L.G. Estrella's Blog, page 62

A Quick Word On Personality Dynamics In Fiction

This is a topic that I’ll definitely come back to in more detail at some point, but I just want to say a few quick things about personality dynamics in fiction.

There are many components to a good story, but having good characters is a big step in the right direction. But what makes a good character? One of the most important aspects of a good character is depth. A character with depth feels real to the readers and comes across as someone with their own personality, motivations, and desires,...

How Not To Run A Dinosaur Theme Park

Are you a billionaire with way too much time on your hands? Do you want to bring nature’s greatest killing machines back to life? Do you think that the only thing cooler than playing tag with a lion on safari is playing tag with a giant dinosaur? Then you’re in luck because today, I’ll be talking about how not to run a dinosaur theme park.

Genetically engineer a super dinosaur. Make sure it is carnivorous.It’s not enough that the dinosaurs were some of the largest, most vicious predators to...

Things I Wish People Would Include When They Write Smut

Smutty fiction is very serious business. Well written smut can leave a reader feeling all hot and bothered, but poorly written smut can leave a reader in hysterics. To help make your life as a writer a little easier, here are a few things that you should prioritise when you are writing smut.

Sex is basically combat. Tongues duel for dominance. People writhe and scream. There are copious amounts of bodily fluids. To make your smut stand out, take this analogy a little further. Why have tongue...

Two Necromancers, an Army of Golems, and a Demon Lord is now Available on Amazon!

The second part of the Unconventional Heroes Series is now available on Amazon! Join Timmy, Katie, Gerald, and AvranielinTwo Necromancers, an Army of Golems, and a Demon Lord for some more fun, craziness, and magical adventure. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. And where there are tricky necromancers, unlucky bureaucrats, and pyromaniacal elves there’s bound to be trouble.

You can getTwo Necromancers, an Army of Golems, and a Demon Lord from Amazon here. And here is the blurb:

Two necroman...

Is Your Dragon Awesome Enough?

Dragons have a long history of being completely awesome, so it’s tempting to include one whenever you write a fantasy story. But is your dragon awesome enough? If you’re not sure, here are a few hints to help you along:

Is your dragon ridiculously huge? A small dragon is a lame dragon. Go big or go home. Sure, it’s kind of cool if your dragon can swallow a cow whole, but it’s even better when it’s big enough to stomp cities and blot out the sun. Does your dragon have an obvious weak spot? If...

Sometimes Less Is More – Adjectives

Adjectives are wonderful words. A few well-used adjectives can add spice to a passage of writing. However, a few poorly used adjectives can lead to disaster, and two of the easiest ways to misuse adjectives are to either use too many or to use adjectives that are just over the top.

Let’s start off with an obvious example of using too many adjectives.

The big, blue, shaggy, happy, fast, playful, excited dog ran toward its owner.

Clearly, that’s too many adjectives. But how many is too many? A...

The Illusion Of Choice In Writing

One of the most commonly discussed concepts in writing is that of fate, the idea that an individual’s destiny is pre-ordained, that their actions are bound to lead to a particular outcome or set of outcomes.

Naturally, this suggestion produces a strong, often visceral, response in readers. The idea that we lack free will, that our choices are merely illusory, is extremely disconcerting. There are at least two reasons for this. The first is that phenomenologically speaking, we feel as though w...

My Face Hurts…

I wouldn’t say that I’m accident prone although I have had my fair share of them over the years. That said, I have suffered through some fairly humorous incidents.

Yesterday was another one.

I was opening my bedroom door and walking out of it in a hurry when something went wrong. The plan was to swing the door open, step out of it, and then rush out into the corridor. What actually happened was I stepped first, swung open the door (which rebounded off my foot), and then ran straight into the...

When To Step Back

One of the toughest things to do in writing is to honestly evaluate your own work. Writing can be such an intensely personal endeavour that it can be difficult to adopt a relatively objective and balanced perspective of your own work. But the ability to accurately assess your own work is critical. It is what allows you to take on advice from others, and it is what allows you to know when to go with the suggestions of others and when to hold firm.

One of the best ways to get a more objective v...

Ninja Rats and Necromancers

This is an excerpt from a scene that didn’t make it into the final version ofTwo Necromancers, a Bureaucrat, and an Elf(one of my original stories on Amazon). It features one of the titular necromancers, Katie, and one of the ninja rats that occupies her castle (and cuts her cake). The story itself is full of the kind of craziness you’ve come to expect from me. Check it outhereif you’re interested. The sequel should be out toward the end of this month or the beginning of April!

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Katie...