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Low Fantasy: A Genre That Goes Beyond Magic and Dragons
Low fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that focuses on grounded, realistic stories set in a fictional world that often lacks the grandeur and spectacle of traditional high fantasy. Despite this, low fantasy can still offer rich, thought-provoking tales that challenge our perceptions of the world. The main characteristic that sets low fantasy apart from high fantasy is its minimal use of magic and mythical creatures. Instead, low fantasy is driven by human motivations, relationships, and the consequences of choices made by characters. The world itself is often a character in a low fantasy story, with a rich, detailed setting that is both believable and potentially fantastical. However, it is…
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Exploring Genre: Fantasy Fiction
Fantasy fiction is easily one of the most popular forms of genre fiction, falling into the top five of sales year after year. It’s also a style of storytelling that has become increasingly popular in visual storytelling (television and movies) with each passing decade. I wrote an article that, in part, tells some of the history of the genre here, along with how my own books fit into the large and multi-faceted genre. Of all the genres in the world of literature, fantasy fiction is one genre that gets dismissed the most quickly by readers who consider themselves to be serious, intelligent, and discerning. Or put another way, “too pragmatic” to…
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Exploring Genre: Historical Fiction
My last post explained why you should love reading along with all the benefits that come from reading, so I thought it might be worth exploring the many genres of fiction. (You’re on your own for non-fiction.) Sometimes even readers need a push to try things they haven’t tried before, and new readers might be intimidated by what kinds of books are even out there. There are relatively few kinds of stories in the world in terms of story structure, but an infinitesimal number of variations of stories can come out of those structures. Authors who study story structure usually specialize in specific types of structures. Readers will recognize these…
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Here’s why you need to read more…
Approximately 2 million books are published (both traditionally and independently) every year across the globe, and about half of those come from the US. The increase in self-published books along with the proliferation of e-book readers and online retailers has made it increasingly easy for readers to find almost any kind of book imaginable, from one niche genre to the next. The rise of social media and online marketing has made it possible for self-published authors to reach a wider audience and promote their work more effectively, matching readers wanting a certain kind of book with the authors who write them. The book market is more diverse and dynamic than…
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In the Land of Fire and Ashes: Progress Report
I’ve been silent about my current work-in-progress for a very, very long time. I apologize for that. It won’t surprise anyone when I say the last 18 months have been very… challenging. It’s been a year now since I last wrote about my one-on-one session with one of my writing inspirations, Stephen Lawhead. You can read the article I wrote about my time with him here. My primary purpose during my time with SRL was to work on the setting for my story. And boy did he ever help me! To summarize his advice, he told me I needed to find an anchor, something to root the reader into a…
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What is fantasy and where do my books fit in?
Your books are categorized for sale as fantasy, but you don’t have magic, no dragons, no creatures or other beings of any kind? What gives? Yes, my friend, that is correct. And I’ll tell you a secret: I wish I didn’t HAVE to categorize my books as fantasy. If it was up to me, I’d just call them fiction and be done with it. But the market is the market, and markets require categories within categories for selling things. The better your books breaks down into a subgenre, the easier it is to sell. So how did my books end up in fantasy? That answer requires a history lesson. This…
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THE MIGHTY KINGMAKER—Traitor or Misunderstood?
Guest Post by J.P. Reedman Richard Neville, popularly known as Warwick the Kingmaker, was one of the movers and shakers of the 15th century. During the earlier part of the Wars of the Roses, he went from initial support of Henry VI to a staunch Yorkist supporting Richard Duke of York. After York and Warwick’s own father, the Earl of Salisbury, were killed by Lancastrian forces at Wakefield, he went on to assist York’s son Edward, his cousin, in his bid for the throne—but turned his coat when his relationship with Edward soured. Eventually he would ally himself with Henry VI’s Queen, Margaret of Anjou, marrying his daughter Anne (later…
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Interview My Character: Casmir
Originally published July 3, 2019 I’m excited to announce that my own Casmir has been interviewed by the wonderful Paula Lofting on her blog. You can read it here. Here’s the very opening of the interview: Well, my Lord Casmir, please do sit down I hope you have had a pleasant journey here and the roads were not too full of brigands? Casmir: Agrius is quite safe for travel, I assure you. Then please, come into my parlour and take some refreshment with me. I have wine, tea, and water for your pleasure, plus cake of course. [Casmir nods then selects from refreshment for himself. He refuses my offer to pour…
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How Writers Are Like Pablo Picasso
Originally posted December 21, 2018 It’s not an unusual thing to want to become an immediate master at whatever we set our hand to. I think it’s just human nature. We shy away from the work and discipline necessary to develop the skills needed to become really great at something. When I was in college, I took up ballet. Yep, first time. I was 18, and no, I wasn’t any good. But the class gave me a half a credit, and there was no homework, so why not? When I was 28, I picked up a violin for the first time. No teacher, no lessons. Just me, a book, and…
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Fall 2020 Update – What in the World is Going On?
I know I’ve been quite on my blog and website for quite a while. Once I published my last book, The King’s Furies, I had the idea that I’d write a weekly or bi-weekly blog post to update readers on my progress to give a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into my writing life. But as I got further into those blog posts, I realized that I don’t really have anything particularly stimulating to write about. I wanted to give readers an inside scoop about the writing journey, but to be honest, it’s kind of boring most of the time. There are lots of memes out there like this, and…
