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Playing God: Developing a magic system
Magic is one of the key elements in fantasy fiction, and developing an interesting yet consistent system is a vital step in world-building for any fantasy novel involving magic. In today’s Playing God post, I explore the main types of magic, some important considerations, and give a sneak peek at the system in my own WIP! →
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How to make a fantasy city map with Illustrator
Drawing maps is a key part of many fantasy writers’ process, but it can be hard to find the right program to get your ideas down on paper. I recently created a city map using Adobe Illustrator, and wish to share how you can too. →
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Playing God: Incorporating religion into your fantasy world
Religion plays an integral role in shaping history and society, and is therefore an essential consideration when it comes to world-building for a fantasy novel. In this Playing God post, I explore the key types of belief system, some interesting religious themes, and give a sneak peek at the religion in my own WIP! →
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Playing God: Understanding your WIP’s world cosmology
In today's Playing God post, we go back to basics and take a look at world cosmology: what it is, what types there are, and why it is important to consider when writing in the fantasy genre. Includes a quick peak at the cosmology in my WIP—and I'd love to hear about yours! >>
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How to make a fantasy map with GIMP
At the end of September, I put up online a map I had created for my WIP fantasy series Graceborn. I was touched by everyone's enthusiasm and I received a LOAD of questions about how I made it. So here it is—the post I promised on how to make a fantasy map using GIMP!! >>
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Playing God: Let there be light! // Writing a creation story
Today, we head right back to the beginning and take a look at writing creation stores: what they are, why they're important in high fantasy, and what different types of "creation myth" are out there. Includes a sneak preview at the creation story in my WIP—and I'd love to hear about yours! >>
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Playing God: The essential elements of world-building
When it comes to writing a good high fantasy story, there is little more important than having strong world-building to back it up. But what are the essential elements of world-building? Here I go through a list of what I believe to be important...and I'd love to hear what YOU think!! >>
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Magic & magic-users in high fantasy – Part 2
Magic-users. Those who have magical powers and/or practice the often deadly art of magic. Here, I explore 10 different types of magic-user found in popular fantasy novels, corresponding to the magic systems discussed in Magic & magic-users in high fantasy - Part 1. >>
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Magic & magic-users in high fantasy – Part 1
Magic. The power of apparently influencing events using mysterious or supernatural forces, and one of the key elements of modern fantasy fiction. Here, I explore 10 different types of magic found in popular fantasy novels. >>
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The myriad sub-genres of fantasy fiction
There's nothing worse than being stuck in a bookshop, unable to find the fantasy novel you so desperately desire, because of the way the genres have been organised. Here is my take on how the myriad sub-genres of fantasy fiction should be sorted. >>
