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Speculative fiction writers argue about a lot of things, but I think we can at least all agree that what we’re writing is fiction. It’s literally in the name – who’d try to deny that? Well, a surprising number of authors will, with a perfectly … read more »
Some stories have an overall mood that’s light or even cartoonish, yet feature gratuitous slaughter and suffering. I’ve previously described stories with this type of tonal dissonance as “slathered in grimdark sauce.” While grimdark sauce makes a story feel immature, this isn’t a problem that … read more »
Does your teenager have an unhealthy desire to be less cool? Read more »
Hello, Mythcreants! I’ve been working on a futuristic adventure project, and largely thanks to your articles on worldbuilding and social justice, it’s going surprisingly well so far. However, I’ve come across an annoying roadblock. The characters communicate with cell phones (except much more advanced, with … read more »
Today’s Hugo nominee is a spooky tale of haunted castles and grotesque monsters. Or, wait, is it a comedic romp full of genre savvy jokes and spicy double entendres? Turns out it’s both, because this episode is all about Gideon the Ninth. That means sword … read more »
In this series on worldbuilding, I’ve looked at both science fiction and high fantasy worlds. Today, we’re combining the two with a look at Frank Herbert’s Dune, a book that sits firmly in the space fantasy subgenre. Dune is a classic, a book that has … read more »
If the audience can’t stand your main character, then they probably won’t get very far in the story. We call this critical factor a character’s “likability.” We’ve previously described how you can make your character likable by giving them sympathetic, selfless, and interesting traits. But … read more »
Do as the prophecy commands! Read more »
Hi, I’ve been working on a writing project for some time now, but because it wasn’t working—well, I liked it, but the amount of storylines and characters, among some other stuff, finally persuaded me to set it down for the time being. Now, I’ve started … read more »
Join us through the improbable download link to the impossible podcast, because on this episode of our Hugo series, we’re talking about Seanan McGuire’s Middlegame. It’s a novel of alchemy, family ties, and gruesome murder. Sounds like fun, right? You’ll have to listen and find … read more »