Wherefore Elves

Wherefore Elves

So, we were talking elves over on Mythic Scribes. Talk of elves always brings up talk of cliches. Cliches fuel fantasy, particularly the pulp fantasy market. It is possible — and apparently lucrative — to take a bunch of fantasy cliches, and hammer them...
The Map Redux

The Map Redux

Lots of compliments on the map. So let’s talk maps a bit more. Part of making a good fantasy map is developing the terrain well enough that you can draw it from memory a couple of times freehand and have them more or less line up. I have a couple of advantages,...
Memory Lane

Memory Lane

Holy crap. So, I’m sending the finished — no, really — manuscript out to my editor next week. The cover is in the final formatting stages. I have a marketing plan and budget in place. And yesterday I started working on Book II. Sort of. Book II was...
The Search is Over

The Search is Over

I’m going to vent for a moment, because market research is making me insane. No matter how good you think you are, you need an editor: one who does this for a living, one whose work you like, and one who will cost you money. Yes, it’s going to cost you...