Music can be a fantastic writing prompt, regardless of what genre you are writing in. Think about when you watch a TV programme or movie – music is a key part of the storytelling narrative! And there is no reason why it can’t be part of your storytelling arsenal. Music can be a great way … More How to write with music
Describing characters falls into two key areas – firstly what the character actually looks like and then secondly how to actually describe your character to your reader. Deciding what your character looks like can help inform other aspects of your story, and certain characteristics can be a key plot point. Look at the Wheel of … More Top tips for decribing your characters
First drafts are fickle creatures. They are hastily thrown together (especially if you are a “gardener” writer like myself) and need work to form the story that you see in your mind’s eye. Editing your first draft can feel like climbing a mountain without a guidebook – there is simply so much to fix, and … More Editing a First Draft – Top Tips
Food and drink is a vital part of any society. What we eat and drink depends on the land around us, the trade we have with other countries (or lack of), access to certain ingredients and cooking tools. If we have food from a street vendor or food from a five start Michelin restaurant, then … More How to write food and drink into your fantasy world
When I talk about a minor character, I’m talking about those characters who doesn’t really have a purpose beyond adding colour to a particular Point of View character’s story. Perhaps it’s the person serving coffee to our Main Character in the morning, or a fleeting mention of someone they once met. So, if our minor … More Using Minor Characters in your Writing
For me, a Sub-Plot is anything that takes the characters away from the main thread of the story on a merry little jaunt of their own, and then weaves its way back towards the main thread. They’re the plots that as a Gardener writer, there is a pause between coming up with the idea and … More Using Sub-Plots in your Fantasy Story
You know you’re reading a fantasy book when the first two (or sometimes multiple) pages are of maps of the world. These help give your reader a visual context (and help remind them where places are in relation to others). Maps aren’t essential for writing a fantasy book, but I’ve always found having one (however … More How to create a map of your fantasy world
Every character needs a strong, clear voice to help bring the reader into their world. Whether it’s an accent or turn of phrase, every person has a unique way of communicating – the way a person talks can project their internal world to the world at large. A character’s “voice” is their way of interacting … More Giving your Character a unique voice
Identifying how power works in your world is important because, let’s be honest, power is what drives society. Who has it, who doesn’t have it, and what those in power do with that power impact swathes of society and the people within it. It constrains some actions and allows others, creating a complex web of … More Top Tips for creating power structures in your fantasy books
There are lots of different ways you can define the concept of a main character. They’re the ones with the Points of View (POVs), they’re the ones with the most chapters, or they’re the ones that the story revolves around. A main character, for me, is a little bit of all of those three. Importantly, … More What makes a Main Character?
Alex.J.Cobalt 