The best images and the strongest impressions we get from stories are those we create in our own minds. No matter how well I describe something, my reader’s impression will never be exactly the same as mine. As a writer, I’ve chosen to embrace this. Rather than sweating about making my descriptions as correct and … Read more
We hear a lot of popular advice on writing forums and in craft books. At the top of the list, along with “show, don’t tell” and “write what you know” is “make it worse.” While any of these bits of advice are great to explore, I am here today to talk specifically about making things … Read more
This article is by Jaiden M. Pierson. As an author, one of the hardest tasks you must undertake is to put everything that is needed into a story, without putting any more than is needed. Your readers have to put a lot more time and energy into your book than they would into a movie … Read more
I’m sure we’ve all heard the advice “write what you know” at one time or another. It’s good, sensible advice. It works as long as you don’t look at it too closely. Because what do you actually know? In this article I’m going to look at a few tips for writing what you don’t know. When … Read more
When the spark of a new story ignites in my brain, often it is merely a snap shot, or the heart tug of an emotional moment. That heart tug can sometimes hit me so hard, and feel so real, that I know there is a story lurking behind it, begging to be written. Erik Bork, … Read more
This article is by George Clark. In this modern age of the internet and self-publishing, the literary world is being flooded with new entries, in every genre, every day. Distinguishing yourself from the fantasy writing crowd can be a difficult feat to accomplish. Today, I am going to be discussing a particular aspect of fantasy … Read more
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
This article is by Sheila Wisz Ellayn. Ever since I can remember, the impulse for imagining stories has been inside of me. At first I had little interest in writing about the characters and images in my mind, and I limited them to personal enjoyment. As a child it was great fun to imagine my … Read more