Marc Aplin's Blog, page 169
August 12, 2015
The Lowdown on REALMWALKER PUBLISHING…
Following the awesome response to my article on beginner writers choosing to Self Publish, we’re having a bit of a ‘means of publishing your work’ month on Fantasy-Faction. A piece of this will be my follow up article where I talk about when Self Publishing is probably more sensible than seeking the Traditional route and where […]
August 11, 2015
The Romance of Fantasy
Romance isn’t a word that we usually think of as being inseparable from fantasy; some people enjoy love stories with their fantasy and others vehemently object to them. But romance is not simply about love as it is represented in the modern romance genre. Look up romance in the dictionary and you will find a […]
Gemmell Award Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the 2014/2015 David Gemmell Awards. Although I wasn’t able to make it this year, I’m told the evening – hosted at Nine Worlds Geekfest – was absolutely awesome. Here’s a reminded of who picked up what: RAVENHEART AWARD (Best cover art) Sam Green for Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson […]
August 10, 2015
I Hate Info-Dumps
You’ve all thought it, haven’t you? Come on, be honest. You’ve had that heart sinking moment when you are reading a book and a new character appears in the narrative and… She crashed through the window. Shards of glass and splinters of wood scattered across the floor of the Dog and Duck Inn. The customers […]
August 9, 2015
Elements of Fantasy: Zombies
The living dead. Zombies made their first documented appearance in 1929 when William Seabrook recorded his participation with Haitian voodoo ceremonies in The Magic Island. Seabrook had been interested in witchcraft for many years prior to traveling to Haiti where he was inspired to write about the undead. He advocated cannibalism and fully described the […]
August 7, 2015
Setting as a Character
One of the joys of writing second-world fantasy is the ability to create your own world. You can set up spectacular vistas, ancient empires, mysterious ruins, or whatever else you’d like without worrying about real-world geography and history. You can organize it into places that the protagonists must visit, and in doing so, highlight the […]
August 5, 2015
Killing Ten Rats – Why A Writing Career Is Like Playing An MMO
As a fantasy fan it’s hard to avoid MMORPGs. Even if you’re not personally a fan of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games, it’s likely you’ve heard of games such as World of Warcraft, Everquest or Lord of the Rings Online. Those not already based on beloved franchises have spawned books and collectibles. Many a writer […]
Stephen King’s The Dark Tower Movie Gets A Release Date
Sony Pictures just announced its movie lineup for 2016-17. Among the releases which includes the new Ghostbusters movie is a date for Stephen King’s The Dark Tower. The movie is set to be directed by Nikolaj Arcel, famous for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009), A Royal Affair (2012) and King’s Game (2004). It […]
The Thorn Of Emberlain Delay & Best Wishes to Scott Lynch
Sad news for fans of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch’s latest Gentleman Bastards book, The Thorn of Emberlain, has been set back a bit. It’s disappointing news as a reader, but sadder news as a fan of Scott Lynch. The guy is such a role model, such a friendly guy, such a funny person, someone who […]
Thorn Of Emberlain Delay & Best Wishes to Scott Lynch
Sad news for fans of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch’s latest Gentleman Bastards book, The Thorn of Emberlain, has been set back a bit. It’s disappointing news as a reader, but sadder news as a fan of Scott Lynch. The guy is such a role model, such a friendly guy, such a funny person, someone who […]
