tekumel, has just died. I haven't been involved in roleplaying for years, and I never got round to playing 'Empire of the Petal Throne' much, but it's surely one of the most detailed and exotic fantasy worlds ever created. Is anyone here a fan?

I'd never seen these before but as a teacher they look as if they could be very useful indeed. Thanks!

I've been lucky enough to have had a few short stories published, and I agree with all the advice above, particularly regarding the need to keep track of your submissions and research your markets carefully. Also, as others have noted, the short story form is a completely different beast to the...

I hadn't heard that term 'sexposition' before! I like it (I mean the term, not the sex - oh, hey, I like that too!). It does feel faintly patronising, though, as if the makers don't trust viewers not to lose interest during a conversation unless they give them something to ogle at the same time...

Hehe - yes, I think that's the title of every version except the one in my head!

You can download it from this site: Downloads - Third Age - Total War Mod for Medieval II: Total War: Kingdoms - Mod DB You need to download both halves of version 3.0, then the 3.1 patch. If I remember correctly, you just run the program once downloaded and it installs itself. I really...

I'd recommend 'The Golden Branch' by Sir James Frazer. It's one of the great foundation works of anthropology and comparative religious studies. Also, a very enjoyable read in its own right if you're into the subject. Essentially, it's an exhaustive compendium of the symbols and practices which...

I would also recommend kennings and alliteration as being a good way of working in some northern flavour. Also, 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight' might be worth a look. It's much closer to modern English than Beowulf but written in a northern dialect which uses a lot of Scandinavian loan-words...

I love Rome and Medieval II. Personally, I think the series has gone downhill in terms of gameplay since then. There's also a great LOTR mod for Medieval II called 'Third Age' - well worth checking out.

Thanks all for the welcome! Happily, my boots are where I already keep my viscera. And if anyone wants my wallet, they're welcome to it...

Hello all! Thought I should start with an introduction. I've been spoiling paper for a few years now and have had short stories published in a number of different places (most recently by the Cafe Irreal). I've also received hundreds of encouragingly polite rejections from all over the world...