If you’re reading this article you might be thinking two things: 1. Why would a fantasy website feature an article about being burned out with fantasy? 2. I’m burned out on fantasy, so I want to see what this guy rants about. Well, to put this into perspective, I’m a life-long fan of fantasy, have … Read more
It’s becoming easier and easier for people to put books down these days. With so many entertaining distractions in the world, writers have to fight for readers’ attention more than ever. Normally, I approach these articles only from the stance of a writer. However, today I’m going to wear two hats: one small writer’s beret … Read more
Okay, so the story wasn’t an accident, but its length was. I searched for any way to pass lonely Wisconsin winter hours while my coworkers paced an empty showroom floor, waiting for clients who needed a vehicle badly enough to brave low temperatures and icy streets. I hated all of it. In fact, I never … Read more
We’re excited to announce the publication of the Iron Pen Anthology: Volume 1. This is a collection of stories written by members of Mythic Scribes. Each of these stories was written for one of our Iron Pen contests, which challenge writers to come up with fantasy stories based on four prompts. This anthology features eight … Read more
This article is by Grace Robinson. People sometimes ask me how I come up with names for my fantasy stories – names of characters, as well as names of creatures, places, and things. I don’t have a standard formula for inventing names, but after doing some thinking, I realized that there are three main methods I … Read more
This is my third entry in my Cover to Cover series which follows a novel from inception to potential publication. It’s interesting to note since I started doing this, my novel has changed quite significantly. Most notable is that I completed a first draft last month. If you’ve ever completed a long first draft, then … Read more
I recently came to a part in my Work in Progress (WIP) when I said, “Huh, this doesn’t look like it’s going to be a standalone after all.” While I believe there are a lot of important decisions to make about your book (awesome characters, coherent plot, enough giant roach mutants, traditional vs. self-publishing), one … Read more
This article is by Anne Leonard. A current – and recurring – topic of conversation in the SFF writer/ blogger/ reader community is the lack of people of color (POC) writing and publishing in the field. (This is also an issue in the literary community in general; here’s a recent post on the subject that … Read more
Romantic relationships are a part of being human. Not every novel needs a romantic subplot. But given enough time and depth, most characters will develop that side of their lives. If we’re ignoring love, we aren’t writing fully realized characters. If we as writers can tap into the allure and mystery of romance, we have … Read more
“I don’t really like Fantasy or Science Fiction, but I think I’ll write stories in those genres anyway.” -No one This month I decided to participate in NaNoWriMo. It had been a while since I had written anything, and I felt like it would be a good opportunity to try. Then life happened…a lot. And, … Read more