Since I started publishing, I’ve been creating my fictional world maps in Photoshop. There were alternative apps but I don’t think they were as good. I can’t believe I’ve been publishing for 8 years. Things have changed so much. I sound super old. A lot of the tools I used Read more…
All the advice said writing a fantasy series is better than several standalone books. Despite, that, when I first started thinking about publishing, I had no intention of writing a series. I don’t remember why exactly. I think up until that point, I’d only ever written standalone books and wasn’t Read more…
I mentioned in the last post 2 Ways to Make Fantasy Maps in Photoshop, that I, as the title says, use Photoshop to make my fantasy maps. But, I am curious if there’s an easier way. I like Photoshop but is there a better fantasy mapmaking software out there? Inkarnate Read more…
I got into making fantasy maps because I needed them for my books but, I couldn’t afford to hire a designer. That’s kinda been the case for most of my self-publishing journey. I would never tell any author not to design your own cover or never format your own books. Read more…
I’ve learned to never say I won’t write something. I used to say I’ll never write romance. Now, most of my books have a romantic subplot. I didn’t used to be a fan of epic fantasy. Now, I’m writing an epic dark fantasy series. Didn’t plan on it. My Merging Read more…
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel when creating your fantasy plants and animals. I gave some inspirational ideas in the post World Building: Creating Fantasy Animals and Creatures. Add a city or town name in front of peppers and you get Fatham sweet pepper found only on the Fatham Read more…
Fantasy worldbuilding can be as epic or a small as you need it to be. It’s both fun and challenging. Done right, it gives your readers a solid sense of place. Readers should feel like they can visit your world. This topic has been on my mind a lot recently Read more…
Over the years, I’ve talked a lot about my love for diverse fantasy worlds. I particularly enjoy seeing black and brown people in non-stereotypical roles. In general, I love fantasy worlds where the main cast isn’t all white, het, cis, male. But, I’ve avoided writing a post about this topic Read more…
Creating fantasy races is probably one of my favorite parts of world-building. I talked a bit about this topic in the post Creating Unique Magical Fantasy Races. I love when authors deviate from the typical fantasy characters to create something new. If you’re using known fantasy races like elves, you Read more…
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-tradition fantasy sort of person. I tend to enjoy books Read more…
