Week of Summer Vacation
Last week, I took a break from writing to spend time with my family, who were visiting from out of state. It was a whirlwind as we tried to cram…
Arqan and Old Ursan: The Languages of Arkia
One of the first things people say about Riwenne & the Mechanical Beasts is "Why are all the character names so complicated? How are you even supposed to pronounce these…
Excerpt: Road to Freedom
I'm not much of a songwriter, but I enjoy writing lyrics for my stories. In the Divine Warriors series, that means the prayers to the gods used by the temples…
New Maps for Arkia
A few weeks ago, I shared my work-in-progress map for Arkia, along with some old versions. Today, I'm sharing the new, complete map along with closer details. (World map for…
Mapmaker, Mapmaker, Make Me a Map
One of the most important parts of bringing a story to life for me is to start with a map. I always get excited when I open a new book…
Map of Seirenia (Wyld Magic)
It's been a long time coming. I've been drawing maps for my own use for years, but I was afraid that the quality wasn't good enough to share or print.…
Tokenism and Other Problems of Diversity
I was recently sent a review request for a fantasy novel that I thought I would enjoy. However, the racism inherent in the story’s premise made it impossible for me…
Food For Thought: Cannibal Mermaids?
I've been having this discussion about mermaids in one of the episodes of The Voyage of the Miscreation (#3, "The Sunken Forest"), and I'm not sure what I think anymore. If…
Guest Post: World-building Names by Katharina Gerlach
Today, bilingual author Katharina Gerlach is touring for the release of her latest novel, Swordplay! I love Katharina’s detailed and unique worlds, so I asked her to tell me a little about how she planned her newest series, and she wrote this post about how she comes up with her names. Read on to find out more about the book, and make sure to go to the end for a giveaway!
Worldbuilding Names
Have you ever realized how important names in a novel’s world are? Take Harry Potter’s world as an example. The main character’s name is ordinary but not too blunt. It signifies how ordinary Harry sees himself. Brilliant Hermione, on the other hand, got a name to fit a character that’s unusually intelligent. What does that tell us about Ron? Yup, boring… but with hidden context. After all, Ron is really the shortened version of Ronald, and according to a baby name site, it means: Mighty counselor/ruler in Scottish. Another role fitting name, don’t you think?
Cynthia Hosts Me to Chat All About Marewings
Cynthia Ravinski hosts me on her blog today with a guest post about my favorite new monsters. Click here to read: In Kristen Walker's Words: All About Words