Recent content by Smaug

A young, dandily-dressed man strides confidently into the room, and introduces himself a Sarlic of Merscinga. He is accompanied by a woman in a rustic yet scandalously low cut dress whom he names Jolanta, sister of the Baron. He asks an attendant if the Lord Admiral, Zerich, will be in...

Name: Cargast Nerthus Fief: Merscinga Castle: Corsair's Peak Emblem: Black Octopus Gender: Male Age: 26 Position: Baron of a fief Tenure in current position: 1 year Wife: Githa Nerthus Mother and Father are both dead - lost at sea. Halvor - younger brother Wren - younger sister...

I think as long as you hint to the reader that she isn't all she seems to be, that's enough to start. Most people are intelligent enough that if you only describe what the princess does and says, and not what she thinks, they will become a little suspicious. Especially if you describe her...

Gradually, the wooded banks of the Saxachar river gave way to the huts, halls and workshops of Redelsval. Cargast tossed the bargee a coin and began the long hike to the gate of Corsair's Peak. The events of the Midwinter Court had brought inspiration, and his mind swirled with ideas. The surly...

Behind them, a wiry, rough-shaven man entered alone. His long hair was tangled with knots and braids, his tanned skin roughened by ravaging winds and spray. An old-fashioned frilled shirt and charcoal greatcoat marked him out as a man unused to court. "Baron Cargast Nerthus of Merscinga"...

Success! Thank you both - PMs sent. If anyone else is interested, let me know.

Hi all, I have written a story that is perhaps too long for this forum: 12k words. However, I would dearly like some feedback, particularly about the writing style as I am fairly new to writing. Understanding that 12k words is a significant time investment, I would be very happy to do a...

Sounds like a great idea to me. I've played some D20 RPGs that could have been decent stories, so why not the other way round? It could also help with story ideas. Do you think that real role-playing would be the next stage in the development of MMORPGs? Coherent story and characters seems to...

This is also my view. My main goal is to be able to support myself by writing fiction. As mentioned, it's something incredibly difficult to achieve - but it would be the best job I can think of in the universe, and therefore perhaps it's worth a shot. (I'm resisting the temptation to say...

It's well worth a read! I persevered at first, and it turned out to be one of the best books I've read recently.

It's sometime easier to borrow a particular trait from a historical, mythological or real-life person and accentuate it. For example, destructive ambition, narcissism or anger can be a great character flaw for a hero that can be observed in the real world. If you know someone who you think has a...

I would agree with this: many authors use racism as a way to signpost an 'evil' character, but a simplistic view of racism in your fantasy world could make it difficult to create a sense of realism. Also, in the real world, prejudice is often hard to detect and can be built into some people's...

Hi Everyone, I'm an author living in NE London in England, and have recently left my job to focus full-time on writing my first novel. I've loved fantasy and sci-fi of all kinds for many years in books, games, RPGs and films, and decided it was time to create some myself. I'm also an avid fan...

Welcome! I am an author from the UK, currently working on my first novel: a new Greek myth written as a historical fantasy novel. If you would like to know more, or have something you'd like me to read, drop me a mail. Cheers, Smaug