Tag: writing

Sanderson’s Flaw: The Trouble With Constantly Dynamic Characters

Brandon Sanderson is widely respected as a meticulous world builder, an innovative storyteller, and a prolific writer. Over the past two decades he's made his name as a crafter of ultra-refined magic systems and dynamic characters. But no methodology is flawless, and new writers can learn just as much from…

December 17, 20247 Comments

Why Not Every Fantasy Story Needs a Magic System

In recent years, the rise of intricate, well-defined magic systems—exemplified by Brandon Sanderson’s work—has led many aspiring authors to believe that a detailed set of rules governing magical abilities is essential for crafting compelling fantasy. While Sanderson’s approach to magic has proven highly successful, not every fantasy story benefits from…

October 4, 202424 Comments

Women Sci Fi Writers: The Pulps vs the Social Pulpit

An observation recently made in online writing circles concerned the marked differences between female writers of the pulp era and the women who followed in their authorial footsteps. Just compare women who made their names prior to the 1960s like like C.L. Moore, Leigh Brackett, and even Flannery O'Connor to…

October 1, 20242 Comments

Business Type x Passion Type

One central aim of this blog is helping writers learn to find readres. You can become one of mine by backing my dark fantasy novel Lord of Fate, now funding on Kickstarter. Ryukishi07, the creator of hit light novels such as Higurashi and Umineko, has given interviews in which he's highlighted…

September 9, 20243 Comments

Why Authors Need Wide and Varied Influences

A big temptation for new authors is to immerse yourself in a narrow selection of books, often within the genre you're writing. You may feel that keeping exclusive focus on your genre will give you the best chance of mastering its conventions and satisfying your readers. But limiting your reading…

August 19, 20246 Comments

Why New Authors Should Master Genre Conventions Before Breaking Them

One of my cherished neopatrons called my attention to this post by The Brothers Krynn, which itself is a response to another piece by author JD Cowan. After spending some time retreading the "Are fantasy and sci fi separate genres?" debate, it brings up an issue that's running rampant among…

August 15, 20245 Comments

Writing: The Amateur vs the Professional Path

When new writers come to me for advice, I make a point of asking them one question: Why are you writing? That question catches most people off guard. The number of would-be authors who've never stopped to consider why they want to write is surprising. Because writing as a side…

July 12, 20246 Comments

Sanderson v Tolkien, Magic v Sacrament

Authors Brandon Sanderson and J.R.R. Tolkien are both kings of epic fantasy. So it should be no surprise that both receive their fair share of mentions here. Catholic podcaster Aaron Irber gives us a reason to discuss both of these literary giants thanks to his recent post on Substack. There…

May 14, 20244 Comments

How to Handle World Building

The one element that distinguishes science fiction and fantasy from the other flavors of adventure fiction is world building. If you’re a new SFF writer, learning how to craft vivid secondary worlds is a crucial skill. And mastering it takes finesse as well as creativity. But it’s not as daunting…

April 19, 20245 Comments

Preview: The Voyage of Egeria

My promise of a new short story set in my acclaimed Soul Cycle cosmos became a centerpiece of the sleeper hit campaign for my upcoming SC prelude novel The Burned Book. And while I put my hand to the plow in the word-fields and never looked back, today I must…

February 1, 20244 Comments