Category: Writing Tips

Tips and advise for those wanting to become good storytellers.

Writing Tips: Multiple POVs in an Epic Story

Writing an epic story takes a lot of planning, and by epic I’m talking something that spans multiple novels, has scenes that take place all over the world in question (or even on multiple worlds, where applicable), and has more than one major event taking place at the same time. Telling such a story requires …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://www.maldene.com/writing-tips/1354

What Defines Epic Fantasy

Recently I saw a discussion online asking what makes Epic Fantasy. Of course I posted my onw opinion- being the author of something that is easily considered epic in scope- and one or two of the responses seemed a bit… limiting. One answer was along the lines of basing Epic Fantasy very strictly on Tolkein, …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://www.maldene.com/writing-tips/1296

Writing Tips: Passion In Your Writing

No matter what type of story, book, genre, or subject you wish to write about, be it short story, epic series, or self-help book, above and beyond ALL other good tips for writing, there is one piece of advice that rules them all, and that is Passion. You MUST have passion in your writing. So, …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://www.maldene.com/writing-tips/1218

Writing Tips: Designing An Alien Culture

In the course of writing a fantasy or science fiction story, the subject of alien cultures inevitably raises its head. The reader expects them and so as the writer it is your job to design some good ones. So, where to start? How do I design a culture that is alien enough and that the …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://www.maldene.com/writing-tips/1039

Writing Tips: Be Not Afraid

By nature, a lot of writers are shy, reserved, intellectuals. Some of us may have been picked on as kids back in school, and so have developed a preoccupation with what others will think about how we do things, afraid of criticism, and just too caught up in following the rules that everyone tells us …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://www.maldene.com/writing-tips/938

Writing Tips: Writing Rules For A Hero

Every good story has its heros, but what defines a hero? How are some heros greater than others and what can you as a writer do to see that the Reader views him as heroic? The answers are not all that hard but are worth enumerating. First off, the obvious. A hero has to have …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://www.maldene.com/writing-tips/875

Writing Tips: Writing A Good Villain

Every story needs a good villain, but a great story needs a great villain. So, just what comprises a great villain? Just having someone in a black hat that can unstoppably destroy everything he touches is a bit juvenile, too basic, and rather unimaginative. On the other hand a villain can’t be weak either. So …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://www.maldene.com/writing-tips/843

Writing Tip: Even Magic Needs Logic

The biggest cop-out in a fantasy story is when the author (in the form of one of the characters) has something happen as a result of some magic spell or item of power and when the illogic begins to rain down just says “It’s magic, it doesn’t need any reason.” Well, I’m here to say …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://www.maldene.com/writing-tips/811

Writing Tips: Time Travel In A Story

Time travel is one of those things that is great as a concept, but all too often a horrible miss in execution. Be it in books, movies, or TV, too often the author thinks that the phrase “It’s time travel, who can understand it?”, or “Temporal physics gives me a headache,” is all they need …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://www.maldene.com/writing-tips/788

Writing Tips: Designing Aliens and Monsters

Every good SF or Fantasy story needs its monsters or aliens, but it is not enough to simply slap together something ugly and then drop it in front of the characters. To make your story believable in any setting, the monsters must feel as real as everything else. First off, the creature has to make …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://www.maldene.com/writing-tips/746

Load more

A world beyond time... an adventure beyond imagining Order Maldene
Hello. Add your message here.