New Year is a terrible time for resolutions. We make them because we feel under pressure to do so, not because we really want to. We “ought” to go on that diet or join the gym, and the commitment quickly runs out because it comes from outside. Far better to make the resolution at whateverContinue reading “My Writing Goals for 2024”
Category Archives: Writing, World-Making
Introducing Loshi vi Assarid — The Thief of Shimeth
Back in the late 1970s, I wrote a short story called The Gift of the Outcast. It was a deliberate attempt to write something that was closer to traditional sword & sorcery than the more elaborate fantasy I was writing. It concerned a young thief, Loshi, in a city called Shimeth who was hired toContinue reading “Introducing Loshi vi Assarid — The Thief of Shimeth”
Flashbacks — Love Them or Hate Them?
Whether you’re reading a book, watching a film or following a TV series, one thing seems increasingly consistent — the story isn’t told in sequential order. Perhaps it’s just an occasional flashback, or perhaps the entire story is being told in multiple timelines, but the journey from A to B is rarely a straight line.Continue reading “Flashbacks — Love Them or Hate Them?”
A City as Old as Time
You come across it constantly in fantasy. An ancient city, dreaming in its senescence. A city so old that no records have survived of when it was founded. A city as old as time. But surely that’s nonsense. Cities don’t really last that long, do they? Don’t they come and go, lasting a few centuriesContinue reading “A City as Old as Time”
The Quels — Expanding the World
Lately, prequels seem to be everywhere on TV. There’s nothing new about prequels, but in the past few months we’ve had (with varied results) prequels for Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings and The Witcher. “Quels” (sequels, prequels and paraquels) aren’t restricted to any one genre, but they seem particularly prevalent in SF andContinue reading “The Quels — Expanding the World”
End of a Draft — and About Time Too
A few days ago, I wrote the final words in the first draft of the novel I’ve been writing for — well, a long time. Far too long. But finishing a draft is still special, even when it should have happened years ago, so it’s worth taking a moment to celebrate. This is a sequelContinue reading “End of a Draft — and About Time Too”
Gavrilo Princip and Jenkins’ Ear — How Wars Really Begin
A large proportion of fantasy novels involve warfare, and the reasons for those wars starting depend largely on the genre — but they’re usually quite straightforward. If it’s traditional high fantasy, there’s a war because some Evil Overlord wants to conquer and oppress the world, usually for no very clear reason, and the opposing sideContinue reading “Gavrilo Princip and Jenkins’ Ear — How Wars Really Begin”
What Can I Call This World?
Like many fantasy writers, I have a world I come back to over and over again. It has plenty of space for stories, after all, what with seven continents and thousands of years of history. And it’s name is… the Traveller’s World. Not very inspiring, really. It just refers to the fact that the mostContinue reading “What Can I Call This World?”
Which World Is Your Story Set In? — reposted
This article was originally posted on my old blog in 2015. It felt it was well worth reposting, and I hope you’ll agree. People who don’t like fantasy often base their objections on the claim that they prefer to read books or watch films set in the real world. For these people, the dichotomy isContinue reading “Which World Is Your Story Set In? — reposted”
You’re Starting to Drabble
It’s probably fair to say that my natural instinct is to write long stories. I might start with good intentions of keeping it to a story of four or five thousand words, but next time I look it’s into five figures. Some years ago, though, I disciplined myself to start writing flash stories — thatContinue reading “You’re Starting to Drabble”
The Fantasy Worlds of Nyki Blatchley 