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How to Make a Fantasy World Map. Any good fantasy world deserves a map, but how does a world map go from your notebook to an espansive illustration that provides depth and information? Read on as Isaac Stewart shares his process for making the map for The Emperor’s Blades, the first book in Brian Staveley’s new fantasy series Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne. The book is out on January 14th but you can read the first seven chapters for FREE right here. (Did we mention it has ninjas that ride enormous hawks? It has ninjas that ride enormous hawks!) I was ten years old, holding a golden Nintendo cartridge in my hands. I didn’t play The Legend of Zelda to win. Oh boy, I had no idea where that little folded up map would lead me. Exploration For Brian Staveley’s excellent fantasy debut, The Emperor’s Blades, Heather Saunders at Tor wanted a two-page map that would match the feel of the book.

Brian’s attention to detail was amazing! Before I jumped in headfirst, I needed to make sure of my destination. Borders Map Creation. Periodic Table of Storytelling. List Over 300 Ways to Say. 3 Steps to Writing a Novel with Unforgettable Characters. Character development is one of the first essential steps of writing a novel and it involves creating the people who will carry out your story. There will most likely be a variety of characters needed for your story, but none as important as your lead character – your protagonist. A well-developed protagonist has much to do with the success of writing a novel. When writing a novel, the protagonist should be someone that your readers feel is a “real person” that they come to love (or at least like a whole lot), can relate to in many ways, and will care about and think about long after they’ve turned the final page on your novel.

How to Create “Real People” for Your Novel When writing a novel, there are many ways to go about creating characters and much has been written about it in “how to write a novel books”, sometimes in great detail. There are as many ideas about what makes a good character as there are apples on a tree. Writing a Novel – Four Attributes of a Lead Character: 1. 2. 3. 4.

5 Tips on How to Write From the Opposite Gender | Miss Literati. Character archetypes. How to Write a Flat Character Arc, Pt. 1: The First Act. Next to the positive change arc, the flat character arc is the most popular storyline. Also called the “testing arc,” the flat arc is about a character who does not change. He already has the Truth figured out in the beginning of the story, and he uses that Truth to help him overcome various external tests. The flat-arc protagonist will be confronted with tremendous opposition. He will at times be shaken. His commitment to the Truth will be tested to the breaking point—but he will never waver from it. He will experience little inner conflict and will not change significantly as a person—although he may sometimes change externally (as per Veronica Sicoe): …the protagonist changes his perspective, learns different skills, or gains a different role.

So how exactly does this work? If you’ve hung with me for the last few months, you’re already familiar with the foundational principles of the positive change arc. The Truth the Character Believes The Normal World The Characteristic Moment 1. 2. Cheat Sheets for Writing Body Language. Translate emotions into written body language We are always told to use body language in our writing. Sometimes, it's easier said than written. I decided to create these cheat sheets to help you show a character's state of mind. Obviously, a character may exhibit a number of these behaviours.

The Top Five Tips For Using Body Language Use body language to add depth to dialogue. If you want to learn how to write a book, join our Writers Write course in Johannesburg. Even if you're not busy with a book, prompts are an excellent way to exercise the writing muscle. If you enjoyed this post, read: Writing Killer Fight Scenes.

Fight scenes are dangerous territory for writers. On the surface, they seem as if they’re guaranteed to keep the reader glued to the action in the same way as they often do at the movies. In reality, though, readers tend to skip over fight scenes – skimming the long, tedious, blow-by-blow descriptions in favour of getting back to the dialogue and character-driven drama that truly engages them in the story. My novel, Traitor’s Blade, is a swashbuckling fantasy in which fight scenes are a crucial part of the storytelling. This means having to ensure that every piece of action is vital and engaging; it means that every duel must draw the reader in and not let them go until the end.

So how do you keep the pacing, flow, and more importantly, the drama moving forward with so many fights? GIVEAWAY: Sebastien is excited to give away a free copy of his novel to a random commenter. Column by Sebastien de Castell, who had just finished a degree in archaeology when he started work on his first job. 20 Best Websites To Download Free EBooks. Ebooks have revolutionized the way book enthusiasts engage with literature. With the ability to read on ebook readers or mobile gadgets, the convenience is unmatched. Moreover, the internet is flooded with platforms offering free or discounted ebooks.

For those in search of the finest sources to download free ebooks or even market their ebooks online, here’s an exhaustive list detailing their respective formats and downloading procedures. 20 Places to Sell and Publish eBooks 20 Places to Sell and Publish eBooks "If you are good at something, never do it for free" is the most famous dialogue from movie... Project Gutenberg More info: Genre: VariousCompatible with: Kindle, .epub, .htmlSign-in required?

