Articles – Page 33 – Mythic Scribes Test Site

Depression in Writers

This article is by Nicola Stretton.

It’s not easy being a writer at the best of times. But when you’re suffering from depression it can be a lot worse.

Most writers are plagued by negative thoughts such as ‘I’m not good enough’ and ‘Everything I write is terrible’. Then there are the days when you can’t muster up the energy to write anything at all. That’s when those negative voices step up a level: ‘How can you call yourself a writer? You can’t even write.’

These internal monologues affect most, if not all, writers from time to time. Self-doubt is a part of being human. But when it starts to take over your life, it will make a negative impact on your writing and maybe even force you to give up completely. You may well be depressed.

Mythic Scribes – Our First Birthday!

by Test Administrator

1st Birthday Cake | Image via Wikipedia — Celebration Time!

In early February 2011, Mythic Scribes opened to the public. We began with a single article on our homepage and an empty forum. But we set forth a vision, and had faith that the right people would find us.

One year later, Mythic Scribes has exceeded our expectations. We set out to forge a community of new and experienced fantasy writers, and to provide a platform for authors. Thanks to the enthusiasm of our members and readers, word spread fast, and we have grown into something special.

Each day thousands of visitors come to Mythic Scribes to read and share our articles, and to participate in our writing forums. We have been cited on sites such as The Huffington Post and The Guardian. And most importantly of all, many wonderful, lasting friendships have been forged.

How to Publish an eBook – Publishing on Amazon

by Featured Author

This article is by P.T. Kendall.

If you are an author who has dedicated a lot of time to the pursuit of traditional publishing with little or no results, you may want to consider self publishing on Amazon’s Kindle store. Many seasoned authors have grown tired of making submissions to literary agents, polishing their query letters and waiting for publishers to give some sort of response. Fortunately for these authors the game has changed and authors can now take publishing matters into their own hands.

Authors with completed work need only take a few small steps to get their work live and for sale in the Kindle store.

How to Write a Novel – 5 Essential Tips

by Featured Author

This article is by Neil Olmedo.

Everyone has a story to tell. Most people have the dream of writing a novel, but few actually make this dream a reality. Here are five essential tips for anyone who wishes to write a novel.

1. Write

The first rule is really very simple: just start writing. You can dream of becoming an author, but you’ll never succeed at it until you actually sit down and start writing.

Set aside some time to write every day. Depending on how serious you are about following your dream, this time could be as little as ten minutes or as much as an hour. Whatever you decide, stick to it, and write for the whole time.

How to Write Battle Scenes

by Featured Author

This article is by Ciele Edwards.

Battle scenes can be just as intense on the page as they are on the screen. Many classic novels, such as The Lord of the Rings and The Last of the Mohicans, contain vivid, well-written battle scenes that are essential to the plot.

Even if you do not have faith in your ability to create one of these scenes, the inevitable conflict present in every tale may eventually leave you with no choice. Once you learn how to properly write a battle scene, you will never again be stuck with a war or fight that you are unable to properly describe.

Publishing Perils – Interview with James D. Macdonald

by Test Administrator

James D. Macdonald is the award-winning author of over forty fantasy and science fiction novels, including his most recent work, Lincoln’s Sword. I recently chatted with Jim about his frequent collaborations with co-author Debra Doyle, as well as his work in educating writers about publishing scams.

You’ve had a pretty amazing career as a fantasy author. Can you tell us how you got started in the genre?

I got started in the genre by reading an awful lot of fantasy when I was young. Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, the Chronicles of Prydain, pretty much every word that Robert E. Howard ever wrote, Tolkien, and endless others. My father had been reading and collecting science fiction since the ‘thirties, so we had the house filled with fantasy and science fiction.

So, fast forward a few years. I was a young sailor, with a girlfriend in Philadelphia, a bookish young lady.

The RPG Experience to Writing a Novel

by Featured Author

This article is by Terry W. Ervin II.

It is often said, “Write what you know.” This can be a stumbling block for some writers. How do you convincingly write a dastardly or evil character in a novel if you’ve never acted or done such things? That is where Role Playing Game (RPG) experience can benefit a writer.

Whether it’s space adventure (as in Traveller), sword and sorcery (as in AD&D) or even spy and espionage intrigue (as in Top Secret)—okay, you as the reader may be muttering, “Man, those games are old—no, near ancient.” But those are examples of games that I cut my RPG teeth on years ago, and those led to the foundation for some of my writing and storytelling ability. Even games like Diplomacy, Star Fleet Battles, King Maker, Axis & Allies, and yes, even Monopoly, can add a more strategic overview that may be of benefit to a writer.

J.R.R. Tolkien, “The Lord of the Rings”, and Free Will

by Featured Author

This article is by Darren Andrews.

Generations have been enthralled by Tolkien’s epic fantasy, “The Lord of The Rings”. Its pages have been studied alongside the works of C.S. Lewis in Christian-literature classes, a society exists dedicated to preserving it in the spirit of its author, and back in the 1970s (in England at least) it was ‘unofficial required reading’ to enter the more respected universities – if you wanted to be accepted by your peers!

J.R.R. Tolkien, born 1892, was both a philologist and a student of mythology. He was a down-to-earth man nevertheless, and filled with a remarkable amount of common sense and clarity of thought. That he spent so much of his effort in fiction yet had so great a grasp of reality – both of the seen and unseen – is perhaps one of his most endearing qualities.