A few weeks ago, I broke down some of the major trends in fantasy that might affect what elements of world-building a writer might want to focus on to ensure they had the details they needed to create an immersive world. (See: The 3 Tiers of Fantasy World-Building.) However, that was a general overview based off … More Fantasy World-Building Fundamentals
Last week, I wrote a post about genre writing and it got me thinking about how to know when a book has enough world-building and if it has enough of the right kind of world building. (The post was a setting study for Monsters of Verity if you wanted to check it out.) Rather than … More The 3 Tiers of Fantasy World-Building
To many fantasy readers, there is something alluring about the idea of a magical world hidden from view, the possibility that it could be ours to use if we just know how to pierce that veil of secrecy. You see it in the likes of Harry Potter, Three Dark Crowns (although that is actually high … More Setting Study: Wings of Ebony and Hidden Worlds
No, we’re not talking today about the little corndog shaped creatures from Despicable Me. Or, more accurately perhaps, it’s not all that we’re talking about today. When it comes to combat, there are two options for making the protagonist struggle: conflict of wit or conflict of number. That is to say, outsmarted versus outmatched. Is … More Let’s Talk Tropes: Minions
I’m not sure when happy endings fell out of fashion, but I do know that present-day narratives generally strive for a distorted concept of realism where the grittier and darker it is, the more “realistic” it is. At the very least, this is the case for fantasy novels, so much so that the concept of … More Let’s Talk Tropes: Happily Ever Afters
The second novel of Brandon Sanderson’s career, The Final Empire, is a high fantasy book taking place in the titular Final Empire, led by the tyrannous, immortal Lord Ruler. Rebellions of the past have always failed, but rebellions of the past never had Kelsier, Vin, or their team of Mistings and Mistborn. As usual, these … More Setting Study: Mistborn’s The Final Empire
Half a year ago, I wrote a blog post about different kinds of magic systems, hoping to be informative, not expecting it to continue garnering views in the way that it has. I certainly wouldn’t call it a throwaway post, but in the months since I’ve published it, I’ve come to realize that, although I … More Five Branches of Magic Systems (Revisited)
The legend of King Arthur is one of the West’s most popular of ancient stories. Why, exactly, it has held sway for thousands of years is up for debate. I think it’s because, with Sir Thomas Malory’s additions to the narrative, there’s a little bit of something for everyone. Action, romance, magic, triumph of good … More Setting Study: Legendborn and the Arthurian Mythos
Welcome November! Welcome Nanowrimo and those participating in this month of novel writing! All fictional books have a tone, a certain feel to their narrative voice. Most of the time, they are focused on immersing the reader in the story, whether by offering tidbits of setting or by sweeping the reader up in its plot. … More On Narrative Styles: The Use of Whimsy
Recently, I’ve been blown away by some of the casts of the fantasy books I’ve been reading. Two in particular don’t just have a realistic protagonist. Many of the mid-tier characters also seemed capable of just hopping off of the page. I know I don’t do many character-related blog posts, but today we’re going to … More Creating Realistic Characters: A Song of Wraiths & Ruin, a Case Study
Katie Bachelder 