Who Is Your Protagonist?
When you write, you're bound to end up with a protagonist or two along the way (it would be a good trick not to!). Understanding your plot and how that protagonist fits into it can shape your story. Some genres and types of story have their own cliches and...
Arguing With the Universe: The Magic of Black Ocean
With the release of the 5th book in the Black Ocean series (Alien Racer), I figured it was a good time to start talking some about the world-building behind the series. Let's talk magic. The Setting With all the trappings of a Star Trek or Firefly universe, it would...
Editing Dialogue: When the Rules Become Suggestions
I have written characters that speak like kings and professors. Perfect diction. Perfect use of vocabulary. Perfect grammar. This is fine for characters who are kings, professors, or anyone else whose education, breeding, and social status demand such...
An Author is a Ventriloquist
'Never let the audience see your lips move.' To a ventriloquist, this seems like obvious advice. But to an author, it can be equally valuable. Part of the conceit of a ventriloquist's act is the belief that the dummy is real. It has a voice of its own, its own...
This is Why We Have Editors
I use commas the way the B29 dropped bombs: let them loose to fall where they may, and hope they land where you want them. I can't spell names I invented. I string together sentences longer than some short stories. This is why we have editors. I overuse ellipses like...
Wonder vs. Nostalgia: Two Reasons to Read Fantasy
There are two reasons people read fantasy. No, really. There are dozens of reasons to read, from escapism to information, spiritual growth to titillation. You can find these and more within fantasy, but in other genres as well. What brings a reader to fantasy...
Black Ocean Series Trailer
I put together a trailer for the Black Ocean series. Let me know in the comments what you think.
Mark Lawrence’s Great Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off!
Back at the beginning of March, fantasy author Mark Lawrence put out a call on his website for self-published fantasy authors looking for exposure. His proposal: round up 250 fantasy authors and 10 fantasy-leaning book bloggers and have a contest. Each blogger would...
Year 2 of My 5-10 Year Overnight Success Plan
Just like last year, I missed commemorating the late-January anniversary of my first book's release. Firehurler came out at the end of January, 2013. It seems like forever ago. I suppose it wasn't. Perspective changes, goals shift, and if you're not moving your own...
Frodo versus Bilbo: Who Is the Greatest Hobbit Hero?
Middle Earth has a curious habit of producing heroes from the most unlikely of sources: the Shire. A home for the homebody. Comforting to the comfort-loving. Yet two of the land's great heroes were born therein, uncle and nehpew, Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. But which of...