Outline or Discovery?
What makes for a better story, an outline or discovery? Plotting or ‘pantsing?’ Writers fall into two types: the plotter […]
Thirty-eight Elements of Story
The writer’s software ‘Fictionary’ works on thirty-eight elements of story. It’s a long and thorough list of goals, objectives and
The Flat-pack Hero’s Journey
The Flat-pack Hero’s Journey is nowhere more prevalent than in the fantasy genre. It’s the not-so-secret formula to story telling.
Fantasy Genre Tropes We Love and Hate
Reading more widely, I shouldn’t be surprised at the number of fantasy genre tropes we love and hate. A trope
Historical Fiction or Fantasy?
Historical fiction or fantasy? Which should I write? Months and years of painstaking research, or build my own worlds where
The Wrong Point of View
You draft the first book in a series, then realize you’re telling the story from the wrong point of view.
Story in Seventeen Beats
Another classic story-telling framework is the story in seventeen beats. It makes for fast-paced stories and works well across genres. Seventeen
Watching the Word Budget
Long-form or short-form, a writer’s always watching the word budget. At a writer’s seminar, master of short stories Mary Robinette
Sci-fi Fantasy Classics: H.G. Wells
Sci-fi Fantasy Classics: H.G. Wells secured his place as a visionary science fiction author with a succession of undying classics.
Sci-fi-fantasy classics: C.J. Cherry
Sci-fi-fantasy classics: C.J. Cherryh. This author has a vast back catalogue of award winning novels spanning hard science fiction, space