Inside Scoop on Black Ocean
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…
Year 4 of My 5-10 Year Overnight Success Plan
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…
What’s coming in 2017?
“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…
Worldbuilding: Cultural Values
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,…
Who Can Practice Magic
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…
Naming as a Worldbuilding Tool
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…
When to Start Worldbuilding
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…
How to Write Ensemble Scenes
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…
Worldbuilding: Government
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…
Worldbuilding: Animals (and Monsters)
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…
A 26th Century Wizard Reviews Star Wars: A New Hope
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…
The 5 Minute Shortcut to Creating Cultures
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…
What Does it Take to Make Your Book Into an Audiobook?
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…
Ken Hughes Interviews J.S. Morin
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…
Year 3 of My 5-10 Year Overnight Success Plan
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.…
Worldbuilding in Skyrim: Politics
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…
The A, B, Cs of Fantasy
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…
Writing Prompts 3
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.…
Miracle on 34th Street Fan Theory
'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…
Writing Prompts 2
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…
What If More Video Games Were Text-Based
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)…
Writing Prompts 1
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.…
Level Up Your Writing: Words Are Experience Points
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…
4 Tips to Get Ready for NaNoWriMo
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…
Amazon Lists Their 100 Science Fiction & Fantasy Books to Read in a Lifetime
Amazon just made a list of 100 Science Fiction & Fantasy Books to Read in a Lifetime. I went through the list and I had read 23 (I didn't count ones where I'd seen a film adaptation, which would have…
