I like to remind people that getting to the point where I am, with two novels coming out next year with a major publisher, was a journey. Before I even […]
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Worldbuilding: Building Blocks and Lists
I’ve talked before about the importance of understanding how agriculture and domestication of animals influences the building of societies. Cultures don’t move past hunter-gather stages without domesticating animals and mastering […]
Read morePerils of the Writer: Deadlines and Schedules
I’m a big believer in a regular writing schedule. Find a time of day that works best for you, carve that time out, and affix yourself to a chair and […]
Read moreWorldbuilding: Putting the Civil in Civilization
The real test of a civilization is not just its laws, but how its laws are put into practice. Criminal law is one aspect, of course: does the society care […]
Read moreThoughts on My Online Presence
There’s something strangely meta about writing about my online presence here, as this is part of my online presence. My blog-writing is more or less the centerpiece of it. Managing […]
Read moreWorldbuilding: Magic, Sorcery and Witchcraft
Magic is usually an integral part of any secondary fantasy world. That tends to be the thing that makes it a “fantasy world”, rather than just some form of alternate […]
Read moreWriting Is Never Working Alone
I like to use my “go down into the word mines” analogy about writing, as if it presents this image of me as this lonely old prospector, heading down into […]
Read morePerils of the Writer: Riddles, Puzzles and Games
There is something alluring to putting a riddle in your story, especially in fantasy. Heck, that goes back to The Hobbit and the riddle game between Bilbo and Gollum. But […]
Read morePerils of the Writer: Haters Gonna Hate; Raters Gonna Rate.
So I have to confess to another bad habit, at least a bad habit for writers. I like to go to the Amazon page of books I enjoyed (or Goodreads […]
Read moreAnd that was FenCon
So, I’ve returned from FenCon, up in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and it was quite an excellent time. This is my first non-homebase con that I’ve attended since selling The […]
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