Browsing Category

Fantasy-Sci-Fi

Fantasy-Sci-Fi
Fantastic Fairytales

Browse through your local bookstore and you’ll notice fairytale retellings are quite popular across multiple genres. These tales have…
September 7, 2018
Fantasy-Sci-Fi
The Science Fiction Behind Science Fiction

Since the release of Star Trek and Star Wars, viewers of space-based science fiction have had certain expectations of…
August 7, 2018
Fantasy-Sci-Fi
The Value of a Good Critique

Every writer can use a solid critique of their work, especially when they are preparing their work for professional…
July 7, 2018
Fantasy-Sci-Fi
The Myths Behind Your Fantasy Work

Fantasy stories come in all shapes and sizes, from modern-day tales to historical adventure. One way to give your…
June 7, 2018
Fantasy-Sci-Fi
Realistic World-Building

The trend within the fantasy and sci-fi genres is to push for more detailed world-building within our stories. While…
May 7, 2018
Fantasy-Sci-Fi
Breaking Down the Worlds of Science Fiction

Which world, or sub-genre, does your novel belong to? Bookstores have general genre sections in which to categorize their…
April 7, 2018
Fantasy-Sci-Fi
The Secret of Your Success by Laura L. Zimmerman

Success. For writers this word can mean different things. One author may feel success has been achieved once their…
March 8, 2018
Fantasy-Sci-Fi
The Bones of Your Fantasy World by Laura Zimmerman

For many, the new year often comes with aspirations of drafting a brand-new novel. Each new idea creates the…
February 7, 2018
Fantasy-Sci-Fi
A New Year for Fantasy and Sci-fi by Laura Zimmerman

It’s a new year. For some writers it is an opportunity to pick up a previous work that had…
January 9, 2018
Fantasy-Sci-Fi
A Dynamic First Page by Laura Zimmerman

The first page of your book determines whether the reader will continue reading or if they will move on…
December 7, 2017
Fantasy-Sci-Fi
The Highs and Lows of Fantasy Sub-Genres

“Oh, you’re a fantasy writer? I love ‘The Lord of the Rings.’” “I don’t write that kind of fantasy.”…
November 7, 2017
Fantasy-Sci-Fi
Teaching Your Characters to Fight Write- Laura L. Zimmerman

Do your characters fight right? Action is often a big part of the fantasy and sci-fi genres. Your story…
October 7, 2017
Fantasy-Sci-Fi
The Trouble with Portals-Laura Zimmerman

Do portals that move your character to another time and place work within modern storytelling? This is the question…
September 7, 2017
Fantasy-Sci-Fi, Storyworld
Entertainment in your Storyworld

We’ve spoken before about how little details can help color your storyworld. Societal habits, mating customs, dinner choices, and…
August 10, 2017
Fantasy-Sci-Fi
Setting Versus Dialogue

“It was a dark and stormy night.” One of the most famous opening lines of literature comes from Edward…
August 7, 2017
Fantasy-Sci-Fi, Storyworld
A Drop of Evil in your Storyworld

If you’re writing a novel, you can’t do so without a healthy dose of tension. Whatever the protagonist’s goal…
July 9, 2017
Fantasy-Sci-Fi
Fantasy Flash Fiction 101- Laura Zimmerman

Fantasy Flash Fiction 101 Could you write a story in 500 words? What about 100? Flash fiction is a…
July 7, 2017
Fantasy-Sci-Fi, Specs: Speculative Fiction, Storyworld
Love and Marriage and Storyworlds

So, I’m going to be talking about sex today. Again. My last article on the subject had more to…
June 9, 2017
Fantasy-Sci-Fi
The Secret to a Good Sidekick

The beloved “sidekick.” Han had Chewy. Frodo had Samwise. Harry had Ron and Hermione. Captain Kirk had Spock.…
June 6, 2017
Fantasy-Sci-Fi
Four Ways to Give your Fantasy or Sci-fi Character A Name

“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” This famous line, taken from Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,”…
May 6, 2017
Fantasy-Sci-Fi
The Fantastical Character of Setting

“Murder committed on a dark and stormy night.” “A grouchy widow lives alone in a broken down cottage.”…
April 6, 2017
Fantasy-Sci-Fi
The Many Worlds of Sci-fi and Fantasy

In what world does your story live? Sounds like a strange question, doesn’t it? After all, most bookstores…
March 6, 2017
Fantasy-Sci-Fi
Recycle, Reuse, Rewrite

“A group of underdogs are united through unusual circumstances and are forced to work together using their individual strengths…
February 6, 2017
Fantasy-Sci-Fi
Taking Critique Like a Jedi

Taking Critique Like a Jedi May 25, 1977, Star Wars: A New Hope—a small indie film with an unknown…
January 6, 2017
Fantasy-Sci-Fi
The Character of an Inanimate Object

Multiple points-of-view. This topic can spark quite a discussion among authors. Some prefer showing their story through the…
December 6, 2016