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: The Art of Writing
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”
An Interview with L.E. Richmond
I recently discovered a fellow writer on Instagram who I immediately started following. Her name is L.E. Richmond, and her debut novel, The Mermaid’s Tale, comes out this fall. It has a gorgeous cover and a fantastic premise, and I can’t wait to read it! What’s more, she was kind enough to sit down withContinue reading “An Interview with L.E. Richmond”
6 Tropes I Hate
Last month, I wrote about my favorite literary tropes, and I wanted to follow it up with a look at a few tropes that I’m less fond of. My intention isn’t to complain or cast judgment (for the most part), but to explore what it is about each trope that I dislike. Several of theContinue reading “6 Tropes I Hate”
Once Upon a Start
It’s been said (and sung) that the beginning is a very good place to start. And figuring out how to start is a problem writers and creators have faced since they began creating. A good opening has to catch the audience’s attention, draw them in, and set the tone for the whole story or piece.Continue reading “Once Upon a Start”
9 Tropes I Love
Readers and writers alike love to throw around the word “trope.” Some people say it with derision, but are tropes always bad? What does trope even mean? Being someone who lives and breathes books, I thought I’d put together a list of my favorite tropes (and next month, my most hated tropes). These are inContinue reading “9 Tropes I Love”
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”
The Lost Art of Storytelling
I love books. What a shocker, right? But it’s true, if a little simplified. There’s nothing I love more than losing myself in a story, getting pulled into an imaginary world, and being immersed in a character’s journey. Books are obviously a big part of that, but I also love other mediums: film, TV, comics,Continue reading “The Lost Art of Storytelling”
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)”
Kate G. Jameson 