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
David Farland
June 21, 2021
David Farland: Story Doctor Writing Tips
Recent Writing Tips
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
June 15, 2021
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
David Farland
June 12, 2021
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.
David Farland
May 25, 2021
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.
David Farland
May 25, 2021
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
David Farland
May 24, 2021
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
David Farland
May 22, 2021
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
David Farland
May 21, 2021
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
David Farland
May 20, 2021
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
David Farland
May 19, 2021
Making Better Magic Systems, Lesson 7
Organic Magic Some magic systems just don’t make any sense. That doesn’t mean that they can’t be fun, it just means that the audience will
David Farland
May 18, 2021
Making Better Magic Systems, Lesson 6
Get Real One essential part of making better magic systems is giving real imagery to the reader without telling them what to see. Very often
David Farland
May 17, 2021
Making Better Magic Systems, Lesson 5
Spellcasting Catastrophes When you create a magic system, you want it to be clean and concise, right? You want it to be simple and foolproof.
David Farland
May 14, 2021
Making Better Magic Systems, Lesson 4
The Wellspring of Magic When you create a magic system, you have to consider the source of your magic. Very often, the source of the
David Farland
May 13, 2021
Making Magic Systems Better, Lesson 3
The High Price of Magic Everything in life carries a price. It’s a law so universally understood that we feel it in our bones. Yet
David Farland
May 12, 2021
