by Robert | Jan 9, 2021 | Blog, World Building, Writing Tips
In science fiction and fantasy writing, and speculative fiction in general, the setting plays just as important a role as the characters. Whether your location is a real place, an imagined one, or an imagined version of a real place, a good setting can help turn a...
by Robert | Dec 11, 2020 | Blog, Flash Fiction
The mouthwatering smell of the freshly baked cupcakes cooling on a nearby rack was enough to make Monica smile as she polished the stainless steel mixing bowl she’d just washed. With her impending retirement only a week away, she looked forward to transitioning from...
by Robert | Nov 17, 2020 | Blog, World Building, Writing Tips
On a recent episode of Star Trek: Discovery, Captain Saru admonished Admiral Vance that the Discovery crew should be kept together. He did so by sharing the analogy of how Giotto’s use of three-point perspective helped lift the “world” from the Dark Ages and usher in...
by Robert | Nov 2, 2020 | Blog, Characters, Writing Tips
When I’m introducing a new physical location to a story, I think about what I would look for, or notice, were I the one that was seeing that location for the first time. That can vary, depending on the location, but I know that I’m still going to probably use all six...
by Robert | Oct 23, 2020 | Blog, Flash Fiction
Edric stood on his tiptoes as he stretched his arm up to the highest shelf, the wobbly stool under his feet in an almost constant state of toppling under his bulk. At barely three gossems tall, he hardly had the frame for his extra weight. But he somehow managed to...
