Well, one of the hallmarks of my annual plan update seems to be posting it later and later every year. This year I’ve somehow made it to June with a combination of being busy/forgetful/procrastinating. In part, that’s a good thing…
As I started planning 2017's 4 Black Ocean missions, I realized that the main story is coming to a close. But even though the characters have decided to spread their wings, and live off-camera (for at least a while), I…
So… January 31st marks the 4th bookiversary of Firehurler. I’ll have been a self-published author for four full years. At this point, I have vague recollections of an office job in some sort of engineering field. It just seems like…
“The time has come,” the Writer said, “To write of other things. Of robots, clones, and aliens, Of shadowbloods, and kings. And why V.R. is killing us, And why spaceships have wings.” “But wait a bit,” the Readers cried. “We…
What separates one culture from another. It's more than clothes and language, though those are important for making them look and feel distinct from one another. No, what makes two cultures unique are cultural values. These are the traits that,…
So, your world's got magic. Great! Since you're in charge, it's up to you to dole out that mystical power to your characters. Time to decide who gets to participate. A Matter of Study Anyone with a keen mind and…
Many writers struggle with naming characters. I'm not here to help them. I'm actually going to make it harder by giving them another consideration to bear in mind: character names help define your world. How names work in the real…
One question that an aspiring worldbuilder is going to ask is when to start. Can you build a world without knowing anything about the story you're going to tell in it? Do you need any characters before you build a…
Writing a scene with one character is simple. Two isn't much harder, and introduces the possibility of conversation. Even three characters in a single scene leaves room for everyone to breathe. But what do you do when the number gets…
One of the main goals of worldbuilding is to create a believable backdrop for telling a story. But after figuring out geography, magic, and fantastical mythological creatures, there needs to be some sort of societal structure in place. And the…
From chulls to owlbears, wargs to thestrals, fantasy has taken to the creation of its own wildlife. They make a world feel separate from the Earth we know, even if they purport to exist on Earth (beyond the reach of…
Born on Earth just after the turn of the 26th Century, Mordecai The Brown is a wizard of considerable skill. His enmity for modern science and technology has nonetheless left him with an appreciation of ancient entertainment media that involve…
Often times you'll find a need for a foreign culture in your writing. But you can convey a sense of a vibrant, multicultural world without having to delve into the minutiae and idiosyncrasies of every nation. It's fine to flesh…
Audio is a great way to reach readers who prefer listening over reading, or those who spend a lot of time on cars, in trains, or otherwise on the go. But there is a barrier to entry that keeps most…
Today I'm lending space on my blog to author Ken Hughes. Last week I did an interview with Ken. Here is his his interview, with me answering the questions 1. Let’s start at the beginning: how did you know you…
So... January 31st marks the 3rd bookiversary of Firehurler. I'll have been a self-published author for three full years. I'd like to say the time has flown and it feels like just yesterday. But really it's been the exact opposite.…
Anyone who follows my blog knows that I have a keen interest in worldbuilding. So when I decided to dust off Skyrim and have another go at it, I couldn't help but re-examine the world that Bethesda has created. Before…
A - Adventure Because a life of stability and hard work just isn't in the cards. B - Battle Something to break up all the walking, riding, and sailing long distances. C - Crown A bauble to fight over. D…
Looking to write but can't think what to write about? Here are five more writing prompts to give you an idea to build around. 1 - Aliens have made contact, but they need to form a symbiotic bond to communicate.…
'Tis the season and I've been popping in all the Christmas classics this season. But as I was watching Miracle on 34th Street (in the original 1947 black-and-white), I had an odd theory occur to me. Maybe it's too much…
Looking to write but can't think what to write about? Here are five writing prompts to give you an idea to build around. 1 - Three strangers meet at a crossroads and share a camp fire. 2 - An accident…
I am old enough to remember Zork—the original text-based versions before they came out with graphics-enabled editions. It was an entirely different gaming experience. You had a paragraph or two to describe your location, an inventory of disparate (often bizarre)…
Looking to write but can't think what to write about? Here are five writing prompts to give you an idea to build around. 1 - Someone has been killing magic users, but no one knows how they've been doing it.…
Are you a good writer? Want to get better? Well, you'd better get out there and earn more XP. Whatever innate talent and ability you think you have, those are just your raw stats. They indicate promise, not skill. To…
November 1 kicks off the annual writing extravaganza known as National Novel Writing Month (or more commonly, NaNoWriMo). With a goal of 50,000 words toward a new novel and 30 days to get it done, many writers are clearing their…
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