Militaries and Fantasy or How to Build an Army
B. Pine
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.…
fight scenes
The Sword – Fantasy’s Weapon of Choice
Samuel S. B.
If you open a fantasy book, or even think of watching one of the fantasy epics on TV, you will know that fantasy is not complete without some form of…
Combat in Fantasy – Part Two: Top Ten Tips for Wearing Armour
Danie Ware
Armour. Often the subject of heavily debated book covers. Rule of thumb? The heavier it is, the more protection it offers, but the more it slows you down. You need…
Writing Combat In Fantasy – Part One: Top Ten Tips
Writing combat is easy. Writing good combat is harder. Below are ten points–some of them tips, some of them common mistakes–to make sure your fighters are doing/using/hitting what they should…
A Flintlock Fantasy Revolution?
Eric Christensen
Whether you call it “flintlock fantasy”, “gunpowder fantasy,” or “magic and muskets,” fantasy seems to be once again growing beyond the classic “sword and sorcery” image. Now I may be…
Tactical vs. Tactile: Writing Fantasy Battles
Aaron Miles
Like many people who read fantasy novels, one of the reasons I love the genre is because it contains epic battles with vast armies fighting it out. Whether it’s more…
Writing Action Scenes
Amy Rose Davis
I want to be honest right off the top: This article is written by a complete novice when it comes to “action.” I’ve never been in a physical fight. I…
Violence and Gore in Fantasy
Thanks for all of your great article suggestions last week. I’m taking them in order, and up first, I get to tackle one that will probably have me flayed, drawn,…
Written In Blood: A Look At Violence In Fantasy
Jesse Flohrs
The biggest fantasy series right now, and easily the biggest since J.R.R Tolkien first uttered “Hobbit,” is George R.R. Martin’ s A Song of Ice and Fire. From the Wall…