Jackson Graham

@warrioroftherealm That’s pretty similar to my method! My cultures tend to be mashups of different real-world cultures and other unique details I want to include. Often I’ll center them around one or two core values, too, either from the get-go or as I develop them further.

My earlier worlds were heavily based on Medieval European tropes, since…[Read more]

I’m not much of a linguist (or a cartographer, for that matter… While I used to love fictional cartography, now I tend to make maps only out of necessity since I’m not very good at it. XD), but I definitely love the worldbuilding aspect of fantasy. I find cultures and mythologies especially fun to develop, and I love using them to explore…[Read more]

Thank you, @warrioroftherealm! That’s really helpful!

(Confession: I am “fascinated with swords” [see signature] but am actually rather a noob at swordfighting.)

Hello! I’m back to this wonderful pointy topic!

I finally got swords in my novel! Well….they’re practice blunts, but I got to write the word “sword” so I’m pretty happy.

But I don’t know how to teach someone to use it. Has anyone ever written a scene where your MC is taught to use a sword? Because I am rather clueless.

@daeus @warrioroftherealm

@warrioroftherealm *salutes* Awesome!

@warrioroftherealm

I almost forgot! War in the Wasteland by Douglas Bond is really good.

@warrioroftherealm Check out Robert Elmer! He wrote the Promise of Zion series, which is historical fiction about the Jews after WWII, another historical fiction series about Australia (which I haven’t read and I don’t know the title), and a sci fi trilogy called the Shadowside Trilogy (I think).

You might like Brian Davis’ books, too, although I…[Read more]

@warrioroftherealm  Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!!!!!!!!!! I finally get a chance to rant about my favorite books. I will try not to wrote a list a mile long. *takes deep breath to calm down* Ok, I’m good. You should definitely read Harry Potter, and then Percy Jackson, and then The squire tales by Gerald Morris are really good as well.

@warrioroftherealm Well, your tag instantly reminded me of Chuck Black’s trilogy Wars of the Realms. A.W.E.S.O.M.E. Those are kinda contemporary fantasy (the MC can see angels and demons) Black also has two other series; Knights of Arrethtrae and the Kingdom series. Both Christian clean fantasy. I’ve read them prob three times. Great…[Read more]

@warrioroftherealm  GAH! I forgot to mention Les Miserables!! That book is a must

@WarrioroftheRealm The Count of Monte Cristo is a good historical fiction, with lots of intrigue though it’s not exactly political in nature.

@warrioroftherealm

• The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson
• Calico Captive and The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare
• Night by Elie Wiesel
• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
• The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank (non-fiction)
• Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

(You do know that BlueJay is gone for now……….)

@warrioroftherealm H. Rider Haggard wrote some amazing books with plenty of intrigue.  I’ve read a couple of his historical fiction ones, but I believe he wrote some fantasy as well.

@warrioroftherealm The Ascendance Trilogy by Nielsen.

<p style=”text-align: left;”>@warrioroftherealm AAAHHHH!!! *tells herself to calm down* Read the Kingfountain Books by Jeff Wheeler! They are fantasy and have a fair bit of political intrigue, and are overall very well written, clean, and extremely hard to put down.</p>

@warrioroftherealm Try Rora for historical fiction. It’s a tale of a Waldensian resistance fighter and it has some good political intrigue in it.

@WarrioroftheRealm Well, looks like I’m contradicting everyone else on this topic, but… my first thought was yes, absolutely. 😛 It’s undoubtedly cliche. There are ALWAYS exceptions, which several of the worthy responders above have pointed out, but in general, just thinking of that kind of scene, yes, I find it cliche.

*slinks out*

As someone who is considering using Elemental powers in an upcoming book, I had to ask: what is the MOST ANNOYING thing you’ve seen done using Elementals? What is the coolest? That would really help me, thanks! @warrioroftherealm @mark-kamibaya @daeus