Brian DeLeonard

Testing a thing.

Comedy: Your First Reading Quest

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Thank you, internet, for making this job harder. Strong characters and worldbuilding are no longer enough.  The well-timed spot of humor was once the mark of Shakespeare. But now fellow writers, all of us have to learn to be clever. Let’s start by reading a novel that’s funny.  Do you accept your first reading quest? … Read more

The Dark Lord: Trope Reboot

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In the battle between good and terrible storytelling, we look for personal conflicts with complex characters.  Yet one trope gives our villain vague power and simple goals. It promises our readers a straightforward fight against the forces of evil. There’s one trope that just wants to rule them all. So let’s reboot the Dark Lord. … Read more

The Chosen One: Trope Reboot

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We can use any storytelling trope to write powerful novels.  But there’s one trope that angers many readers because it’s close to cheating.  It takes an ordinary character, steals his or her agency, and shoehorns them into the conflict. It’s a trope for forcing an abrupt call to action. So let’s reboot the Chosen One. … Read more

Let’s Talk About Theme

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Listen up fantasy writers: We need to talk more about literary themes. I know that themes are hard. In English class my teachers and probably yours talked about themes in a way that felt overthought, random, and forced. Some literary writers describe themes as a regimented dictum that defines every page of our novels like … Read more

In Defense of Escapism and the Themes of Fantasy

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fantasy escapeThe great journey, the valiant quest, the ongoing war between good and evil, the “chosen one” who by magic rises above peasantry and poverty to a place of heroism – these are the clichés of fantasy, and I will not defend them as clichés. But they also explore fantasy’s greatest themes.

They explore the themes of escapism. That’s part of what makes them awesome.

With fantasy, we can shuffle aside the trappings of modern society and explore life at the whims of the author and the worlds we create.

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Embracing Discipline and Accountability

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deadlineThis is Father’s Day weekend, and I am a stay-at-home dad with three young sons and a daughter who will be born sometime next week.

My Father’s Day commitment to them is my pledge, right now, to no longer let them, and the stress they cause me, keep me from writing.

It’s time to embrace discipline.

In practice.

Even when I’m a little on edge.

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How to Woo the Writer’s Muse

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The Muses
The Muses

This Valentine’s Day, I find myself feeling lonely.  My wife and kids are in the next room, playing and having breakfast, while I sit at my computer, wishing that somebody was here with me who hasn’t been around for quite some time.

My muse has left me.  Again.

In the Mythic Scribes forums, I hear terrible things said about my muse.  She’s fickle.  She’s flaky.  She’s prone to flights of fancy, to leading men on, to ditching at a moment’s notice.  And all of these things are true.  She’ll have me smiling one moment, and then leave me cursing and confused and feeling trapped as she runs out the door.  And I never know what to think of the fun we had together.  Was it real?  Or should I forget about it?

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