It’s Complicated
As your protagonist struggles to overcome a problem, in the past I’ve talked about how the protagonist goes through at least two try/fail cycles. Early in the story, in an inciting incident, the protagonist learns that he has a major problem on his hands. He then struggles to resolve the problem at least three times, […]
Gaming the Publishing Industry
n publishing, we have two different distribution systems. The traditional publishing industry has its editors, and they have contracts with the bookstores and with the book distribution companies that are designed to keep you from selling your books at bookstores—and these contracts are very effective.
David Farland’s Writing Tips—Income Streams
Yesterday I got an email from a former writing student who had dazzled me a couple of years ago. He worked as a shepherd in New Zealand, and so had no ability to network with a local writing group, but his writing skills were superb. To me, it seemed he had the sophisticated sensibilities of […]
David Farland’s Advanced Fantasy and SF Writing Workshop
St. George, Utah Ramada St George 1440 East St. George Boulevard, St George, UT, 84790, US October 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, 2021. 12 Attendees Maximum $799. Room, travel, and meals are separate. Prepare National Novel Writing Month with this workshop exclusively for those who would rather be dead than unread! Dave is […]
8 Tips on How to Write a Good Fight Scene
In many novels you will have a fight scene—everything from a verbal scuffle as two people break up to a major battle, and because this is often the climax to your story, you might want to approach the scene cautiously.
20 Hidden Costs of Publishing
I often hear indie authors—and authors in general—demonizing publishers for doing a poor job of marketing books. The usual complaint is that publishers “Don’t spend a dime on promotion.” But that isn’t true. Publishers often make huge investments on books, but the author never sees or hears about it. That’s because the investments are usually […]
How to Write a Short Story
As lead judge to the world’s largest competition for sci-fi and fantasy short fiction, David Farland can tell you exactly how to write a short story that’s a winner. The key is to keep it short and powerful—but for authors who typically write novels, “short” is a dirty word. So how do you write a […]
Making Better Magic Systems, Lesson 10
When Fantasy Fails Sometimes I read a story that is well written and it leaves me empty. It’s like feasting on cotton candy—there is an illusion that there is something to it, that you’ve consumed a huge volume of food, but ultimately . . . well, cotton candy is just sugar with a few dyes […]
Making Better Magic Systems, Lesson 9
Dueling Magic Systems In our very first lesson (find it here), I pointed out that readers of fantasy crave tales with a strong sense of wonder. That’s why many editors seek stories that have a high level of magic. In short, magic happens frequently. But you might notice that if you only have one magic […]
Making Better Magic Systems, Lesson 8
The Heart of Your Tale Nearly all stories in science fiction and fantasy deal with new systems of power—whether it be Frodo’s magic ring or Asimov’s robotics, ultimately you’re creating a new system for acquiring and maintaining power, and when you do this, as Orson Scott Card put it, you are forced at some level […]