Thoughts on the process of writing epic fantasy and worldbuilding.
When you write for any length of time, you’ll come across some very common thoughts. Patterns, if you will. How hard this all is. How mentally taxing. How frustrating. Everything is frustrating. Editing is frustrating. Marketing is frustrating. Seeing other authors get attention, when you don’t–no matter how much you logically try to tell yourself their …
Being a writer is, without a doubt, one of the most frustrating things a person can decide to be. I use a variety of fun metaphors to explain exactly how frustrating (one I’ve used lately is it’s like smashing your head against a wall for a high), which still makes people sometimes wonder what on …
Three days after finishing the first draft of The Xiaran Mongrel and I’ve already got some clues over where to bring the next edit of that, plus at least two new story ideas brewing in my head. I love stories. I love listening to the hidden beats behind the stories I enjoy, and I love tearing …
I read an article a few days ago about how much it sucks that we have to explain our own writing (which is a pain in the ass in epic fantasy) once it’s all done and it’s marketing time. I agree. Particularly an issue when you have works that are yes, epic fantasy and filled …
Read more “Epic Fantasy Rambling: The Ikessar Falcon’s Themes”
Many writers make all sorts of analogies about the process of finishing a manuscript. It’s like fighting dragons, we say. Or birthing babies. Or combating venereal disease you picked up from a love one that you now want to spread to your unsuspecting readers. We laugh about the tears and the blood and the existential …
Read more “Writing is Like Scratching an Itch That Never Goes Away”
