M.L. Desir's Blog, page 42
December 10, 2018
How the Ashanti game of Oware was used by slaves in the Caribbean to plan their escape from plantations
Delicious historical morsel!
Oware is considered the oldest Mancala board game in the world. Dating back centuries to ancient Africa, specifically the Ashanti tribe in Ghana, Mancala is one of the most commonly known board games in Africa, among others.
The worldwide spread is noted to be because of the slave trade Carribean that saw many Africans sold to foreign regions. They carried with them the joy of playing Mancala and played it in their free time.
Oware is very popula...
The Importance of City Guards in Fantasy
This is an incredibly important post for writers of epic fantasy and the like!
Legend of Zelda (I think?)
Whenever a city turns up in a fantasy story, these people will be there. Either as background, battle fodder, or momentary obstacles, the guards are around in some fashion. We tend to overlook them unless we need some unexpected corpses or government corruption is part of the plot. Not much personality among these characters either, so what purpose do they serve?...
December 9, 2018
How Do We Create Realistic Villains? – by Kassandra Lamb…
Originally posted at https://jamigold.com/2018/11/how-do-we-create-realistic-villains-guest-kassandra-lamb/
Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog
Every story requires an antagonist—or at least an antagonistic force—that creates situations and/or circumstances that force the protagonist to take action. Without a conflict from the antagonist, there’s no story, as our protagonist would have no reason to grow or change themselves or to try to change the world or their situation.
...What Makes Non-Fiction Read Like Fiction?
by John Briggs
Turning facts and figures into a compelling story.
It’s been said that the best non-fiction reads like a fast-paced thriller. And it should read like solid fiction with one exception – everything in it has to be true.
So how does a non-fiction writer keep you on the edge of your seat?
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Why the Kingdom of Dahomey gave up the fight against slavery in 1730
King Behanzin of Dahomey and his household — Photo: New World Encyclopedia The Kingdom of Dahomey (present-day Benin) has a rich yet complicated history. It had kings and princes who made decisions that had a huge impact on the natives of the once prosperous kingdom.
One of these kings is Agadja Trudo, the third ruler of the kingdom. He took over from his brother, King Akaba and reigned between 1718 and 1740. His ascension to the throne involved fighting off his nephew Agbo Sa...
December 7, 2018
“The Unappeasable Host” by William Butler Yeats
The Danaan children laugh, in cradles of wrought gold,
And clap their hands together, and half close their eyes,
For they will ride the North when the ger-eagle flies,
With heavy whitening wings, and a heart fallen cold:
I kiss my wailing child and press it to my breast,
And hear the narrow graves calling my child and me.
Desolate winds that cry over the wandering sea;
Desolate winds that hover in the flaming West;
Desolate winds that beat the doors of Heaven, and beat
The...
December 3, 2018
2018 Wrap-Up and What I Wrote
I’m so proud of Eden Royce and honored to know her. Her stellar writing leaves you breathless and craving for more. Her debut novel, TYING THE DEVIL’S SHOESTRINGS is on its way into the world! Please read her blog post to learn about more ways to support her fantastic work! #MotivationMonday
2018 was a wild and crazy ride, full of ups and downs in my writing and personal life. As a result, I don’t have as many short story publications as I did in 2017.
Still, I’m doing an awards el...
November 25, 2018
11 Tips For Writing Fantasy
Woo hoo! Fantasy is sweet!
Image: Pixabay
My entire Pearseus series (five books) is sci-fi/fantasy, as are some of my short stories. So I was pretty excited when I came across a post on Reedsy with some great tips on writing fantasy. I’m summarizing here (and adding a few tips of my own), but be sure to check out (and bookmark) the full post on Reedsy.
1. Identify your marketIf you don’t know your market, you’ve already made a mistake. “Oh, my market is fantasy,” you mig...
For Goodness Sake: Stop Blaming the Consumer!
Consider this quote: “The reader is a friend, not an adversary, not a spectator.”
November 11, 2018
NO FEE Submission call + editor interview – The Maynard, DEADLINE: Always open
The Maynard is an online poetry journal. They publish two issues per year on April 15 (Spring issue) and October 15 (Fall issue) and are always open to submissions of poetry and cover art.
I wondered how and why this poetry journal came to be, so I asked founder and Feature Editor Jami Macarty and she kindly replied. See my interview with Macarty and a link to submission guidelines below.
HOPKINSON: Tell me a little bit about The Maynard.
MACARTY: The Maynard, an online po...
