Different Worlds
Aaron Miles
One of the many draws of the fantasy genre is the variety of strange and wonderful worlds that the stories take place in. A reader can enter an amazing new…
worldbuilding
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…
Historical Research with Miles Cameron and Anthony Ryan
CptNemo
The fantasy genre has always been happily aware of its deep connection to history. Pull a book at random from the fantasy section of your bookstore and you’re sure to…
The Initial Steps of Worldbuilding: Architect, Gardener, Tourist
Nathan T. Dean
Listening to the news in the real world – that horrid place where dragons are small and kept in vivaria and pixie is just a kind of haircut – it…
Kill or Cure: Medicine and Healing in SFF
Steff Humm
Humans are fragile creatures. Flesh breaks easily and even the most healthy, brawny and athletic of us fall prey to sickness from time to time. Depending on the severity of…
Worldbuilding: It’s More Than a Pretty Map
Kameron Hurley
I know authors (and readers!) who hate fantasy worldbuilding. They hate it with a fiery passion. They even go so far as to hand wave whole settings, writing books that…
The Fantasy Language Problem – Part Two
Django Wexler
This is part two of Django Wexler’s guest post on fantasy languages. You can read part one here. (Click or mouseover links for humorous footnotes.) The preceding section is not…
How To Create A Civilisation
You’ve listened to the pounding hooves of nomadic Dothraki as the Khalasar sweeps across the grass plains, you’ve looked out from the heights of Minas Tirith over the white city…
The Fantasy Language Problem – Part One
(Click or mouseover links for humorous footnotes.) From the very beginning of the genre, one of the biggest problems fantasy authors have had to solve has been languages. It’s an…
Mapmaking for Fantasy Authors
Tegan Beechey
A good map is, I’d venture to say, just as vital to you as it is to your characters; you need a map to know the size of the world…
Government vs. Anarchy
Gail Z. Martin
My Ascendant Kingdoms Saga books (Ice Forged, Reign of Ash—coming 2014) takes place in a post-apocalyptic medieval world where anarchy has become the norm. A disastrous war has left the…
Ten Fantasy Clichés That Should Be Put To Rest
Eric Christensen
Anyone who follows celebrity gossip knows there is a downside to fame. Addictions, bankruptcy, and sex scandals threaten to tarnish a star’s image. Perhaps the biggest downside of fame is…