Naming things, places, and people is one of my favorite aspects of writing a story. Names are inherently powerful. Whether we like it or not, our names help to shape who we are, and in fiction, a well-chosen name goes … Continue reading
Put on your party hats and blow your party horns — it’s STAR SHARD WEEK! Credit for this idea goes to Emily Fiegenschuh, the artist who illustrated “The Star Shard” in its original form in Cricket Magazine. This week on … Continue reading
Before we get started, here are two books I’ve been meaning to tell you about! For anyone who has a young, budding artist at home — or who knows one — or who would like to learn to draw fantasy … Continue reading
It’s an exciting week on the publishing front! First, over to the right here is Issue #15 of Black Gate — it is hot off the presses and loaded with stories, including my “World’s End.” This is the first publication … Continue reading
Updates first: This week I made a good exchange with Emily, the illustrator of “The Star Shard.” I sent her a signed copy of Dragonfly and she sent me a signed print of Minstrels’ Song, the picture of Cymbril, Bobbin, … Continue reading
No, that’s not a fictional character. It’s short for “January Retrospective.” What a month January was! Part 8 of “The Star Shard” is on stands now (the February issue of Cricket), and Emily Fiegenschuh’s illustrations just get better and better. … Continue reading
Heh, heh — they’re actually maneki neko, which means “inviting cats.” But I couldn’t resist pointing out the similarity to a certain mighty landmark in Middle-earth. I’ve never seen maneki neko in a paired set like this before. Maybe as … Continue reading
Just a quick announcement for anyone interested: if you’d like to read some of Emily Fiegenschuh’s notes and stories about her methods, creative process, and particular joys & challenges in illustrating “The Star Shard,” there is what amounts to a … Continue reading
Waves of agony Cymbril had never expected rolled through her as tears spilled from her eyes and her nose ran. “Little bird.” His palm brushed her hair, gently as the falling of light. “This is a song I’ve … Continue reading