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...
Leonard Nimoy and Spock – The Actor Who Became an Ambassador
Leonard Nimoy passed away on February 27th, 2015, at the age of 83. He was William Bell in the TV series Fringe, and appeared in Mission Impossible (TV version), Get Smart, and even an episode of The Twilight Zone (for those born post 1990, it was not vampire...
Worldbuilding Part 01 – Introduction to Worldbuilding
Transcript (for whoever might prefer it): What is worldbuilding? The term gets thrown around a lot when talking about science fiction and fantasy. People use it to talk about magic systems, geography, cultures, and races. But what it really boils down to is this:...
The Best Fantasy Story Ever… Hasn’t Been Written Yet
What's the best fantasy story ever? The Odyssey? Alice in Wonderland? The Lord of the Rings? A Game of Thrones? Odds are, as good as those are, the best is yet to come. It's an easy trap to fall into. Certain time-honored tales or the latest bestseller are the go-to...
7 Types of Villains
Not every hero has a villain. A hero can battle faceless foes, the environment, or even his own inner demons, but if you want to write about heroic deeds you may find yourself looking for a villain to pit against your hero. A villain is a complement to a hero, a...
5 Self-Editing Tips for Maintaining Point of View (POV)
It's common for stories to be told from multiple points of view. It allows you, as a writer, to explore and show different sides to a conflict. It can be as simple as the back and forth between detective and villain in a mystery novel or as complicated as the wars and...