The tragedy that's befallen Minneapolis this week is awful. It's hard to watch, even from over here in the UK. I can't even imagine what it's like living through it. I haven't said much on social media because I didn't see how I could add anything to the debate. But it's since emerged that two… Continue reading Minneapolis Bookstores In Need of Help
Category: Fantasy
Fantasy Isn’t Embarrassing Anymore
Sometimes things move fast, sometimes they move slowly. Fantasy's rise to the throne of mainstreamness has happened incredibly quickly. I'm not old, but when I was at school, fantasy was not cool. (Nor were video games for that matter, but now it seems nearly every kid owns a console - which is not a bad… Continue reading Fantasy Isn’t Embarrassing Anymore
My First YouTube Video (Why I Like Fantasy)
Yeah, I bit the bullet and made a video. The first one I attemped wasn't very good. I read from a script, and it really sounded like it. Blah. But I have like 30 draft blog posts for this blog now (most are just titles or notes for when I come to write them). I… Continue reading My First YouTube Video (Why I Like Fantasy)
To People Who Think Adult Fantasy Has No Value
I'm not mad at you, don't worry. But I do think you're wrong. There are two arguments I see people trot out when they're bashing fantasy. They are: In a fantasy story, anything can happen, so you can't make a plot with stakes. And: Fantasy fiction has no bearing on the real world, so it… Continue reading To People Who Think Adult Fantasy Has No Value
Pirates of the Caribbean Was Almost Awful
How Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow saved the film.
Why Warhammer’s Monsters Work (For Heroic Fantasy)
If you know Warhammer, you probably know it because of the very successful tabletop game. Newer fans might know it from the Total War: Warhammer series of video games. If you've been around a while, you might have found it through its fiction. I found it through the tabletop game, but I stayed for the… Continue reading Why Warhammer’s Monsters Work (For Heroic Fantasy)
I Recorded Myself Reading a Short Story For You
(source: dreamstime.com) Times are tough, and people are struggling to sleep. So some kind folks in Twitter's writing community started a new hashtag, #WritingCommunityBedtimeStory, to give people free stories to listen to. Writers started tagging their friends, encouraging them to do it as well. I watched this ball of audio-based terror roll towards me like… Continue reading I Recorded Myself Reading a Short Story For You
How To Do A Fantasy Middle Correctly, With Help From Theoden King
I presume you're writing a book, right? Well, not right now. But in general. Maybe you're just brainstorming it? If so, you'll know about the dreaded middle. The beginning and end are relatively easy because they have set structures: inciting incident, pinch points, dark night of the soul, climax, denuement, etc. That's not to say… Continue reading How To Do A Fantasy Middle Correctly, With Help From Theoden King
How To Write Fantasy Creatures
We all want to make our readers marvel at the detail and beauty of the worlds we create, and one of the best ways to do this is to show the daily lives of the people who live there. In a rural setting, most of their lives will be dominated by farming crops and rearing… Continue reading How To Write Fantasy Creatures
Why Skyrim’s Intro Is Actually Excellent
I'm starting a new blog series about worldbuilding. I'm going to use examples of good and bad worldbuilding to teach you how to make better worlds in your own writing. And since I've recently been on a Skyrim high, we're going to start there. Skyrim's intro gets a lot of flack from the gaming community… Continue reading Why Skyrim’s Intro Is Actually Excellent
Dewi Hargreaves 