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 I start though, one caveat: open world games have...
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 - Dwarf A short, sturdy creature fond of drink and industry. E -...
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. 2 - Two paths diverge in a wood. A strange man stands...
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 time spent dissecting my own writing, or maybe...
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 results in an heirloom breaking. Something was hidden inside for...
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. 2 - A ship appears on the horizon, but neither grows closer...
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 make the most of that writing ability, you need 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 social calendars, stocking up on...
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 brought the number up considerably). Which ones have I read?...