Category Archives: Science Fiction & Fantasy Novels

BOOKS FOR FANTASY AUTHORS XXXIV: BOOKS FOR FANTASY AUTHORS

Posted on May 9, 2023 by Philip Athans

Thirty-three times before this, I started a blog post with the paragraph… From time to time I’ll recommend—not review, mind you, but recommend, and yes, there is a difference—books that I think authors should have on their shelves. Some may … Continue reading →

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CHALLENGE GENRE “TROPES”

Posted on May 2, 2023 by Philip Athans

First of all, coming soon will be a whole impassioned rant on how much I hate the neologism “tropes” and the way they’re applied by people who are trying to figure out what they’re talking about by borrowing other non-experts’ … Continue reading →

Posted in authors helping authors, authors to writers, best fantasy blogs, best genre fiction blogs, best horror blogs, best science fiction blogs, best websites for authors, best websites for writers, Books, fiction writing blog, fiction writing websites, freelance editing, help for writers, helping writers become authors, horror novels, how to write fantasy, how to write fiction, how to write horror, how to write science fiction, Publishing Business, Science Fiction & Fantasy Novels, SF and Fantasy Authors, websites for authors, websites for writers, writers to authors, Writing, writing advice, Writing Community, writing fantasy, writing horror, writing science fiction, Writing Science Fiction & Fantasy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

DO CHARACTER ARCS ACTUALLY MATTER?

Posted on April 25, 2023 by Philip Athans

I’ll answer that right away: No. But let’s look at them anyway. According to all the advice on how to write a screenplay in fifteen minutes, or whatever, there are three types of character arcs and no matter what, you … Continue reading →

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OUTLINE!

Posted on April 18, 2023 by Philip Athans

“No battle plan,” said Helmuth von Moltke, “survives contact with the enemy.” But that doesn’t mean you go into battle without one. For authors, the outline is our battle plan and the enemy is the writing itself. When you start … Continue reading →

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TOM SWIFT AND HIS FORGOTTEN TECHNO OPTIMISM

Posted on April 11, 2023 by Philip Athans

I started writing the title of this piece, a take on the templated titles of the Tom Swift and Tom Swift, Jr. series, and got past the word techno then for the life of me couldn’t think of the word … Continue reading →

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BOOKS FOR FANTASY AUTHORS XXXIII: EVERY BOOK YOU’VE EVER READ AND EVER WILL READ

Posted on March 28, 2023 by Philip Athans

From time to time I’ll recommend—not review, mind you, but recommend, and yes, there is a difference—books that I think authors should have on their shelves. Some may be new and still in print, some may be difficult to find, … Continue reading →

Posted in authors helping authors, authors to writers, best fantasy blogs, best genre fiction blogs, best horror blogs, best science fiction blogs, best websites for authors, best websites for writers, Books, characters, fiction writing blog, fiction writing websites, freelance editing, help for writers, helping writers become authors, horror novels, how to write fantasy, how to write fiction, how to write horror, how to write science fiction, Publishing Business, Science Fiction & Fantasy Novels, SF and Fantasy Authors, websites for authors, websites for writers, writers to authors, Writing, writing advice, Writing Community, writing fantasy, writing horror, writing science fiction, Writing Science Fiction & Fantasy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

WE ARE TOUR GUIDES IN THE LANDS OF MAKE-BELIEVE

Posted on March 21, 2023 by Philip Athans

In “On Fairy Stories,” J.R.R. Tolkien warned us against conjuring “the dreamlands,” saying, “Next, after travellers’ tales, I would also exclude, or rule out of order, any story that uses the machinery of Dream, the dreaming of actual human sleep, … Continue reading →

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THE UNSEEN DAMAGE OF NEGATIVITY

Posted on March 14, 2023 by Philip Athans

First, please watch this TED Talk, “How everyday interactions shape your future” by Mesmin Destin, a social psychologist who was almost talked out of the rest of his life by one key person… Having heard that, I had to wonder, how … Continue reading →

Posted in authors helping authors, authors to writers, best fantasy blogs, best genre fiction blogs, best horror blogs, best science fiction blogs, best websites for authors, best websites for writers, Books, fiction writing blog, fiction writing websites, freelance editing, freelance writing, help for writers, helping writers become authors, how to write fantasy, how to write fiction, how to write horror, how to write science fiction, Publishing Business, Science Fiction & Fantasy Novels, SF and Fantasy Authors, websites for authors, websites for writers, writers to authors, Writing, writing advice, Writing Community, writing fantasy, writing horror, writing science fiction, Writing Science Fiction & Fantasy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

I SURRENDER

Posted on February 28, 2023 by Philip Athans

Way, way back in time… June 21, 2022 to be exact… I set myself the challenge of reading, in 2023, twelve very long books, one a month over the course of the year. Being a man of my word, come January … Continue reading →

Posted in authors helping authors, authors to writers, best fantasy blogs, best genre fiction blogs, best horror blogs, best science fiction blogs, best websites for authors, best websites for writers, Books, fiction writing blog, fiction writing websites, freelance editing, help for writers, helping writers become authors, horror novels, how to write fantasy, how to write fiction, how to write horror, how to write science fiction, Publishing Business, Science Fiction & Fantasy Novels, SF and Fantasy Authors, websites for authors, websites for writers, Writing, writing advice, Writing Community, writing fantasy, writing horror, writing science fiction, Writing Science Fiction & Fantasy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

BOOKS FOR FANTASY AUTHORS XXXII: SHOW YOUR WORK!

Posted on February 14, 2023 by Philip Athans

From time to time I’ll recommend—not review, mind you, but recommend, and yes, there is a difference—books that I think authors should have on their shelves. Some may be new and still in print, some may be difficult to find, … Continue reading →

Posted in authors helping authors, authors to writers, best fantasy blogs, best genre fiction blogs, best horror blogs, best science fiction blogs, best websites for authors, best websites for writers, Books, fiction writing blog, fiction writing websites, freelance editing, freelance writing, freelancing, help for writers, helping writers become authors, how to write fantasy, how to write fiction, how to write horror, how to write science fiction, indie publishing, Publishing Business, Science Fiction & Fantasy Novels, SF and Fantasy Authors, websites for authors, websites for writers, writers to authors, Writing, writing advice, Writing Community, writing fantasy, writing horror, writing science fiction, Writing Science Fiction & Fantasy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment