Jan 19, 2015 | Character Development, fantasy, Fantasy tropes, Kingdom Blades, Philosophy, World-Building, writing |
It’s interesting to me how many novels, plays, poems (and even, dare I say, religions) deal with immortality without really dealing with immortality, i.e. immortality is automatically assumed, more understood than explored. In our concept, gods are immortal. In fact,...
Aug 18, 2014 | Character Development, fantasy, Philosophy, Story Concepts, Tropes, villains, writing |
I want to talk about villains. Not the blackened-to-the-core, maniacally twisted kind or the ultimate evil, soul-devouring kind—I’d say genre fiction is all too familiar with stereotypical antagonists of this ilk. No, I want to talk about the villains you love to...
Jul 6, 2014 | Book Three, eBooks, Excerpts, fantasy, Paths of Alir |
Paths of Alir, the third book in my epic fantasy series, A Pattern of Shadow & Light, is in the final stages of pre-production (cover design and layout for press). The publication date is scheduled for October, 2014. Believe me, I understand that...
Apr 22, 2014 | Book Three, fantasy, Imagination & Creativity, Paths of Alir, Philosophy, World-Building, writing |
Last week I finished penning the third book in my epic fantasy series and sent it off to beta readers. Paths of Alir was two years in the planning/writing, and the final clocked in around 300,000 words. (It is an epic fantasy. Providing a series is well-crafted,...
Apr 29, 2013 | Character Development, Imagination & Creativity, Plot Development, Writer's Block, writing |
As writers, we innately tend to know when our story is working and when it isn’t. I like to describe this awareness as a sort of resonance, but it could just as easily be compared to an engine with all pistons firing. A skilled mechanic can tell just by listening when...