Welcome to my chapter in the gargantuan book that is the internet!
As you may have guessed, I’m a fantasy writer. And this is my space to celebrate two things I love, reading and writing.
You’ll Never Write Alone
I believe that everybody should write, or at least have the tools to do so. I’m going to help show you how.
Writing can be a tough and lonely pursuit, something we pour our hearts and souls into, and the results can be cruel. I know what it’s like to battle the demons of doubt, to suffer rejection and migraine-inducing frustration.
To combat those feelings, I study the craft as much as I can and what I learn I share for the benefit of you and everybody else. Head over to my blog, The Writers’ Toolshed, for a stack of writing guides and support, especially relevant if you’re in the business of writing fantasy books.
And to help you along on your quest, you can download a copy of my brand new book on writing, Thoughts On Writing, for free when you join my Community of Writers. It covers all aspects of storytelling, plus a look at building your author brand and getting your stories published.
Celebrate Your Love of Reading
I believe that everyone should read, but should be treated to exciting, entertaining and thoughtful stories. I’m going to give them to you.
I’m a reader as much as I am a fantasy writer. I love to escape into fantastical worlds and marry myself to the causes of charismatic and intriguing characters.
Now more than ever I feel that we could all do with an escape, and reading can give us that. So when you join my Community of Readers, you’ll receive a free copy of my collection of published short fiction, Flying On The Ground.
When I describe this as a community, I mean it. I’m always happy to review any bits of work or answer any writing-related queries you may have. And if I can’t help, I’ll do my best to find someone who can.
The way we improve is by helping each other and that’s the ethos behind everything I do.
Discover Your Next Favourite Fantasy Books
Like I said above, I try to help my fellow fantasy authors out as much as possible. Writing a fantasy novel is an incredibly tricky challenge, filled with pitfalls and obstacles. Even the best fantasy novelists struggle.
To help you out, I have a bunch of fantasy writing tools. You’ll be able to find:
- A list of fantasy magazines and journals
- Online writing groups
- A list of fantasy publishers
- And a list of book reviewers
If you prefer the written word, head over to my writing blog. There are hundreds of posts on there, covering pretty much every aspect of fantasy writing, such as a complete guide on worldbuilding, fantasy subgenres, and medieval archery and armour.
You’ll also find lots of useful posts on author marketing and book marketing and how to build your author brand.
I also co-host a podcast called The Fantasy Writer’s Toolshed, which is devoted to writing tips and discussions, all focused on writing fantasy fiction, as well as a bit of writing science fiction too.
You can find episodes on writing fantasy short stories, fantasy cliches, worldbuilding and twisting fantasy tropes, plus loads more topics helpful to the fantasy writer.
So, if you’ve always wanted to become a fantasy writer, you’ve found the right place.
There are lots more writing guides and posts you can check out, many tailored to the fantasy writer, which you can find below.
Writing Fantasy
Below you can find some of my guides on writing in the fantasy genre:
- A rundown on the best communities for fantasy writers
- Learn how to start worldbuilding
- Head here for a free worldbuilding template
- How to write a fantasy novel
- General tips on writing fantasy
- Fantasy name generator
- Fantasy name generator for human fantasy characters
- Ideas for names for Elven characters
- Demon name generator tool
- Name generator for orc characters
- How to create names for fantasy characters
- How to write fight scenes
- A guide to fantasy worldbuilding
- Natural worldbuilding – the best approach to building a fantasy world
- Archery in the fantasy genre
- The portrayal of mental health in fantasy books
- A guide to creating a fantasy horse
- A guide to medieval lords
- A guide to fantasy weapons
- How to create a fantasy archer
- A guide to creating a fantasy map
- Diseases of the Middle Ages
- Fantasy horses – the essential guide
- A guide to medieval fantasy castles
- The medieval cannon
- A guide to siege warfare
- The lives of medieval peasants
- The many subgenres of fantasy
- A guide to fantasy armor
- How to avoid fantasy tropes and cliches
- Religion in fantasy
- The complete guide to the fantasy castle
General Creative Writing
You can find guides on more general creative writing topics below:
- How to write dialogue
- Prose in writing – what you need to know
- Learn how to find the best podcasts for writers in this detailed guide
- How to plan a story as a non-planner
- How to plot a story
- The 10 most hated rules of writing
- 4 easy ways to begin writing a novel
- How to write great romance scenes
- What is passive voice?
- How to format a manuscript
- 8 ideas to kickstart your creative writing career
- What is characterization?
- Writing strong female characters
- General writing tips
- How to edit a story
- 5 reasons why writers should use StoryOrigin for book marketing
- Easy tools writers can use to build suspense
- Men writing women
- What is foreshadowing in a story?
- How to create tension in writing
- How to create a literary theme
- How to improve your writing skills
- How to edit a novel
- How do you know when to rewrite your story?
- Men writing women – mistakes to watch out for
- 5 senses examples – an in-depth guide on using the senses in your writing
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