On Character Development
Aaron Miles
A broken soldier overcoming his failings to make a stand for his home, a powerful sorceress corrupted by her magic and falling into darkness, a boy embarking on a journey…
Aaron Miles
Is This Normal Around Here?
So you get home to your enchanted castle, hand your coat to the golem butler who waits by the door, tut sadly at Markus; the caretaker who’s trying to fill…
Sieges and Siegecraft – Part Two: Defenders
Shore up the defences, man the walls and get those supplies inside! Last time, we looked at siegecraft from the attackers’ side; this time, we’re on the defensive. There are…
Sieges and Siegecraft – Part One: Attackers
Throughout the bloody pages of innumerable fantasy books there are countless examples of the siege in fiction. From epic wars that last for years to brutal assaults that are swift…
The Black Guard by A. J. Smith
The Black Guard has been described as “Martin meets Lovecraft,” and doesn’t disappoint on either count. With bleak personal stories of loss and hardship, wars between rival nations and a…
Society in Story
There are a number of elements fantasy writers focus on during worldbuilding, traditionally they pour over decisions like mapping locations, designing a magic system and setting empires/species against one another…
Top Ten Books To Improve Your Writing
A likely first stop on the journey of any aspiring writer is the purchase of a writing book to teach them about the subject. Often they’re drawn to titles like…
Plotting – What Happens Next?
“What happens next” is a question that has the power to freeze a writer’s hand over the keyboard, paralysing them with potential issues. Which route should your characters take? How…
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…
A Question Of Technology
When people think of the fantasy genre the concept of technology isn’t usually at the forefront of their minds. They’ll be thinking of the magic, the monsters, the castles and…
Infernal by Mark de Jager
Infernal is truly a book that raises hell across its pages. After beginning in a quiet meadow one scarcely expects the kind of chaos that occurs throughout the story. The…
Ten Tips For Short Story Writing
Short stories can be great fun to write, but sometimes tough to get the knack of. For anyone who wants to try their luck at this form, I’ve come up…