In my last post on worldbuilding, I only talked about the basics. In this post, I’ll go into more detail on a few aspects of worldbuilding, mainly government and social structure.
The most important part of creating realistic societies in a fantasy world is, in my opinion, research. You can … Read more
All stories happen somewhere. Whether your story is highly advanced sci-fi, sword and sorcery fantasy, urban fantasy, or any of the other many subgenres of speculative fiction, chances are you’ll have to do at least a bit of worldbuilding. How much worldbuilding you do depends on the story, how long it is, and where the … Read more
(Editor’s note: For our last post of 2011, Alpha graduate and soon-to-be debut author Rachel Grinti is here to talk about what it’s like to co-author [and publish!] a novel. Happy holidays, and we’ll see you in 2012!)
My husband Mike and I sold our debut novel this year. It’s a middle grade … Read more
One of the tough parts about writing short stories, especially if you’re used to reading novels or series instead, is that short stories stop. How does one accomplish this feat? You need an ending. More than that, you need a good ending.
The ending, like every other part of a story, does several things … Read more
Editor’s note: So far this November, we’ve talked about National Novel Writing Month‘s good points and bad points, strategies for making it to 50,000 words, and why NaNo
Last week, we posted about strategies for making it through National Novel Writing Month. This week, a couple of us are going to talk about why we aren’t doing NaNo this year, and why that’s totally fine.
Rachel Halpern (Alpha 2007 & 2008):
I … Read more
Last week, Alpha graduate Jameyanne Fuller talked about “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly About National Novel Writing Month.” This week, Alphans discuss how they do the impossible (or at least highly improbable), win NaNoWriMo, and finish their 50,000 words … Read more
Don’t get me wrong. November is my favorite month of the year. NaNoWriMo provides the structure and the goal setting I really need to get writing done on a day to day basis. There’s also the excessive amount of candy, and the sheer thrill of churning out so many words so quickly. That being … Read more
I realized between this post and the last that I left out something extremely important when it comes to how not to write romance. I mentioned a few common tropes that drive me crazy. I didn’t go into any of the larger implications of certain types of “romance” or our responsibility as contributors to popular … Read more
Romances are defined as a lot of different things, all vaguely related to one another. A strong, sometimes short-lived fascination or enthusiasm for something. A mysterious quality or appeal, as of something adventurous, heroic, or strangely beautiful. An artistic work, such as a novel, story, or film, that deals with sexual love, especially in an … Read more
