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 […]
Setting
Historical Fiction or Fantasy?
Historical fiction or fantasy? Which should I write? Months and years of painstaking research, or build my own worlds where
Ten-step Empire-builders’ Checklist
My ten-step empire-builders’ checklist is just the beginning for creating a credible fantasy empire. More than just the ruling class,
Fourteen Questions About Setting
If writing fiction is all about answering questions, then there are fourteen questions about setting you better have the answers
Four Types of World-Building
Whatever the genre, sub-genre or story type, the four types of world-building are key to credible and immersive tales. Every
Hard or Soft Magic in Fantasy?
Do you prefer hard or soft magic in fantasy stories? Do you care about the detail, the scope, the price
Write What You Know?
A common piece of writing advice is ‘write what you know.’ But what I know, I don’t want to write
The Role of Speculative Fiction
With wide appeal and a long history, just what is the role of speculative fiction? To use a definition from
The Magic in Magical Realism
Proving how certain genres defy definition, here’s my fourth attempt to define the magic in magical realism. I struggled so
Unreal Reality in Fiction
Ever considered the unreal reality in fiction? Fiction isn’t reality. Contemporary stories and fantasy stories exist in different planes of