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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

fantasy writer

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

fantasy writer

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

I’m a huge fan of fantasy books. The Hobbit won me over when I was a youngster and then I was swept away by the Harry Potter craze growing up. Around the same time, The Lord of the Rings movies came out and stole my heart.

I love to write about characters who are thrown into difficult situations in unique and interesting fantasy worlds,

That’s certainly what happens in my debut epic fantasy novel, Pariah’s Lament.

When an attempt is made on the life of Ashara, Keeper of Yurr, his young, hapless advisor Edvar must uncover and stop those behind it. With enemies in the capital city and the belligerent Tesh, Keeper of neighboring kingdom Karrabar stirring trouble in the Borderlands, can Edvar hold together Ashara’s brittle reign? 

The troubles ripple throughout Yurr, affecting an ancient race of people known as the Amast, who in their time of utmost need, turn to pariah Isy for salvation. Rejected by society, kith and kin, can Isy guide the Amast to safety during the greatest turmoil Yurr has known since the War of the Damned?

Become A Fantasy Writer Too

I began my writing journey a good few years ago. I’ve learned an awful lot, endured the lows and savored the few highs. I’ve spoken to bestselling authors about their experiences, interviewed agents and worked with publishers.

The insights I’ve gleaned from all of that are contained on this site. Why do I do this? Because I know what it’s like to be a budding fantasy writer. 

I still recall the moment in my early days when I realised that if I wanted to do this properly and try and forge a career in it, I’d need to learn an awful lot. I’ve invested thousands of hours, but I love it and love it more each day. 

So the way I see this site and the resources on it is that they represent an easy way over the mountain. The secret pass that winds around its edge, rather than up and over. 

Above all, I don’t want fantasy writers to feel dissuaded or discouraged in the pursuit of their craft. It can be tough to take it all in, and some things are far more complex than others. But the way information is presented on this site, in both visual and audio form, I sincerely hope will help. 

And remember, if you have any questions, just get in contact.

Get Your Stories Published

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:

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.

A Podcast For Fantasy Writers

The Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed Podcast is my own podcast and it’s devoted to all things creative writing, fantasy fiction and book marketing. 

The aim is to provide thoughtful and insightful interviews with experts and specialists in their field and bestselling authors from the fantasy genre and beyond.

So far we’ve had the pleasure of interviewing:

  • Former FBI Special Agent and body language expert, Joe Navarro
  • Adrian Tchaikovsky, award-winning SFF author
  • Juliet E McKenna, award-winning SFF author
  • Amish Tripathi, India’s fastest-selling author
  • Aidan Mattis, historian and folklorist of The Lore Lodge Podcast
  • Janina Arndt and Lucy Atkinson, The Fey Fellowes Podcast

You can also find interviews with psychologists and sociologists to help you craft more intricate characters. New episodes are live on the 14th and 28th of each month. Sign up by clicking the image below to get an email with each new episode.

fantasy writing podcast

Join A Community Of Fantasy Writers

If you’d like to join a community of fantasy writers, then you’ve found the right place. 

Gathering on Discord and Facebook (400+ writers in each), you can meet like-minded people from all over the world. With them, you can share and discuss your stories, join one of our weekly writing groups and get all-important feedback on your stories. 

You can join our writing group by visiting my Patreon page. Just click the image below:

richie billing patreon

Learn More About Writing

If you’d like to learn more about writing you can find links to scores of guides below on everything from worldbuilding to creating characters. 

Writing Fantasy

Below you can find some of my guides on writing in the fantasy genre:

General Creative Writing

You can find guides on more general creative writing topics below:

If you have any questions on building a career as a fantasy writer, don’t hesitate to get in touch. 

richiebilling
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