Project Gutenberg is an esteemed online library offering complimentary public domain books. Hart’s inspiration for this library sprouted when he discovered the print copy of the Declaration of Independence was priced at $1.50, which he deemed excessive. ManyBooks Free-eBooks eBookLobby Smashwords. Plot Scenario Generator.

Writers Plot Idea Generator - create a random story line. 3 1/2 Tips for Fixing an Unlikable Character. I’ve mentioned several times that I struggle with writing unlikable characters when I first draft a story, and I know I’m not the only one. We often love our characters no matter what they do—even the villains. *smile* So we’re not unbiased readers when it comes to figuring out whether our characters are too unlikable. In any story, it’s difficult to balance not enough and too much of various elements. Not enough description can leave our readers confused about the setting or action details, while too much description can slow our story’s pace. Same with theme building, subplots, action beats, etc. On the character side, not enough flaws can leave our characters feeling flat or can make it difficult for readers to relate to them.

The other extreme of too many flaws can also make our characters hard for readers to relate to or can push them into being just plain unlikable. Some genres can get away with flat, unrelatable, or unlikable characters, but others can’t. Toning Down a Character: Top 10 Tricks to Make your Villain Stand Out. Welcome back to the column that breaks down gaming into what’s really important, ten things at a time! Any story arc needs a good villain. The best big bads are more than just another devil or vampire or dragon. These ten suggestions can help take your villain above and beyond the ordinary and give your players a more memorable game. 1. Why do people follow this villain? 2. The villain should have a single overriding goal that drives all his or her actions. 3. Along with the goal, place concrete steps the villain needs to take to reach the goal. 4. The villain should be making progress if nobody is stopping him or her. 5.

Give your villain a weakness the adventurers can figure out and exploit. 6. Avoid faceless or generic threats. 7. Make the villain’s presence known in every corner of the campaign. 8. One of the best ways to make the villain’s presence known is by reusing symbols and calling cards. 9. 10. Powered By DT Author Box Written by loganbonner Rating: 4.2/5 (25 votes cast) » 3 Charles Dickens Characters You Don’t Want to Meet. The great English writer Charles Dickens is known for his well-crafted characters. While some of the characters we meet in Dickens’ novels are endearing heroes, others are sinister villains.

Here are three Dickens characters you would never want to meet. Bill Sikes in Oliver Twist A career criminal, violent abuser, and murderer, Bill Sikes is at the top of the list of characters to avoid. This is how Dickens describes him: “…a stoutly-built fellow of about five-and-thirty, in a black velveteen coat, very soiled drab breeches, lace-up half boots, and grey cotton stockings which enclosed a bulky pair of legs, with large swelling calves—the kind of legs, which in such costume, always look in an unfinished and incomplete state without a set of fetters to garnish them. Daniel Quilp in The Old Curiosity Shop Daniel Quilp is a sneaky manipulator who uses secrets as currency. Which Dickens character is your favorite villain? How could one play a manipulative character? 6 Ways to Write Better Bad Guys.

9 ways to trick yourself into writing a novel. November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo, for short). This is the year you complete the book of your dreams. Sometimes all you need is a little motivation. Trick yourself into completing your novel this month by trying one (or all) of the strategies below. 1. Use the power of positive reinforcement by treating yourself with treats after finishing a specified goal. For example, once you finish a chapter in your novel, reward yourself with Nutella-covered strawberries. Associate the completing of a goal with a desired stimulus in order to acquire a positive association, which will hopefully continue to motivate you throughout your writing process. 2.

Deadlines can be a powerful motivator when it comes to writing. First, organize your story into specific parts; this can be done by chapter or scenes, depending on your preference. 3. No, you won't actually die, but the program Write or Die can ruin your life. 4. Take cues from Nathan For You. 5. Image: Richard T. 6. 7. 8. 9. A Simple 4-Step Process for Writing Your First Book in 100 Days. It's on a lot of people's bucket lists, along with "go to space” or “walk through Central Park naked.” Okay, maybe that’s just my bucket list. Related: 5 Truths to Contemplate Before You Start Writing Your Book But my guess is, somewhere on your list too is the desire to write a book. I also know that the very thought of writing a book generally feels like a monumental task, probably something akin to launching a rocket into orbit. But I just did it.

On Monday I published two new books on investing in rental properties, which I wrote in under 100 days total. The result was more than 220,000 words, 160,000 of which were my own (and 60,000 were my awesome wife Heather's). And now, look -- I'm not a professional writer. Here's that same simple, four-step process that you too can follow to get your book written in the next 100 days. Step one: Commit like Arnold. Have you ever seen old videos of Arnold Schwarzenegger? Are you? I want to have six pack abs. Step two: Define your word count. Story Maps | Story Maps. Fiction Writing Mistakes. Take advantage of our Instructor of the Month deal and get all of James Scott Bell’s bestselling books on writing (and more) for one heavily discounted price.

