The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed

So-called writing rules have been a touchy subject in the writing world of late. It all exploded after a list of rules by Jonathan Franzen re-surfaced, provoking a wave of ire not just against Franzen, but against so-called writing 'rules', the do's and don't's of the craft. Around the same time, Richie conducted some research on the rules that writers hate most of all, and in this episode, we chat about some of them, namely passive voice, showing instead of telling and using adjectives and adverbs. This is a topic in which people aren't short of an opinion, and as always we want to hear from you. Get in touch by emailing thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com!

JM goes solo in this episode, which is a continuation of our previous topic: book covers. JM interviews a couple of artists to ask them why they think covers are important, and how to develop a good working relationship with your artist. Niels can be found here: https://www.ncartbox.net/?fbclid=IwAR...If you'd like a sample of his work, he did the cover for my short-story-novel, In the Valley of Magic, which is available here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G9ZPXMR/E. RachaelHardcastle has a website for her book label: https://www.curiouscatbooks.co.uk/A massive thank you to both Niels and Rachael for visiting the Toolshed! It was lovely to have you on and we hope you all enjoyed it too.In our next episode we'll be looking at writing 'rules'. Should you really never use the passive voice? Must you always show instead of tell? Is there even such a thing as a writing 'rule'? What so-called rules do you hate most? Send us your questions at richard.e.billing@gmail.com.

In this instalment we're tackling book covers. We delve into everything you need to know, from the science behind typography and imagery to artist fees and designing them for free!Links to some of the resources mentioned:www.canva.com How cover design can increase book visibility by 50% (or more)Revealed: The Real Marketing Value of a Professional Book CoverBook Smugglers - COVER MATTERS: THE SURVEY RESULTSData Analytics and Practical Theory for BooksHolly Rollins - A Conjoint Analysis of the Value of Book Covers in E-Book Buying DecisionsBoth Richie and JM have just gone through the process of designing book covers in recent weeks. Richie's new book, Thoughts On Writing, is available to purchase by clicking here. All of the money raised from book sales is being used to help those impacted by Covid-19, from food banks to care homes. As always we'd love to hear from you with your comments and requests. Drop us an email at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com!

Writer and editor Charles Remington joins Richie in the Writers' Toolshed to talk about nano fiction, a niche of flash fiction. How do you write nano fiction? Where do you find ideas? Why should you try it? Uncover the answers to all in this episode. Plus, we discuss marketing books, and Richie tells us about his meeting with Raymond E. Feist. The book, Nano Nightmares, edited by Charles and featuring stories by Richie, is available now on Amazon. You can get it by clicking here.

Coronavirus craziness has gripped the globe. How can writers make the most of all this free time?In this episode, Richie discusses a few ways writers can help people in this time of great need, as well as a few ways you can make the most of this abundance of time.Richie mentions a few books you may find helpful, which are:The Art of Dramatic Writing - Lajos EgriStein on Writing - Sol SteinThe Art of Fiction - John GardnerLetters to a Young Writer - Colum McCannThe First Five Pages - Noah LukemanOn Writing - Stephen KingA Fantasy Writers' Handbook - Richie BillingAs always, we want to hear from you! If you have any topics or questions you want us to tackle, drop us an email at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com.Stay safe everyone!

In this episode, Richie struggles to say hello, JM’s cats make a few guest appearances, and somewhere in between, we talk about short stories—why you should write them, how to write them, and how to get them published.As always, we want to hear from you! Drop us an email at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com, or message us on Facebook.

In this episode, JM interviews historical fiction author Paul Cunningham. Paul is the author of the book "Contention," which details "the most chaotic year in Roman history" following the death of Nero. Following our previous episode on fantasy world-building, it seemed a good idea to talk to someone who has to deal with the same issue in a different way. Paul is a master at rolling back time, bringing the reader right into a foreign world from our shared past.As always, leave your comments and questions below or look us up on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/fantasywrite...And you can grab a copy of Paul's last book at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O6URLUW/

In this episode, Richie and JM tackle a source of joy and frustration for perhaps every fantasy writer: world-building.They discuss their favourite bits of advice on introducing those juicy world-building details into the story, the best times to introduce those details, and the most effective means of doing so.As always, if you have comments, queries or questions, get in touch at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com!

A few weeks back, Richie carried out a bit of research inspired by the comments of a professional book reviewer named Damien Walter. Walter argued that the novel is dead, that the decline in quality and the saturation of the market has strangled the enjoyment out of it, and as a result, fewer people are reading. Richie explores whether or not this is the case, before considering whether or not reading as a whole is facing an existential crisis.