The Magic Of Books | Celebrating World Book Day
It’s World Book Day on 4th March and for perhaps the first time ever, I’ve had the foresight to prepare something in advance. The reality
The Writer’s Toolshed
20+ Reasons Why People Stop Reading a Book
I wrote to book reviewers and undertook polls on a number of Facebook groups: AmWritingFantasy (693 members), Fantasy Writers Support Group (5,447 members), The Phoenix Quill (846 members), and Writing Bad (8,000 members). The results are pretty interesting and hopefully will be of some use to writers.
Fantasy Races – The Ultimate Guide To Elves, Orcs and Dwarves
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.
Fantasy Subgenres – Everything You Need To Know
In identifying your sub-genre you can better target your readers as well as the types of publishers that look for that type of tale. Not only that, it’ll help to make useful comparisons to other, well-known books in that sub-genre which may, with luck, help you sell more!
Plotting: The Crucible
The crucible is one of the simplest and most effective plotting tools. At its core is the relationship between the protagonist and the antagonist. The conflict they share spawns plot. It illustrates wonderfully the interwoven relationship enjoyed between character and plot.
Christmas Kindle Giveaway – Win A Kindle Fire 7 Preloaded With Fantasy Books
I’m delighted to announce my Christmas Kindle giveaway! A Christkindl if you will—which I believe is an old German word! To top off what has been
Character Plotting
I’m a bit of a planner when it comes to writing. I need a framework, something to help keep my eye on the end game. Before I begin any story or chapter it has to be planned in as much detail as possible. In the past, most of my planning focused on plot. Moving the story from A to B. While I include character development in this, it never had much of a focal point.
5 Amazing Medieval Weapons To Use In Your Next Fantasy Book
5 Medieval Weapons To Use In Your Next Fantasy Book So often in our favourite fantasy books, we see medieval weapons, or fantasy weapons inspired
Fantasy Weapons – The Ultimate Guide
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.
How To Create A Fantasy Horse
There’s always a horse in a fantasy book. So I decided to do a bit of research on the trusty steeds that carry us fearlessly into battle, and this is what I found.
