Occupational Hazards of Being a Fantasy Writer
Ashley Barnard
During the month of June I drove right past my street at least four times on my way home from the grocery store. My eight-year-old daughter, who is no stranger…
Writing
Middles – Part 1: Mushy Middle Syndrome
Amy Rose Davis
You can read the rest of the Story Structure series here: Part 1 – Story Structure: Beginnings Part 2 – Revisiting the Three-Act Structure Part 3 – In the Beginning……
Rhythm and Time – Part 2: Add a Little Harmony with Adjectives
Two weeks ago, I started my series on rhythm and time in writing by talking about verbs. I think verbs are the bass line for all writing, because if you…
Story Structure – Part 3: In the Beginning…
You can find parts one and two of this series here: Part 1: Story Structure: Beginnings Part 2: Story Structure: Revisiting the Three-Act Structure In the Beginning… There is perhaps…
Surfing the Network – Part Two
Sandra Norval
If you missed Part One of this article you can read it here. So I’m sitting on a ledge, a little way up Mount Publication, eating some lunch. I’m checking…
What’s in a Fantasy Name?
Lady Rosalie Skinner
Today I ask you to share some of your creative ideas. All authors have to give their characters names, whether they write romance, mystery, or fantasy. Fantasy authors have more…
Story Structure – Part 2: Revisiting the Three-Act Structure
A few weeks ago, I started my discussion of story structure with a post about inciting incidents and beginnings and where those first turning points should come in a story.…
Writer’s Den: Developing Supporting Characters
Thomas A. Knight
No matter what genre you write in, or what kind of book you’re planning, inevitably the story will touch more than just your protagonist and antagonist. These supporting characters are…
Strengthen Your Voice
Rosalie Skinner posted a great article several weeks ago about what agents and editors hate to see in manuscripts. One of the things the agents mentioned was passive voice. Passive…
Revisions – Part Two: The Three Step Process
Daniel D Jones
In my last article, we took a broad look at the subject of revision. I began by delivering the bad news: finishing the first draft is the easy part –…
The Great Con – An Author’s First Fantasy Convention
This weekend marked a memorable occasion. Not only was it my first book signing, it was also my first sci-fi/fantasy convention – ever. I’ve always wanted to go, and often…
Story Structure – Part 1: Beginnings
Now that I’ve spent several weeks discussing protagonists, heroes, antagonists, and villains, let’s start putting those great characters to use. But first, there’s all that worldbuilding to be done—creatures to…
