How is your relationship with your creativity? When we use the term, relationship, we don’t automatically assume ourselves to be in a relationship with our creativity. But looking at it from this viewpoint can help us notice patterns or negative beliefs which hinder it. Relationships are the bedrock of everything. We have a relationship with …
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On the 24th of September 1974, premature twins Guy and Sarah were born. By the 30th of September, both were buried. Guy lived for one day. Sarah, for ten hours. I never knew them because I wouldn’t be born for another nine years, but they are still my brother and sister. What does this have …
Balancing Show and Tell Writers often hear the advice we should show, not tell, in our writing. I like to strike a healthy balance between the two. But how can we show our characters more effectively? Let’s take two examples: ‘Get out,’ he said angrily. The first example is a classic example of a tell. …
The feminine cycle is a creative superpower! It’s true. It’s just centuries of patriarchy that have repressed this. Think about all the different slang used instead of saying truthful terms like period or menstruating. Equally, consider all the slang words attributed to the vulva and vagina. Growing up, I doubt few people called them that. …
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I often hear people say they lack any time to be creative. Even I sometimes reach the end of the day dejected because I never found the time to sit and write. Recently, I felt especially miserable at how much I have neglected my art. Many creatives, entrepreneurs and influences encourage us to be creative …
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April heralds the first Camp NaNoWriMo for 2023, and I’m giving it a miss. Why? Because, personally, NaNoWriMo never works for me. The Deadline I’m not against deadlines. I enjoy the adrenaline buzz those short periods of stress can propel me to achieve. Except, it doesn’t work like that with my writing methods, and combined …
It’s an absolute joy to announce two pieces of my artwork have been accepted for the 2023 Earth Pathways Diary and Calendar. The Golden Hour is the May image for the 2023 calendar. Sunset – included in the 2023 Diary. I’ve been buying and using these diaries since 2012. They are lovingly made and packed …
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The easiest way to approach geography in world building is to cut it down into three sections: The physical structure of the world, The climate, How the population affects and is affected by 1 and 2. You don’t need a geography degree to design a plausible landscape. By focusing on how your characters affect and …
Religion is a significant part of world building in fantasy because every society has its own origin story. Even in places where the popularity of religion is fading, it still heavily imprints on society. It is the story of creation and how your characters perceive how they fit within it. Developing a framework Getting the …
The delight (and bane) of writing fantasy is world building. As well as writing the story, the author must also become a tour guide, knowledgeable in the environment, people, cultures, and much more. Alongside the book, there will be hundreds of notes compiling the equivalent of a Lonely Planet guide to your fantasy realm. How …
Read more “An Introductory Guide to World Building in Fantasy”