Tag Archives: writing advice

6 Essential Questions for Building a Magic System

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”

Channel Launch: The Mightier Pen

Surprise! I’ve been working on a secret project for a few months now, and it’s finally launched! It’s a new YouTube channel where I upload podcast-style videos exploring storytelling in D&D. If that sort of thing interests you, subscribe to the channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MightierPenDND. Until next time, word nerds!

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”

Some Thoughts on Querying

I thought I’d check in with you all, as I’ve been “in the query trenches,” as I’ve seen some writers put it, for almost six months now. But before I dive into my experience, I want to talk a little bit about what agents do, why I’m pursuing this route, and what the process entails.

An Interview with Carrie Anne Noble

Meet Carrie Anne Noble! She’s an award-winning author of several YA fantasy books, including The Mermaid’s Sister and Gretchen and the Bear. I’m a big fan of hers and have read several of her books, with the rest on my TBR list. (You can check out my reviews if you’re interested!) She’s a fellow fairyContinue reading “An Interview with Carrie Anne Noble”

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”

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”