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Rebecca Alasdair
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  • fantasy fridays

    Playing God: Developing a magic system

    Rebecca Alasdair / 22 March 2019 / No Comments

    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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  • fantasy fridays

    How to make a fantasy city map with Illustrator

    Rebecca Alasdair / 8 February 2019 / No Comments

    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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  • fantasy fridays

    Playing God: Incorporating religion into your fantasy world

    Rebecca Alasdair / 25 January 2019 / No Comments

    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

    Rebecca Alasdair / 23 November 2018 / No Comments

    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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    Playing God: Let there be light! // Writing a creation story

    Rebecca Alasdair / 19 October 2018 / No Comments

    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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  • fantasy fridays

    Playing God: The essential elements of world-building

    Rebecca Alasdair / 21 September 2018 / No Comments

    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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Welcome! I'm Rebecca Alasdair, an Australian indie author whose one true love is fantasy—the more epic, the better.

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What is the most common/popular paperback trim siz What is the most common/popular paperback trim size where you live?

Here in Australia, at least in my city of Melbourne, the most common is the "B format" 129×198mm (about 5.1x7.8"). A lot of fantasy novels initially release in the larger 6×9" format, which I genuinely dislike because it's so damn big in my small hands, but these tend to be replaced by the smaller B format version after a year or two.

But I'm curious about what size(s) are most common in other places, especially the US and UK, as I ponder what size to publish my epic fantasy series in. What size do you prefer? Would the B format (my fave) seem strange to you?

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#bookdesign #bookformatting #booksize #bookstagram #booklover #indieauthor #authorsofig #writerslife
R is for the Red Plague! 👇 This next post in R is for the Red Plague! 👇 

This next post in the A to Z of worldbuilding elements in the #GracebornSeries is all about plagues. What's a fantasy world without a good plague—either current or historical.

In my world, the Red Plague was a highly contagious and fatal plague that devastated the Ten Dominions around three centuries after the Fall of Corraidhin. A cure was eventually found by Follain the Healer, but not before the population had been decimated. People still fear the Red Plague even now, and Graceborn Healers are constantly on the lookout for a resurgence.

What's the most interesting plague or illness you've come across in a fantasy novel? 🤒🦠

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#worldbuilding #fantasybooks #fantasyseries #epicfantasy #fantasywriter #fantasyauthor #indieauthor #writersofig
Look, I'm sure it feels great to have your book hi Look, I'm sure it feels great to have your book hit a bestseller list, but there's something to be said for the quiet achievements.

"Success" in writing and publishing looks different for everyone, and it's not all about the number of copies sold. I would LOVE for my upcoming epic fantasy series to do well, but as I work through my line edits, I feel pretty damn proud of the story I've told. And that's worth celebrating. 😊

What do you think?

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#writingquotes #writinginspiration #writersofig #authorsofig #indieauthor #fantasyauthor #writerslife #authorlife
Line edits are in! Wish me luck as I dive into the Line edits are in! Wish me luck as I dive into them over the next few weeks and polish this book off. 😅

There's still plenty of work to do to get it ready for publication, but it finally feels like I'm creeping closer!

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#amediting #bookedits #writerslife #authorlife #indieauthor #fantasyauthor #fantasyseries #gracebornseries
Happy 1st birthday to the bestest writing buddy a Happy 1st birthday to the bestest writing buddy a girl could ask for 💜🥳

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#birthdaygirl #birthdaydog #dogsofinstagram #minischnauzer #writingbuddy #writerslife #writersofig #indieauthor
Say hello to Tora Kolmarden, a key character in th Say hello to Tora Kolmarden, a key character in the #GracebornSeries...

...or don't. You might want to run and hide, actually. Most people do when they hear Tora's name. She's something of an enforcer for the Council of Eight: cold, ruthless to the point of cruelty, and her tongue is as sharp as her blades.

But this death-wielding warrior has her reasons. She has her secrets, her hidden dreams. And her arc throughout the series is not what you might expect. I can't wait for you to meet her in book 1, "Blood of Old", in (hopefully) 2026!

Another big thank you to the talented @sophielouisedraws for capturing Tora so perfectly!! 🤩

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#characterart #characterartwork #artreveal #digitalart #indieauthor #fantasyauthor #fantasybooks #fantasyseries #epicfantasy
Are you ready? There's only one more sleep until m Are you ready? There's only one more sleep until my next piece of character art is revealed! 😱

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#characterart #characterartwork #artreveal #digitalart #indieauthor #fantasyauthor #fantasybooks #fantasyseries #epicfantasy #gracebornseries
Q is for qava! 👇 In today's post on the A to Q is for qava! 👇 

In today's post on the A to Z of worldbuilding elements in the #GracebornSeries, I wanted to talk about food and drink in fantasy novels.

Do you enjoy seeing new types of food or drink—or even new names for known types of food or drink—in the books you read? I find it adds a certain richness and depth to the worldbuilding in fantasy fiction.

I haven't been all that creative in my own epic fantasy series, but I have come up with a drink called "qava", which you may note bears a striking resemblance to coffee... 🤣☕️

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#worldbuilding #fantasybooks #fantasyseries #epicfantasy #fantasywriter #fantasyauthor #indieauthor #writersofig

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