Black Ocean Playlists – Salvage Trouble
Music is a major theme in Black Ocean. Carl Ramsey was raised in a family that made its living dredging up old acts from the past and passing them off as new again. Getting immersed in the culture of the mid 20th century was just part of the lifestyle, part of the...
Don’t Be Fooled By Space Opera
Maybe you know what space opera is, but in case you don't, I'm going to peel back the misconceptions. Space Opera is not what you think it is. First off, let's get this out of the way... There is very little singing OK, on occasion, there might be some incidental...
Worldbuilding in Harry Potter
I've already taken a look at the worldbuilding in Star Wars. Now it's time to take a look at a fantasy setting that most of us known quite well: Harry Potter One thing that the Harry Potter series does very well is get the reader into the world in a hurry. By the time...
5 Worldbuilding Questions About History
How far back does your history go? There's actual history (everything that happened in your world), recorded history (what's happened since people started writing things down), and history that matters (i.e. what will have bearing on your story). You may or may not...
The 3 Writing Rules I Break All the Time
You hear the advice everywhere. It gets pronounced from high upon soap boxes, repeated as gospel, and heeded often without thinking. It makes for a pithy reply to the question "how do I...?" and absolves the responder from delving into the heart of whatever question...
When to Stop Worldbuilding and Start Writing
There are two common problems I hear when people are having trouble with their worldbuilding. One camp is overwhelmed by the task, the other unable to tear themselves free to begin writing. How can you overcome these crippling writing roadblocks? Can't Get Started?...
Why Fiction Writers Are Crazy
Fiction writers are crazy. The non-fiction sorts can get away with having a normal outlook, describing things that exist and events that happened. They can inform and communicate. We fiction writers talk about places that don't exist, things that never happened, and...
Writing an Episodic Series
I've written a series of long books. I've written one of more "standard" length books. But my current series is comprised of long novellas. I did this because I had in mind a particular pacing, a certain vibe, and a style of consumption more commonly found in...
Worldbuilding in Star Wars
I talk a lot about worldbuilding, but this time I'm going to show how it is conveyed in an example that (nearly) everyone is familiar with: Star Wars. Since it's a well-known fictional universe, I'm not going to explain the what of the worldbuilding as much as...
Pop Culture in a Futuristic Society
Unless your futuristic society is comprised entirely of robots (a valid choice, of course), then there is going to be some sort of popular culture. People are going to want entertainment, are going to want to relate, are going to need a sense of belonging (at least a...