Sep 15, 2014 | Character Development, Imagination & Creativity, Organic writing, Plot Development, Story Concepts, World-Building, writing |
Think of writing like sailing a massive ship. There are an enormous number of mechanical actions that synergistically combine to keep the ship plowing forward through the waves. It behooves you, as the captain of the vessel, to have an understanding of all of those...
Sep 8, 2014 | Character Development, fantasy, Imagination & Creativity, Organic writing, Philosophy, Plot Development, Story Concepts, World-Building, writing |
After my last blog post on the four things you must know before starting a novel, in which I suggested not inventing a character, kingdom or creature until the story calls for it, a number of readers wrote in to ask, should nothing be planned? My answer is absolutely...
Sep 1, 2014 | Cephrael's Hand, fantasy, Imagination & Creativity, Plot Development, Story Concepts, Tropes, World-Building, writing |
A reader recently wrote to me and asked, how do you write a novel when every time you start (oh, so many times!) you get a few chapters in and suddenly become deluged with doubts? And how, when you’re so well-read in the genre that you’ve read it all and seen it all a...
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...
Jun 23, 2013 | Book Three, Character Development, Excerpts, fantasy, Plot Development, Story Concepts, writing |
As some of you may know, I’ve been traveling in Europe this month gathering a plethora of research for book three. Much of the third installment of A Pattern of Shadow & Light is set in the Empire of Agasan – specifically in the Sacred City of Faroqhar – which in...
Apr 26, 2013 | Blog Tours, eBooks, fantasy, Indie Authors, Story Concepts, writing |
I’m thrilled to host this guest post from fantasy author A.E. Marling (@AEMarling) in celebration of the upcoming release of his epic fantasy novel, Gravity’s Revenge. “The time for fear is past.” ~ King Theoden, The Lord of the Rings In fantasy worlds,...