Siege warfare played a massive role in history. Some of the most iconic battles in our past have involved sieges. This has crept into the fantasy genre too, and over the years, many an author has included epic siege battles in their stories. Below, we’ll take a look at examples of sieges in writing. We’ll …
We’ve lost more than we know, but what we have retained has inspired some, if not all, of the greatest fantasy stories in one way or another. Taking the time to do a bit of research on what you’re writing about will empower your storytelling and, hopefully, enthral your readers. Today we’re besieging the fortifications which dominated the Middle Ages, and of course which feature in our beloved fantasy genre.
For Fantasy Friday this week, I thought we’d return to medieval warfare and to something I don’t come across all too often in the fantasy stories I read: the cannon. This article covers the development of European cannons, how they were made, the gunpowder used, and how they fared in battle. Hopefully, it’ll give you a few ideas for your own tales!
This two-part article looks at the nature of things and how they’re formed. Part one will examine oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, and deserts. Part two will look at forests, mountains, hills, swamps, snow, ice, and volcanoes.
Diseases ravaged the lives of millions of people throughout the Middle Ages. A combination of bad diet, poor hygiene, inadequate sanitation and an ill-informed understanding of medicine left many people vulnerable to fatal infections.
Given many fantasy stories have a medieval setting, similar circumstances would give rise to diseases in a secondary world. As we’ll see, this presents interesting opportunities for the fantasy writer.
Today I’m thrilled to introduce the immensely creative John Tarrow, a talented author and next-level, real-life builder of fantasy worlds. John has kindly put together the guide below to show you how to create your own fantasy world, just like John did himself. You can get ideas for a fantasy house interior, a garden and …
How To Create Your Very Own Living Breathing Fantasy World Read More »
Religion and belief systems feature a great deal in the fantasy genre, and it’s unsurprising why. Religion, faiths and beliefs shape our own lives in a multitude of ways, providing purpose, meaning and structure.
Here are the results of my research into overused character tropes in the #fantasy genre. What do you think came top?
I see many complaints about the stereotypical races found in fantasy. Elves who sing to the birds and can shoot a wing off a fly from three hundred yards away without looking. Beardy dwarves who heft axes bigger than their bodies and defy sadistic dragons for a bit of gold.
This week we conclude our tour through medieval history with a glance at the weird and wonderful world of weaponry. This is not a comprehensive guide—I’m sure some of you will be annoyed I’ve left out your favourites—but rather a look at some of the lesser known yet effective weapons.
