Brian DeLeonard – Page 2 – Mythic Scribes Test Site

How to Balance Creativity with Story

Surprising a reader requires that an author think differently from others. As I mentioned in my previous article, being creative means finding new material to trigger ideas in your mind, or digging deeper for ideas in the material you have. But when I showed my post to my wife, she referred to it as the “Darlings Workshop.”

That is, it’s what you use to create all the ideas you’re just going to have to cut later.

There can be a fine line between the creative choice and the bizarre choice, the clever idea and the idea that doesn’t fit, the solution that surprises readers and the one that yields eye rolls.

How to Hack the Habit of Creativity

by Brian DeLeonard

Writing a good novel demands a number of skills from an author. You need to have a strong writing voice. You have to be able to read people and get inside a person’s head. You should be able to let your characters provide commentary on life and the book’s themes, whether consciously or not. And you’ve got to be well read, well researched, and reflective so that you will be equipped to think things through.

But sometimes those skills, which require experience and thoughtfulness, can feel at odds with another skill that we need as writers: creativity.

Making Romance Epic – 5 Tips for Writers

by Brian DeLeonard

Romantic relationships are a part of being human.

Not every novel needs a romantic subplot. But given enough time and depth, most characters will develop that side of their lives. If we’re ignoring love, we aren’t writing fully realized characters.

If we as writers can tap into the allure and mystery of romance, we have the opportunity to evoke more powerful and compelling emotions through our stories.

Here are five tips for making this happen:

Case Study: Using Villains to Shape Your Hero

by Brian DeLeonard

In a previous article some time ago, I wrote about developing a character named Breldin, and how I created his home setting, the town of Trindall Grove, based on the way I wanted to shape his personality over the life that he’s lived.

I want to take this moment to return to Trindall Grove in order to reflect on Breldin’s villains, and to discuss the way I’ve designed them to push his personality as the story goes forward. I hope this can serve as a case study for other writers developing their own characters.

Breldin is a young fruit picker fascinated with the subtle magics which ripple through the forest garden surrounding his home. But the water of a dark lake corrupts many of the region’s animals, warping their appearance and instilling them with bouts of insane frenzy.

Writing a Great Villain

by Brian DeLeonard

When it comes to villains, we’ve seen the clichés. Dark lords. Psychopaths. Petty super villains who kill their own henchmen.

We’ve also heard the advice. Villains need personal goals. Villains need depth. Villains need to be the heroes of their own stories.

In my experience, conversations about villains get overshadowed by the question of whether a story is about good and evil, or the morally grey. But as authors, we need to understand what that thematic choice means for developing our characters.

Do your villains embrace their villainy or attempt to justify it?

Knowing the answer to that question will help you create the character’s arc.

Transforming a World Into a Setting

by Brian DeLeonard

Every time I ask other fantasy writers a question about the worlds I create, one of them will inevitably respond, “What does this matter to your story?”

That’s because many new writers, influenced by roleplaying games and the illustrations featured in our favorite fantasy novels, are prone to view worldbuilding as filling in the gaps on a map, cataloging the monsters, or finding new ways to justify fireballs. But these details alone do not create immersion.

Hobbyists build worlds. Authors build settings.

How to Market Your Self-Published Book

by Brian DeLeonard

The reality of marketing a self-published book and finding your audience presents a challenge somewhere in-between the faint dream of online success, and the sense of screaming unheard into the web’s dark and angry void.

Traditional publishers target their marketing towards their network of book reviewers and buying agents who, in turn, bring a book to the attention of readers. As a self-publisher, not only do you probably lack this network, but you also face an image deficit when you try to piece one together.

They think you’re trying to sell a story from the slush pile of traditional publishers.

Delivering the Story

by Brian DeLeonard

To find your voice as a writer, it’s important to develop a consistent style. As your style develops over time, you will find it helpful in learning to write quickly and in making stronger choices with your writing. You want to cultivate a writing style that delivers the full impact of the story that you’re telling. Your unique style will become an important part of your brand as an author.

Even a great story can be muddled behind poor technique.

Here are a few tips which I’ve found useful for improving your style and delivering your story in the most effective way possible.