World-building is one of my favorite parts of writing (and DMing – insert shameless plug for my new podcast style YouTube channel about D&D and storytelling). As a fantasy writer, one of my biggest challenges (but one I enjoy immensely, make no mistake) is creating magic systems. There are a lot of really great resourcesContinue reading “6 Essential Questions for Building a Magic System”
Category Archives: How to Write Your
Tricksters: Chaos, Cleverness, and Change in Myth and Modern Story
What do rabbits, spiders, and fairies have in common? If you answered that they’re all associated with the trickster archetype in literature and folklore, then hypothetical cookies for you (or some other imaginary treat of your choice)!
How to Write Your Werewolf
There’s a sort of subset of fantasy that we call “supernatural” or “paranormal”. This subgenre features magic like fantasy does, but generally in a more contemporary (and often spookier) setting. In it, we see things like vampires, ghosts, and today’s topic: werewolves. Werewolves are a staple of paranormal and horror stories, but there’s room forContinue reading “How to Write Your Werewolf”
How to Write Your Unicorn
I’ll be honest, now that I’m trying to post here with some sort of regularity again, I sometimes have trouble figuring out what to write about. So occasionally I’ll look back through past posts for inspiration. Considering I’ve got about ten years of backlog (wait, what?!), there’s plenty to choose from. (Actually, the ten yearContinue reading “How to Write Your Unicorn”
Making Magic (Systems)
Spell and curses, potions and enchantments. I just love magic, don’t you? It makes the worlds and stories in the books we read just come alive. But creating that magic takes a little more effort than waving a wand and saying “Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo.” Not everyone makes their magic systems the same way, but IContinue reading “Making Magic (Systems)”
Fairy or Fae
Fairy or faery? Which is correct spelling? Is there a difference? What do people mean when they say “fae”? As an avid fan of fairy tales and fantasy books and movies, this is actually something I’ve been curious about for a long time. But as I started to dig into the subject, the information wasContinue reading “Fairy or Fae”
How to Write Your Elf
I’ve found that elves are some of the hardest of mythical creatures to write, simply because there are so many variations of them out there. Are they small, mischievous spirits or noble, human-like magicians? You have more creative freedom when writing an elf, but less original material to use as inspiration. Elves have evolved aContinue reading “How to Write Your Elf”
How to Write Your Dragon
Fantasy has always been my favorite genre and that is largely due to the creatures that inhabit the magical worlds. I’m starting this series, “How to Write Your….”, to explore the different creatures I’ve come across and give ideas on how to make them unique. We’ll start with dragons.
Kate G. Jameson 