It was a dark and stormy night… Trite words yet they bring a sense of expectation – of a horror to come, with wild deeds afoot. Climate is so variable that it can almost be another character in a book.
World Building : Climate
World building: Water
Water is the universal solvent, enabling life on Earth, and dissolving the hardest rock to soil over time. It can be the lightest mist, a cloud scudding across a sky so blue it hurts your heart. A mighty torrent of
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World building: Landscapes
Often the favourite part of a fantasy book is the map. A land of the imagination, full of cities with strange names, mountain passes guarded by trolls or otherworldly creatures, deserts of unending pain, oceans teeming with mermaids and sea
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World building : Animals, plants and evolution
Designing a new world with its own creatures and plants is a lot of fun. There are so many resources available online that research can be a bottomless pit. However, this depth of knowledge will shine through in your writing.
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World building: Creation
Writing is quite a personal thing, with authors each having their own idiosyncrasies and quirks to help them imagine and get the words on the page. Books may start in a dream, but like anything worth doing, take days that
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Author interview: Claire Buss
Today I introduce Claire Buss, a UK writer and author of the recently released book “The Rose Thief”. What is your current project? My current project is the sequel to my first novel The Gaia Effect. Previously my characters over
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Short Story: 3039AD
For the New Year, a story set in the far distance universe of The Planet of The Apes. Call it fan fiction if you will, I like to think of it as a homage to a great book and movie
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New Release: Dai & Julia series
Today sees the launch of the alternate history series Dai & Julia, by the talented duo of Jane Jago and E.M. Swift-Hook. Both authors of multiple books, the combination of talents is a treat to read. The series premise is
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Bill McCormick: author interview
Today I introduce Bill McCormick, a Chicago based writer and author of the recently released trilogy “The Brittle Riders” on Azoth Khem. What is your current project? Right now, obviously, I’m mad pimping The Brittle Riders. My publisher, who’s a
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Writing up a storm
Everyone always complains about the weather – do your characters? Or do they sail through the pages in blissful ignorance of the climate? Weather conditions can be a big part of a scene, adding impact in many different ways, from
