Why Does Grimdark Fantasy Speak to Audiences?
In an essay for Lit Hub, Alexa Schmitt Bugler wonders why fans love dark, brutal fantasy.
"Grimdark is a feeling as much as a genre," Bugler...
The Pirate Code
Heritage Daily shares some interesting facts about the Pirate Code that might come in handy for writers in the trendy pirate genre.
Despite their reputation...
How to Write Four Legs Good!
Anthropomorphized animals are common in children's books, YA, and of course animated film, but also pop up often enough in science fiction and fantasy...
Crafting an Accurate Magic Wand
An article on Strange Ago examines the historical uses of the witch's wand, helpful information for anyone writing fantasy or historical fiction.
Common material for...
A Little Magic Goes a Long Way
The fun part about writing fantasy or magical characters is the feeling that you can break just about every rule of physics and nature....
How Dice Were Used In Divination
We generally limit our use of dice to table top games, but historically, they have been used in spellcasting and divination. Having evolved from...
2000 Years of Dragons
In a new episode of Lit Hub's History of Literature podcast, host Jake Wilson and writer Scott Bruce discuss how dragons have appeared in...
The Special Challenge of Magical Violence
Fight choreography is a tough skill to master. In addition to pacing and description, writers need a basic understanding of the effects of violence...
Does Your Magic System Have Rules?
Everyone loves magic but not everyone understands the rules. It's easy to write about wizards who pull spells out of the air higgledy-piggledy, but...
Every Tale is a Mystery
A sense of mystery is at the heart of every story, regardless of genre. At the outset, you don't know where the story is...
