"At dawn, the sun either shines itself or hides behind clouds, promising what the day will bring. So it is with introductions in stories." —anonymous Most agents and editors would balk at the suggestion of a false start intro. On its own, there's nothing wrong with an exciting beginning, so long as it's done well. …
Continue reading False Starts and Introductions to Novels: Too Cliché or A Forgotten Skill?
Short post. It's November again, and that means NaNo. As a creative writer, I've participated in NaNo before. Carving out a whole month to dedicate to the craft can seem daunting. As with any NaNoWriMo event, the goal is to write 50,000 words. In a month. This can be done however a writer chooses. NaNoWriMo …
Continue reading NaNoWriMo 2021 Thoughts, Plans, Reflections
Years ago, I read a fantastic book named The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell. In it, the author details the Hero's Journey. This is a powerful story element that every writer, artist, or spiritual seeker should understand. It illustrates a protagonist's adventures, from a safe haven to the darkest dungeon—be they literal or figurative. The …
Points of View POV (point of view) in prose is a vital storytelling element, likened to the camera of the reader. Imagine looking through the eyes of one person for the entire story. In that camera, there's a degree of trust, faith that the reader holds in the storyteller. Maybe it switches to another character …
“Creative people are curious, flexible, persistent, and independent, with a tremendous spirit of adventure and a love of play.” —Henri Matisse Throughout time, we humans have expressed creativity with a passion. Whether through art, writing, music, or other media, creativity is what drives us to live. To aspire to new heights. But what exactly is …
In fantasy, you have a plethora of tropes that are reused; most of them never lose their charm. Everything from elves, dwarves, dragons, and halflings! In science fantasy, the scope expands to robots, cyborgs, aliens—the sky's the limit. These formulas represent time-tested values that readers adore. Personally, I have my own set of fantasy tropes …
Crafting a map for a fictional universe can be a handy resource for readers. Not every fiction has a cartographic reference, nor is it a requirement for good work. However, when done correctly, a map benefits both author and reader. In this article, I'll give an example of how I create my maps. You can …
Continue reading Making Fantasy Fiction Maps in GIMP: Tips and Tricks
Hello, my readers. Today let's discuss something that's been on all our minds recently. Yup, that's right—diseases in fiction. Right now, the world is in flux over the Coronavirus. It has created a bizarre, paranormal society where we're all confined to our homes, some of us without jobs. The Coronavirus is like this invisible antagonist, …
Hello, my readers! Today I'm revisiting book lengths for authors. The length of a book can be a vital factor in its success. Depending on the target audience, genre, readability, and book type, the word count in a book can vary. That said, there are always outliers—books that have done well outside of word count …
Continue reading Book Length, Word Count, Readability, and Free Goodies!
Hello, all! I'm getting ready to advertise my upcoming book, Blade of Dragons! Below is an excerpt from chapter 1 of the current manuscript. It's undergone many changes in the past couple months after several revision passes and feedback from betas. I'm excited that this project is finally reaching the next stage of its evolution, …
Ethereal Seals 
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