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Decorating the White Room
Most scenes in a story consist of people having a conversation, in one way or another. Or fighting, of course, which is bizarrely similar. Even if there’s only one character in the scene, the chances are they’re thinking — and that’s communication of a kind. This is fine, but there a scene usually needs…
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The Shape of a Legend & Wyrmbane in Quest — 22 Stories of the Hero’s Journey
It’s exciting to have any story published, but I’m especially looking forward to the release, on 21st September, of Quest — 22 Stories of the Hero’s Journey. An anthology published by Fantasy-Writers.org, which I’ve been a member of since 2004, it features two of my stories among the twenty-two. A communal effort by the…
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Fantasy-Writers.org Anthology —Author Interview with David Staiger
As I highlighted in a recent post, the writers’ group I belong to, Fantasy-Writers.org, is about to publish an anthology of members’ stories. This is Quest: 22 Stories of the Hero’s Journey. To whet your appetite, this is an interview with David Staiger, one of the seventeen authors represented in the anthology, about his…
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The Middle Ages That Never Were
There seems to be a fixed idea that, at least until very recently, most fantasy has been set in a mediaeval-type setting. This is almost an article of faith to many people, in the face of all evidence, and shows that they have very little understanding of what mediaeval1 really means. Some fantasy authors…
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Two new poems published!
April showers bring May…poems? Or, well, given the lack of rain for most of April around here, maybe it’s April droughts that bring poetry. Anyway, I’ve had two poems come out this month!The first is “Lesser Zodiacs” in Merganser Magazine. Thei…
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Quest — A Fantasy-Writers.org Anthology
There have been a few moments in my writing life that have changed everything. One was a long walk I took the family dog on when I was fifteen, in the course of which I thought up and planned a story which proved to be the germ for much of what I’ve written since.…
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Fiction (and other) reading in trying times
The world feels fragile these days. In all this chaos, corruption, and lack of empathy, the arts are as important as ever. So what do you need? I don’t know–maybe it’s to just breathe and find some way to steady yourself. Maybe it’s to take in some (n…
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Award Eligibility / 2024 in review
Are you reading for awards? Or simply interested in what work I’ve had out this past year? I think my story in Factor Four Magazine especially is worth an extra look, if you’re considering fiction nominations. One of these years, hopefully there’ll be …
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A Trade in Betrayals at MileHiCon!
Yesterday I finally had a chance to hold a copy of A Trade in Betrayals in my hands! I’ll be down at MileHiCon in Denver this weekend for its release. I have a few panels I’m on, and I’ll be hanging out at Guardbridge Books’ vendor table a bunch …
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A Fantasy World That’s All Grown Up
There’s a very clear traditional idea of what a fantasy world is supposed to be like. It has warriors riding horses and wielding swords and axes. It doesn’t have them travelling on planes and operating computers. It just doesn’t. But why not? After all, our world has had all that and much, much more,…