Creative Writing Prompts: Shapeshifters, Real and Metaphorical
Exploring shapeshifters, both in the fantasy and real world, will add depth and interest to your writing. And who doesn’t want that?
Fantasy
Why Build Your Own World, When You Can Steal One?
No, this is not a post about fan fiction or making a living as a copyright thief. It’s really more of a “write what you know” post or what you can research post. It’s a build your own world post based on what is already established or accepted. I’ve had two series that required some … [Read more…]
Writing Non-Human Characters
The non-human characters I have created as a fantasy writer have varied from the goddess Rhiannon/Epona in The Sword-Edged Blonde to the vampires of Blood Groove and The Girls with Games of Blood, and most currently the Tufa of The Hum and the Shiver. Below is a list of things for you to keep in mind when … [Read more…]
Unpronounceable Character Names in Fantasy and Science Fiction
One of the cliches of science fiction, fantasy, and horror writing is the tradition of unpronounceable character names. You know the kind I mean: a string of consonants and, instead of vowels, various punctuation marks. Examples are Lord K’lghn, Gy-v’nly from the planet Y’jhtrg, and the awful Q’vintg from beyond the black depths (okay, I made … [Read more…]
Realism When Writing Fantasy and SciFi
One problem with writing fantasy novels in which heroes and heroines wield swords, shields and sundry other objets d’mayhem, is that most of us have no idea what using those things is actually like. Luckily, it’s almost a moot point–most of our readers have little experience in this area as well, and so don’t know … [Read more…]