I’ve been making a map of a continent for the past two weeks and can’t seem to stop working on it! I should be done in a few days. Before now, the only map I’ve had has been of a Read More …
Tag: fantasy
Virgin Sacrifices in Fantasy Stories Are Stupid
So I’m sitting here watching Conan The Destroyer, which includes the age-old premise that a virgin will be sacrificed. Personally, I think that’s a waste of a perfectly good virgin, but what struck me is the silliness of this. There’s no Read More …
Writers Block vs. Idea Block
Most authors have “writer’s block” at some point, but I suspect we’re often suffering from something I call “idea block”. The definition of writer’s block is “the condition of being unable to think of what to write or how to Read More …
Fantasy/Scfi Movie Fights Are Too Ridiculous
If you’ve seen any SciFi or fantasy films over the last 20 years, you know the fight scenes are ridiculous and unbelievable. When did it become okay for archers to make impossible shots time after time, sometimes with two arrows Read More …
The Problem with “The Hobbit” Movies
I just saw the second installment of “The Hobbit” movies, “The Desolation of Smaug“, and thought it suffered from the same problem as the original, which is no real surprise as they were filmed at the same time. I don’t Read More …
How to Create Plants and Animals for Your Fantasy Setting
In another blog, I discussed whether you should create plants and animals for your fantasy setting. Assuming you’ve decided to do it, here are tips for doing so. New Ideas If you already have ideas, you can just write them Read More …
Should You Create Plants and Animals in Your Fantasy Setting?
When world building, I used to think there was no point in inventing animals and plants for a fantasy setting. After all, they’re often just variations on real Earth animals, in which case, why bother? For example, maybe you have Read More …
Creating a Fantasy City, Part 2
Below is the template I use when creating a fantasy city during world building. Feel free to adapt it your purposes. You can read Part 1 here. Download the PDF or Word template. City/Town Name General Alliances Independent city or Read More …
Creating a Fantasy City, Part 1
Without cities, towns, and villages, no fantasy world building project is complete. In part 1, we’ll look at some things to consider. Part 2 will be the template I use for creating a new settlement. Location, Location, Location No settlement Read More …
How to Draw a Fantasy Map, Part 1
One of the fun aspects of fantasy world building is drawing maps. This blog provides some ideas to keep in mind and tools to help. Some of this is kind of obvious but worth mentioning anyway. Where to Start A Read More …