The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed

In this mini-episode, JM gives his editor’s perspective on submissions and short stories in particular. He provides some quick tips on manuscript format and cover letters, and then he identifies some of the recurring issues he sees in the short fiction submissions he’s been receiving, namely point of view, character arcs, and length.JM’s tips on short stories: https://ofmetalandmagicpublishing.wordpress.com/2021/05/30/on-writing-short-fiction-writing-in-short/Tips on cover letters (for short fiction): https://www.janefriedman.com/perfect-cover-letter-advice-lit-mag-editor/Richie's tips on writing cover letters: https://richiebilling.com/writing-tips/a-quick-guide-to-cover-letters

In this episode, we take a look at creating names for fantasy characters, places and worlds. This can be trickier than it seems for fantasy writers, who get lured into the trap of trying to make things sound 'fantasyish'.We discuss best practices when it comes to naming people and places, how to come up with names in the first place, and share some of our favourite examples. As always, we want to hear from you. Get in touch with your questions, comments and curses by heading here. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share it with your writing buddies! And let us know if there are any topics that you'd like us to cover. LinksHow To Name Fantasy Characters and Places > https://richiebilling.com/welcome/the-writers-toolshed/fantasy-writing/creating-names-for-fantasy-charactersBritish Fantasy Society Short Story Competition > http://www.britishfantasysociety.org/news/short-story-competition-2020/How To Build A Fantasy World Workshop > https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/155512854133

In this episode, Richie is joined by PR guru and award-winning writer, Alex Greenwood, who shares some fantastic marketing tips that writers can utilise as lockdown begins to ease. From book launches to signings, we cover it all. As well as chatting about marketing, Alex also shares lots of great insights on writing mystery and thriller novels, two genres quite similar to the fantasy genre in some respects. Links:Alex Greenwood's website > http://alexgpr.com/PR After Hours podcast > https://prafterhours.com/Mysterious Goings On podcast > https://mgopod.com/Learn more about the John Pilate Mysteries > https://www.amazon.com/gp/kindle/series/B07PQM8HVM/Richie's guide to growing a mailing list > https://richiebilling.com/book-marketing/fast-way-to-grow-your-mailing-listOf Metal and Magic Publishing > https://ofmetalandmagicpublishing.wordpress.com/

Richie welcomes fantasy author and real-life world builder, John Tarrow, to the Writer’s Toolshed.Over the past 25 years, John has converted his 3 bedroom home into a magical fantasy world. We chat about the building of Talliston House and Gardens, how it’s influenced John’s worldbuilding approach when it comes to writing, and John shares his top tips on how to build a fantasy world—in reality and on the page.Find out more about Talliston House > https://www.talliston.com/Learn more about John > https://www.tarrow.co.uk/Check out Richie’s latest worldbuilding guide, Natural Worldbuilding > https://richiebilling.com/welcome/thewriterstoolshed/fantasy-writing/natural-worldbuilding-guide

In this episode, JM reflects on the first few months in his role as editor-in-chief for Of Metal and Magic Publishing. He discusses upcoming releases, including Pariah's Lament and Call of the Guardian, and provides some crucial tips and advice on when it comes to submitting stories to publishers. As always, get in touch if you have a question or query by clicking here.

In this episode, we're picking up on fantasy weapons and armour and exploring how writers can employ them in fight and battle scenes. We cover some good rules to follow when writing fight scenes, tips on making the most of battle scenes, ways to maintain clarity amid the chaos, and the importance of doing your research. For more tips and advice on writing battle scenes, check out the guides we referred to in the episode below:+ How to write fight scenes > https://ofmetalandmagicpublishing.wordpress.com/how-to-write-fight-scenes/+ A guide to sieges for fantasy writers > https://richiebilling.com/fantasy-writing/the-siegeTo join our virtual party on Saturday 20th February to celebrate the launch of Call of the Guardian, head here > https://fb.me/e/52VuZYect*Audio Attribution Notes*All audio effect used with open attribution license.Sound Effects from Freesound.org:“Ambient battle noise: swords and shouting”, by Pfranzen, https://freesound.org/s/192072/“Unsheathing the sword”, by Ihitokage, https://freesound.org/s/395364/“Laugh 1 pun dad joke”, by Jayfrosting, https://freesound.org/s/333403/Music from YouTube Audio Library:“Chariots of War”, by Aakash Gandhi“Yonder Hill and Dale”, by Aaron Kenny“Lord Of The Dawn”, by Jesse Gallagher