Browsing all articles in Writing.
Militaries and Fantasy or How to Build an Army
Author’s Note: I did my best to refrain from using military and army interchangeably in this article. To clarify a bit, by army I mean one specific body of fighters. By military I mean a country or warlord’s fighting force as a whole. Military history is a bear. Humans have been fighting each other longer […]
Story Openings
The blank page faces you, whether it’s the page in your hand or the one on the screen, the question is always the same – how do you begin? Do you want to set the scene with a sweeping landscape, or launch into the action with a gunfight or duel? Will you ease the reader […]
So What’s The Fuss About Evernote?
Writers are always being reminded that inspiration can strike at any time. It could be during the bustle of a busy work day or in the middle of night. And just like dreams, ideas can quickly fade to a distant memory if they’re not recorded. As a result, writers are advised that they should keep […]
Symbols: A Vital Worldbuilding Tool
A few days before writing this post, an old acquaintance reached out to me by text to wish me a happy new year. I texted her back, asking how her year has been so far. She replied with a poop emoticon. And I understood immediately. My acquaintance was able to answer my question with sentiment […]
What Makes a Good Badass?
Everyone loves a good badass, and, let’s admit it, our genre is full of them! But what makes a successful badass and how do they fit into our stories? Well, first off, it’s worth noting that this is going to be an extremely subjective article, as what works for one reader will never work for […]
Underground Fantasy – Part Three: Tunnels and Secret Passageways
So far in this series we’ve wandered through caves, dungeons, tombs and enclosed mazes to find out what makes underground fantasy settings so atmospheric and alluring. In the third and final article on this theme we will look at tunnels and secret passageways as a means of connecting all these subterranean settings together. Discussing their […]
Plotting The A-Team Way
< Dum Dum Du Du De Dum (you’ll just have imagine the tune) > In 1972 a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn’t commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they […]
The Start Of All New Things
With the New Year not long gone in our rear-view mirrors, it’s a perfect time to ponder “fresh starts” in fantasy. Usually, they signal a momentous turning point in the plot or in the development of our beloved characters. And those starts can come in many forms. Reigns Power switches or coups are popular in […]
Holidays In Fantasy Fiction
With the arrival of the Christmas season I’ve been thinking about the effects of holidays on our lives. The influence of Christmas is incredibly far reaching; I doubt most people can make it through the day without seeing some sign of the festivities or feeling its impact. Holidays are an important part of our lives; […]
Diary of a NaNoWriMo Virgin
NaNoWriMo, ah yes. To some, it is just a baffling not-quite-word that clogs up the Twitter trends every November. To others, it is a golden chalice; to partake from its wine is to enter a nirvana of creative solitude. For a month, the belly of the whale is home to you, your laptop, and your […]
Winner of the August 2014 Writing Contest: Seven Deadly Sins
We’ve been getting such good feedback for the short stories our members have submitted in our Monthly Short Story Competition that we have decided to post them on the main site at a rate of one a week. Today we will be looking at the winner from our August 2014 contest. The Seven Deadly Sins […]
Five Reasons You Didn’t Fail NaNoWriMo
So no doubt your social media streams have been filled over the last few weeks by people celebrating their NaNoWriMo success. Undoubtedly, there’s a lot of high-fiving and statuses being liked. There’s probably even someone who already has their (unedited) masterpiece up for sale on Amazon. And whilst this can all be very exciting if […]
