"It's good but depressing" is the headline of the first 3-star review I received for Firehurler, just the other day. I've got as thin a skin as the...
Read ‘Em All, You Might Learn Something
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J.S. Morin
Worldbuilding: Science in Fantasy
So you're going with fantasy as your genre of choice? I guess that means you don't need to worry about science. WRONG! Just because you presuppose...
The Secret to Stretching Your Entertainment Dollar
The entertainment world is full of options. With enough money, you can indulge in just about any form of leisure imaginable. But what if you don't...
6 Things to Do After Writing a Book: A Thumb-Twiddling Primer
Hooray! Your book is finished. The hours/weeks/months/years of work have resulted in a manuscript that was sent off to your editor just moments ago....
Sourcethief Cover Reveal
This is it! The cover for Sourcethief, the third and final book in the Twinborn Trilogy. Duncan Long has done another excellent job in illustrating...
Cats and Internet Marketing
Host: We have with us today one of the great minds of our generation, Dr. David Steinbaur, Head of Complicated Research at the National Smartness...
Sidekicks: Who’s got your back?
The sidekick is a time-honored tradition in storytelling. They are often found as the lone companion to otherwise solitary heroes, or as tag-alongs...
Completing a Trilogy
Over the weekend, I finished the manuscript for Sourcethief, the final book of the Twinborn Trilogy. It finished at a svelte 188k words (only by...
Off-Camera Antics
Books and movies share a common element in storytelling: Point of View. The camera or the narrator of a scene (whether it be a character or a third...
Using Multiple Points of View (POV)
"many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view" - Obi-Wan Kenobi The story you tell will take on the flavor of whoever is...
A Second Book, A Second Look At Publishing One
For those who may not already have been aware, Aethersmith came out on "June 1". I put that in quotes, because, as an independent author, that whole...
The Twinborn Survival Guide
If you haven't already, this might be a good time to take the Twinborn Quiz. This guide is going to give tips on how to survive after the discovery...
One-Word Metaphors: Stretching Words to Their Limits
"The waves lapped the sandy shore. Overhead, the stars twinkled cheerily. A bank of clouds rolled in and a driving rain chased us from the beach. We...
City Mapping
In my earlier blog on Amateur Cartography, I covered the basic concepts behind how to draw a map to go along with your fantasy story. Mainly I...
Goblin Speech
One of the things that readers have found most interesting about the goblins of Firehurler is their language. While many races have their own...
Goblins in the Twinborn Trilogy
What is a "goblin"? Since they are fictitious creatures, it's okay for there to be more than one answer to this question. However, while you're...
Review: The Goddess’s Choice (Kronicles of Korthlundia #1) by Jaime Marchant
I just finished reading The Goddess's Choice, which I stumbled upon by pure chance. I'm glad I did! It's a well-crafted story of magic and political...
The Secret of MINH (Made in NH Expo)
Just spent the weekend signing books at the Made in NH Expo in Manchester, NH (which has nothing to do with experimental, intelligent rats). There...
Whimsy or Physics? The Hidden Rules of Magic
Magic is one of the defining characteristics of fantasy. Whether you are looking at "high" or "low" magic, it's going to be in there somewhere (I'm...
Goodreads: Where Authors and Readers Connect
Goodreads, in case you've never heard of it, it a site where people can do to find book recommendations. They have millions of members and even more...
Writing Unforgettable Scenes
Forgettable (adj.): Easily forgotten, esp. through being uninteresting or mediocre. Ick. No one wants that for their writing. One of the best ways...
Showing: How Not To Tell
Everything you ever read about writing advises you: "show, don't tell". It's great advice as far as it goes. You don't want to lecture to your...
Spoilers: Your Own Worst Enemy
There are few people in this world that like spoilers. When we see a movie or a TV show, or we read a book, we want to experience all the twists and...
Politics: Kadrin Empire
The Kadrin Empire is the most powerful land in the world of Veydrus. Though not unchallenged in their dominance, the Kadrins have been a major...