Writing interesting characters sometimes involves going beyond the norm and convention. A mysterious main character is one way that you can make your story have more of an intrigue and depth compared to other books out there. However, there is a fine line between having an intriguing mysterious character and having just a plain confusing […]
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Paranormal romance (PNR) is romance with a core of something supernatural. Think fated mates, vampire lords, witches with inconvenient crushes, demon hunters falling for demons, ghosts, angels, fae, shifters… if the central love story involves at least one character (or setting) that’s not strictly human-as-we-know-it, you’re in PNR territory. So for today’s post, I’ll be
What Is Paranormal Romance? A Guide for Writers Read More »
Most people often associate the idea of books with world building and they don’t realize just how much world building can impact. Any story or experience that requires an audience to believe in a palce, culture, or set of rules that exists outside the standard norm needs world building. When done well, world building can
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One of the biggest parts about world building has always been the idea of a magic system. Many world builders work on books, TTRPGs, video games, etc… or just fun side projects–but a lot of those projects happen to also be fantasy-related. The thing about fantasy is that magic is almost one of the core
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If you’re world building for a new project of yours, you might find yourself feeling a bit stuck with creating settlements and cities. You may have come up with a name or you have a vague idea of what it looks like and maybe a Pinterest board or two, but you’re not sure what really
Free Fantasy Settlement Generator – Create a Whole Town in Under a Minute Read More »
I was recently at my local library the other day browsing the shelves for a new book to read up and I found this book called The Foxglove King. Now, somehow, I wasn’t familiar with this book, but the premise seemed interesting and I have to admit, the cover did catch my eye. So, without
The Foxglove King Review and Analysis Read More »
One thing that I’m sure many writers have experienced before is the idea of abandoning manuscripts. It happens sometimes where we have such great ideas for stories and we have amazing concepts but when we actually go to write them, we may DNF or get to the end and suddenly realize that we don’t actually
6 Ways to Turn an Abandoned Manuscript Into Your Next Novel Read More »
From morally gray rogues who we fall for to quiet scholars whose courage surprises everyone, engaging characters are pretty much the heartbeat of any novel. Even if your plot is absolutely amazing and your premise is breathtaking, without engaging characters, your readers will find themselves at a loss. Characters are extremely important, and I think
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Character chemistry is a major part of what makes romantasy such a great genre and why so many people love it. One of the best ways to showcase the chemistry between two characters is through their dialogue and similar moments. Dialogue is basically the way they speak with each other and their spoken interactions, and
How to Write Amazing Banter in Romantasy Read More »
One of the most popular tropes in the world of romantasy is the idea of the villain love interest, or at least a very morally gray MMC. But a villain love interest needs more than just shadow-powers and a tragic, heart-breaking backstory. For many readers, villain love interests might fall into the trap of being
How to Write Villain Love Interests the Right Way! Read More »
Do you find yourself ready to start world building for your next project but suddenly feel like you just have no ideas? Do you find that you end up staring at a blank page more often than not and just aren’t sure what to do next? Well, I’ve got some good news for you, because
Feeling Stuck? How to Start World Building When the Page Is Blank Read More »
A vivid past gives a fantasy or sci-fi setting the weight of feeling like a real civilization. When readers get the sense that there are centuries of triumphs, tragedies, and turning points behind every ruined temple or political feud, your present-day plot will immediately feel more intriguing and interesting. So, here is how you can
How to Write Believable History for Your Story’s World Read More »