Since I’m in the process of editing my draft of Thorn II and working on the rough of Murder of Mages II, I clearly don’t have enough on my plate. […]
Read moreCategory: worldbuilding
Worldbuilding: Columbian Exchange in Secondary Worlds
Many of the worlds you’ll build will have multiple continents, and if you’re doing things correctly, each of those continents will have their own biodiversity. Each one will have its […]
Read moreEdits and Research and Maps, Oh my!
This blog has, unfortunately for the moment, devolved a bit into “Stuff is happening and I’m busy!” Today is no exception to that. In part because I’m finalizing the edits […]
Read moreWorldbuilding: The Cosmopolitan Fantasy City
As I’m working my final edits for A Murder of Mages, I’m of course thinking about its sequel, which currently has the provisional title The Little East. And with my […]
Read moreWorldbuidling: Mage Circles and the Professional Mage
So, as I’m currently hip-deep in editing A Murder of Mages, one aspect I’m weaving in there is further explanation of Mage Circles, which is a crucial part of how […]
Read moreWorldbuilding: The March of Science in the Fantasy World
Today’s required reading: The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean. It’s a look at chemistry through the lens of history, The Disappearing Spoon talks about every element on the periodic table, […]
Read morePerils of the Writer/Worldbuilding: Avoiding the Chakotay Problem
I’ve talked before about worldbuilding and the challenges of just doing a copy-and-paste of Earth cultures, which, of course, you don’t want to do. Draw inspiration from real-world cultures? Sure. […]
Read moreWorldbuilding: Archduchy of Maradaine
The Archduchy of Maradaine, in northwestern Druthal, lies between the Maradaine River and the Patyma river, with the Itasan Canal marking its eastern border. The Archduchy of Maradaine has three […]
Read moreWorldbuilding, Food and Regionalism
Here are some choice passages from the intro of a book that most people probably wouldn’t think of in terms of worldbuilding, especially fantasy/sci-fi worldbuilding: In bald terms, terroir refers […]
Read moreWorldbuilding: History is a Process of Change
One thing I’ve noticed reading fantasy fiction is the notion of stability: that people or nations stay more or less locked for centuries, if not millennia. This is, of course, […]
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