Stick Figures from Iron
As Christmas fast approaches, this article will take on a lighter tone than recent ones.In one of my first articles, I commented on how I’ve always wished I could draw. …
The Ritual of Writing
Every fiction author works in a different way, even if the final output (at the broadest level) is the same… words on a page formed structurally into a story. I…
Nefarious Villainy!
The latest string of articles continues to evolve. We began with elves and the Aestari which included a discussion of good and evil. This led to talking about the nature…
Is Combat Boring? Jordan’s High Lord Turok and Dumai’s Wells
Today marks the conclusion of this four-part revisiting of the theories of combat in literature. I had begun by positing that combat is boring for a myriad of reasons. The…
Is Combat Boring? Lloyd Alexander’s Taran Wanderer
After last article’s break to look at the potential impacts of COVID-19 on the future of fantasy, it is time to return to the current series on the potentially boring…
Is Combat Boring? Tolkien’s Pelennor Fields
Last article I revived the claim that combat in literature is boring. I talked about the tainting effect of movie special effects which have prompted authors to futilely chase after…
Combat is Boring – Revisited
In one of my first articles on this blog, I proclaimed that combat (in literature) is boring! Combat, in and of itself, often adds less value to a novel than…
A Tome by Any Other Name
As I was doing research for my recent two articles on the creation of “Tears from Iron”, I also stumbled across some brainstorms regarding the book title. I thought I’d…
Individuals, Society, Change, and Story
This article centers on a combination of seemingly disparate thoughts, so I ask for your patience as I bring them all together. The conclusion, I think, will be interesting.So the…
Characters and Description
Last time I began a discussion of description by talking about setting. I made the observation that the approach I think works best can be summed up as ‘less is…