With a title like Never Knew Another, I imagined life deep in the woods, far from other human beings. It's amazing what another writer can imagine when looking at a book cover---and how different the actual story turns out to be. Never Knew Another by J.M. McDermott reads like a noir crime thriller set in inner city Chicago. But... Continue Reading →
Here are some submission guidelines, straight from the Writer's Market 2012. I only wish I was making these up!Don't do what we do, do what we say."We are being inundated with queries and submissions that are wrongfully being submitted to us, which only results in more frustrated for the writers." (That's not the only thing... Continue Reading →
I always dress in my 18th century formal attire when I write.How-To Write Fiction? Advice is everywhere, from books to magazines to the Internet. Most of this advice focuses on plot, character development, and style. If you're an aspiring writer, you've probably gone over these before. But while I can't argue that plot or character isn't... Continue Reading →
Forward: When I was eighteen, my sister and I visited the famous Byzantine castle in the Taygetos Mountains in Sparta (my parents hometown). Along the way, we passed through a monastery and met a nun who offered us a disgusting mix of water and orange powder. What I found peculiar about the nun was that she had... Continue Reading →
"I am certain of nothing but of the holiness of the heart's affections and the truth of the imagination---what the imagination seizes as beauty must be truth---whether it existed before or not." John Keats Let me make a few things clear: I am not a Christian and I am not religious, nor do I align... Continue Reading →
I first heard about Mythago Wood on sffworld.com during a discussion of great fantasy novels. One moderator even called it "legendary". Intrigued by anything to earn such an honor, and a "World Fantasy Award" winner to boot, I decided it was in my best interest to check out the 1984 novel by Robert Holdstock.The premise of... Continue Reading →
Condensing 157,000 words into one page is not an easy task. Ages of Aenya is a complex story, an adventure full of monsters, exotic locations, and heroes with their own passions and insecurities. It is a book, I believe, that can be read on multiple levels, as a straightforward fantasy epic, as a tale of... Continue Reading →
I love this book. Reading The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle reminded me of why I wanted to be a writer in the first place, of not only the transportative power of fiction but the inspirational power of fantasy. But I am getting ahead of myself here, so let me backtrack a little . .... Continue Reading →
Here is this letter I received today, word-for-word:"The Gorgon's Lover" was one of the 25 semifinalists. Since there were hundreds of submissions, so you should be very proud [that's not a grammatical error on my part; that's how the letter was written]. In fact, our Judge, fantasy author and editor Kij Johnson commented on the wonderful variety... Continue Reading →
Mr. Agent 1234 Important St., Fifth Floor New York, NY 90210 Dear Agent: When everyone that young Xandr holds dear is massacred by bloodthirsty bogrens, can this prophesied future leader survive the beasts and ultimately discover his fate, save his true love, and protect his planetary paradise from epic destruction using only his wits and Emmaxis—a mighty, ancient... Continue Reading →
The Art of Storytelling 
You must be logged in to post a comment.