Category: creative process in writing

Goodreads Author Review: THE JINN AND THE TWO KINGDOMS

Authors are allowed to 'review' their own books in Goodreads. Below is the review for my latest fantasy novel, The Jinn and the Two Kingdoms (Amazon link: https://amzn.to/3tbn5UU ). ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ “Thiago doesn’t think of himself as a demon, but he is. He’s a thief too, and therein lies this story.” The blurb for The Jinn … Continue reading Goodreads Author Review: THE JINN AND THE TWO KINGDOMS →

TROPES AND TRAPS – Avoiding Cliché in Fantasy Writing (part 2)

Trope and cliché aren’t that different. Maybe a good working definition can be that a ‘cliché’ is a badly done or over-used ‘trope’, while a ‘trope’ is a ‘cliché’ used imaginatively to remind the reader of what’s familiar and likable in a genre. In the former situation, the author is lazy; in the latter, they’re … Continue reading TROPES AND TRAPS – Avoiding Cliché in Fantasy Writing (part 2) →

TROPES AND TRAPS – Avoiding Cliché in Fantasy Writing

It’s tricky to balance writing originally while still pleasing readers. If a fantasy author does this right, they’ve made magic. But it isn’t easy. Fantasy readers generally like more of what they’ve liked in the past, so an author needs to 1) be aware of the genre’s tropes and 2) include at least some of … Continue reading TROPES AND TRAPS – Avoiding Cliché in Fantasy Writing →

Too Hot to Handle?

Sex is the third rail for a fantasy novel. Sex is remarkably unpopular per the following four fantasy book reviewers' stipulations about books they don't want to critique. 'Absolutely no erotica''I do NOT review erotica''no erotica/sex scenes''I will not except (sic) erotica' The last of these quotes is my favorite. Poor word choice aside, lust … Continue reading Too Hot to Handle? →