Writing a fantasy novel often means world-building, even when you’re basing it off a real-world location. I have a love-hate relationship with world-building. It’s fun but it can be difficult and a lot of work. Sometimes, just thinking about my novel can be a little overwhelming. I refused to turn Read more…
Fantasy writing lets you create any kind of world you could imagine. You’d think with the year we’re having, that I’d be sick of dark and apocalyptics settings. But, I’m not. It’s still an escape. It’s a little uplifting. Putting characters in such a terrible world and seeing them thrive Read more…
I’ve hiked the Cornish Trail in Hudson Highlands State Park a couple of times. It’s a pretty chill walk with a nice abandoned building about 1 mile in. I spotted something different over the weekend. Maybe it’s new. More likely, I hadn’t noticed it. The wooden gazebo sat atop the Read more…
Spiritfarer on the Nintendo Switch has become one of my new favorite obsessions. The game is beautiful. It looks like something out of a Studio Ghibli movie. The boat, especially, is giving me Howl’s Moving Castle flashbacks. It’s got a lot to teach you about building an engaging world. Well-Rouded Read more…
She didn’t know how she got small enough to use a mushroom as a house. The answer sat on the edge of her memory but no matter how hard she concentrated, it wouldn’t move within reach. It has been years, maybe centuries. She watched the tall people grow up and Read more…
If only magic was real. It’s not but I can give my characters the powers I want. You can make a fantasy world without magic but I find it more fun to include it. Usually, I go into a story already knowing what kind of powers I want to give Read more…
A dark fantasy world where residents are dying from hunger. They’re desperate to devour the energy in Darkness. They’ll even destroy their own world to do it. … No animals greeted Hayan as he strolled. Branches didn’t bend to welcome him. Everything was still as if his forest died standing Read more…
Before the world ended, Cayden was the center of technological advancement. Now, it’s a paradise for only a select few. It’s a story parents tell their children to distract them from the living nightmares. For my Merging Worlds series, Books 1-3 take place entirely on Jael. Characters mention other provinces Read more…
Your characters are on an adventure or simply walking around town. They encounter a foreigner with a heavy accent, speaking a language they don’t understand. Maybe they do understand. Or maybe, your characters never encounter foreigners. It’s your story. You could create a world where everyone speaks the same language. Read more…
Have you ever seen a beautiful infographic and wonder how it was made? Here is your guide. Anyone could get some benefit to creating infographics, especially authors. Book Promotions It would be nice if I could hire a designer to create character and land artwork. But, I can’t. I don’t Read more…