Last week, we talked about creating magic systems. Today, we’re going over questions to answer as you’re creating a fictional world. We’re talking countries, cities and towns. In fantasy, most stories have a monarchy. I’ll admit, I’m more of a non-traditional fantasy sort of person. I tend to enjoy books more when they do something…
You can kind of predict whether or not you’ll have a good sunrise and sunset. Complete overcast isn’t good. Clear days aren’t either. You may get some nice golden light on nature, though. But, the best condition is a partially cloudy sky. Can you do something similar to capture foggy landscape photos? Ever since I…
I’ve talked a lot about fantasy writing but the only world building template I created is in the book Building Dark Worlds. I thought of putting the template all in one post. But, that would be pretty long. Welcome to the Fantasy World Building Template series. Today, we begin with my favorite fantasy element. Magic….
Even small rays of light can shine out of the darkness. This year was a mess but despite that, I was able to take some of my best nature photos. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s happy to see the end of 2020. I’ve lost so many family members and close friends. Most…
Weeks ago, Cartoon Network posted a video mentioning black medieval knights. Black inventors, heroes, and leaders are often left out of history. Ask yourself as you’re learning…who is the focus? Why? Question the story ✊?✊?✊?✊✊?✊?? The Crystal Gems say BE ANTI-RACIST! Visit https://t.co/5ukinriWYO to learn more. pic.twitter.com/gNLYLO9PER — Cartoon Network (@cartoonnetwork) December 3, 2020 I…
A good horror story is subjective. According to Goodreads, horror is “fiction in any medium intended to scare, unsettle, or horrify the audience.” If your story’s not scary, is it still horror? People label Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles as horror. It’s a great series but I didn’t find the books scary. I had a…
Technically, today, the 21st, is the first day of winter. This means, a snowstorm hit NY at the tail end of fall. I’m not complaining. I got to take some amazing winter photos before everything shuts down again. I used to like snow as a kid, for obvious reasons. No school. Then, I went to…
I got into book cover design for fun. Mostly, I couldn’t afford to hire a freelance designer so I had to figure out how to do a lot of stuff myself. Now, design has been added to the things I do to relax. I photograph, play video games, open photoshop and create a map or…
Do you know you can submit your stories to a podcast? I’ve been listening to fantasy and horror story podcasts for months. Submitting to them only just recently. It looks as if a few might be always open. Like magazines, having your story turned into an audio drama seems to be a good way to…
I have been dreaming of doing some winter hiking. Can you imagine how pretty this scene will be covered in snow? Or this landscape? I’d been reading up on winter hiking clothes but I got a wake up call on a walking trip through the park. Because I can’t go to my usual spot for…
