Most scenes in a story consist of people having a conversation, in one way or another. Or fighting, of course, which is bizarrely similar. Even if there’s only one character in the scene, the chances are they’re thinking — and that’s communication of a kind. This is fine, but there a scene usually needs moreContinue reading “Decorating the White Room”
Author Archives: nykiblatchley
The Shape of a Legend & Wyrmbane in Quest — 22 Stories of the Hero’s Journey
It’s exciting to have any story published, but I’m especially looking forward to the release, on 21st September, of Quest — 22 Stories of the Hero’s Journey. An anthology published by Fantasy-Writers.org, which I’ve been a member of since 2004, it features two of my stories among the twenty-two. A communal effort by the members,Continue reading “The Shape of a Legend & Wyrmbane in Quest — 22 Stories of the Hero’s Journey”
Fantasy-Writers.org Anthology —Author Interview with David Staiger
As I highlighted in a recent post, the writers’ group I belong to, Fantasy-Writers.org, is about to publish an anthology of members’ stories. This is Quest: 22 Stories of the Hero’s Journey. To whet your appetite, this is an interview with David Staiger, one of the seventeen authors represented in the anthology, about his storiesContinue reading “Fantasy-Writers.org Anthology —Author Interview with David Staiger”
The Middle Ages That Never Were
There seems to be a fixed idea that, at least until very recently, most fantasy has been set in a mediaeval-type setting. This is almost an article of faith to many people, in the face of all evidence, and shows that they have very little understanding of what mediaeval1 really means. Some fantasy authors haveContinue reading “The Middle Ages That Never Were”
Quest — A Fantasy-Writers.org Anthology
There have been a few moments in my writing life that have changed everything. One was a long walk I took the family dog on when I was fifteen, in the course of which I thought up and planned a story which proved to be the germ for much of what I’ve written since. AnotherContinue reading “Quest — A Fantasy-Writers.org Anthology”
You Get Your Sword and I’ll Get My Trowel — Archaeological Fantasy
We’ve always been fascinated by far-off lands, unknown civilisations and lost cities. Ancient legends, from Gilgamesh to Odysseus to St Brendan, told of voyages that discovered lands lying just a little off the map. During the late mediaeval and early modern period, countless books were published purporting to tell of voyages to bizarre and fantasticContinue reading “You Get Your Sword and I’ll Get My Trowel — Archaeological Fantasy”
Diversity in Fantasy
This is a heavily rewritten version of a post I wrote for my old blog almost exactly ten years ago. At the time, I felt points needed to be made about diversity in fantasy, but I suppose I tacitly assumed that things would continue getting gradually better, as they had up until that point. WhatContinue reading “Diversity in Fantasy”
My Writing Goals for 2025
It doesn’t seem five minutes since I was posting my goals for 2024, and now it’s time to do the same for 2025. The past twelve months have certainly thrown up some unexpected plot twists on the world stage, but it hasn’t been a bad year for my writing. I didn’t achieve all my goalsContinue reading “My Writing Goals for 2025”
First-Snow Feast — A Story for Christmas
Gerda and the Darkness Published in Death +70
My story Gerda and the Darkness was recently published in Death +70, the rather curiously titled anthology from the equally curiously titled imprint Harvey Duckman Presents. This is a collection of eighteen stories by a variety of authors, whose theme is described as “Tantalising Tales from Beyond the Apocalypse”. The publisher describes it as “aContinue reading “Gerda and the Darkness Published in Death +70”
The Fantasy Worlds of Nyki Blatchley 