What are the differences between a plotter and a pantser? What are the benefits and drawbacks? Is one better than the other? Can a writer be both? Are you a pantser or a plotter? This is a question often asked by writers to other writers. It is a bit like asking someone which political party …
World-building appeals to me because anything is possible. Well… let me rephrase that. Anything is possible, so long as you can convince the reader it can be. I love exploring the winding avenues world-building opens. What is more surprising (and interesting) is the many branches a single thing causes. I create a world with a …
It was a pleasant night to Edie Lockhart’s standards. Despite being Halloween, it was mild. A fat near-full moon cast its pale light through the beech trees. Their silvery limbs contorted into human-like figures whose stretched shadows scattered across the road. Not a breath of wind sighed through the branches. Not even an owl hooted. …
Cornwall is steeped in folklore and being a peninsula means it has plenty of fey creatures making their home in the sea. Come with me on a trip to Zennor to meet one mermaid and discover how the folklore has inspired my writing. A day trip to Zennor Past St Ives, the picturesque coastal road …
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 …
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 …
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