I haven't talked much about writing poetry on this blog. I have, however, talked quite a bit about speculative genres, mainly science fiction and fantasy. When you think about these genres, you might think of fiction, including novels and short stories. But speculative poetry also exists, and it acts as a great way to take … Continue reading How to Write Speculative Poetry
To answer the question, it depends on how you look at it. You could technically say that, yes, science fiction existed in the Middle Ages long before science fiction was really classified. Long before science fiction became known as a genre in the literary world. It wouldn't be exactly like what we read today, especially … Continue reading Did Science Fiction Exist in Medieval Times?
So you want to write fantasy? Good luck. In all seriousness, fantasy is notoriously difficult to write no matter which way you look at it. It's not uncommon for fantasy writers to take years to complete one single book (unless you're Brandon Sanderson, but we don't all have that luxury). Besides that, a major aspect … Continue reading Why Is Fantasy So Hard to Write?
You might think that there aren't a whole lot of speculative writing residencies and workshops for writers in a specific genre. It's true that many residencies focus on allowing all writers to focus on any project they're undertaking. However, several outlets exist for those who write speculative fiction. Speculative writers focus on sci-fi, fantasy, and … Continue reading Best Speculative Writing Residencies and Workshops
Some stories bring out the magic in everyday life but not in the way you might think. Good stories undoubtedly craft their own magic, sucking you into the world created. However, all genres can do that. I'm talking about magical realism, a subgenre of fantasy that adds magical, or fantastical, elements to a typical literary … Continue reading What Is Magical Realism? A Definition
Worldbuilding isn't just about building a physical world that your characters live in. A fantasy world, for example, might have its own physics, so things like gravity or motion work differently from ours. But that's not the only reason a world exists when you create it. A working world also needs a working culture or … Continue reading Worldbuilding A Fictional Culture
We all know about tropes. They pop up in any form of writing, and often a hallmark of good writing is a writer's ability to tackle tropes, whether by exceeding the reader's expectations with them or subverting them altogether. Obviously, no genre is immune to any of these, but different tropes appear depending on what … Continue reading Science Fiction Tropes to Subvert
I'll start off by saying that I hate writing the beginning of a book. I can't stop myself from trying to include every detail I think is important or provide as much context as possible to make everything as straightforward as possible. (Clarity is not my strong suit, as Grammarly aptly reminds me even as … Continue reading How to Write A Prologue