Order Now >> The best fiction writers write like they’re in love—and edit like they’re in charge. First drafting should be a wild and wonderful ride, full of discovery, dreams and promises. But at some point you have to settle down and make the book really work. You need to approach your manuscript with sober objectivity and knowledge of the craft. Having reviewed hundreds of manuscripts over the years, I’ve identified the five mistakes that most regularly turn up. 1. Chief among the most common problems, in first chapters especially, are scenes presenting characters who are perfectly happy in their ordinary worlds. But readers actually engage with plot via trouble, threat, change or challenge. Seconds before our truck slams into the tree, I remember the first time I tried to save a life. Lights were never on this early. 2. Death? 3. Character Trait Chart. Character Trait Chart and Personality Components It can sometimes be helpful to make a Trait Chart for each character.

This is especially helpful during the early stages of character development, before the character becomes as real to you as your mother. There are several charts of this sort available, some extremely detailed and some containing only facts and figures. I've tried to make one that includes the most important traits to help you visualize your character, both physically and emotionally. To use this chart, print it out and make a copy for each of your characters. If you can't get it to print nicely, email me and ask me to send you a Word Document containing the Character Chart. Full name - a character's name is very important. Besides the character's official name, we also need to know what he is called (and, perhaps, what he prefers to be called).

Date of Birth/Age - we should carefully consider assigning our character a birthday. Height - this doesn't need to be specific. How to Flesh out a Country or Region in Your Fantasy RPG World. Edit Article Edited by Zach Haffey, Maluniu, Glutted, Nicole Willson and 5 others Hello game master/fantasy author. This is a guide to organizing and sorting out the finer details and aspects of a specific country or region of your world: a format for the living details that help you and your players delve in to the role-playing aspect of your game.

Ad Steps 1Short Introductory Summary - Give a one or two paragraph overview of the region or country, highlighting something unique or unusual about it and where it is geographically in your world.Ad 2Life, Society and Culture - This section should detail the culture(s) of the people who populate the region. Make sure to consider and cover the following: Social Dynamic: Are there different races, clans or tribes within the region? Tips And for other topics, your providing these details will inspire ideas for larger, overarching plot-lines and the workings of still other regions of your land. Warnings. Guide for Writers: Latin Phrases.

It’s a matter of taste and style, but not long ago American writers attempted to demonstrate their credentials to the world by including Latin and French phrases within works. A dash of Latin was expected of the moderately educated throughout the Western world. annus mirabilis - wonderful year arbiter elegantiae - judge of the elegant; one who knows the good things in life bona fides - good faith; credentials carpe diem - sieze the day; enjoy the present casus belli - cause justifying a war caveat emptor - buyer beware cui bono? Caeteris paribus - all things being equal de facto - of fact; it is de gustibus non est disputandum - no disputing tastes; there is no accounting for taste Dei gratia - by the grace of God Deo gratias - thanks to God Deo volente - God willing dis aliter visum - it seemed otherwise to the gods Dominus vobiscum - Lord be with you dulce et decorum est pro patria mori - sweet and seemly it is to die for one’s country ecce homo - behold man ex cathedra - with authority.

Overcoming the 10 Biggest Obstacles to Creating. Why "Start With the Action" Messes Up So Many Writers. How to Write a Synopsis of Your Novel. Writing Guide: Critical Reading. The best writer's resources on the web - Writer's Knowledge Base. The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations. 25 Things You Should Know About Character. Creative Writing Prompts: Secrets and Lies for Your Characters. How to Write Better: 7 Instant Fixes. Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions. Character Trait Cheat Sheet - Kris Noel. Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions. 7 Deadly Sins of Worldbuilding.

Vocabulary Games, English Vocabulary Word Games.

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Dictionary, etc. Novels. Story Development. Sites for Writers. Getting Creative. Prompts. Tips. DianeMaryCowan5. Creative Writing. Symbolism. Writing Resources. Writing. Writing. Use for writing. Sheet-for-Emotions.jpg (JPEG Image, 1700x2200 pixels) - Scaled (29%) Random Title Generator by Maygra (based on a design by Jellyn) The 10 Types of Writers’ Block (and How to Overcome Them) Writing Exercises from The 6' Ferret Writers' Group. How to Structure A Story: The Eight-Point Arc. Fifteen Writing Exercises. Exercises for Fiction Writers - Page 2.

Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling | Aerogramme Writers' Studio. CALLIHOO Writing Helps--Feelings Table. The 7 Cardinal Virtues of Successful Writers. The Elvish Name Generator.