Fantasy Writing Category
The Writer’s Guide to Horse Myths: Part 1
Posted on January 8, 2021 4 Comments
Today we are busting some of the most common horse myths that are repeated over and over in books, tv shows, and movies. As always, magic is the exception to the rules. Because magic. Noises It seems that almost every movie or tv show I watch that has horses in it, the sound artist has […]
The Writer’s Guide to Tack
Posted on January 1, 2021 5 Comments
Of course, a critical part of riding a horse is the saddle, bridle, and other equipment, collectively known as tack. As with several the other topics we have covered, things have changed a bit since the Middle Ages. While modern tack is a descendant of medieval tack there are some distinct differences. As always, magic […]
The Writer’s Guide to Horse’s Paces, Speed & Range
Posted on December 18, 2020 4 Comments
I have unfortunately seen a lot of misinformation on how far and fast a horse can go. In some books and movies, horses can gallop all day with a break. In others, they can barely make it a mile without collapsing. We are going to be looking to real-world averages and records to make your […]
The Writer’s Guide to Types of Medieval Horses
Posted on December 11, 2020 6 Comments
People during the Middle Ages thought of horses differently than we do. Today horses are defined mainly by their breed, which indicates the common size, conformation, and types of work or sport they are best suited to. For example, if I am told a horse is a Thoroughbred, I expect it to be tall, leggy, […]
The Writer’s Guide to Horse Basics
Posted on December 4, 2020 11 Comments
Humans and horses have a long history together so it’s no wonder we include them so much in our stories. Even Brandon Sanderson put them in the Stormlight Archive when he included no other real world animals. Unfortunately, there is so much misinformation about them. I am going to be starting with the basics today. […]
The Writer’s Guide to Arrows: Part 2
Posted on November 27, 2020 6 Comments
Today I’m going to be tackling two topics regarding arrows that are rife with misinformation but included repeatedly in books, TV and movies.
The Writer’s Guide to Arrows: Part 1
Posted on November 20, 2020 4 Comments
Types & Construction I’ve been spending a lot of time discussing bows but of course the bow is pretty worthless without arrows, which we will be diving into today. Just like bows, modern arrows differ significantly from historical arrows. As always, magic is the exception to the rules. Because magic. Arrow Terminology Shaft – The […]
The Writer’s Guide to Bows: Part 5
Posted on November 13, 2020 4 Comments
Miscellaneous This is the last in my series on bows before we move on to arrows. Today we are busting myths! There is so much misinformation being spread by books, television, and movies. Some of it’s completely false while the rest is true of modern bows but not traditional or historical bows. As always, magic […]
The Writer’s Guide to Bows: Part 4
Posted on November 6, 2020 46 Comments
Use in Battle & Construction Today I will be covering the use of bows in battle as well as maintenance and construction. There is a lot more to using archers in battle then lining them up and having them shoot. Also, the tactics used in an open field battle are different from the siege of […]
The Writer’s Guide to Bows: Part 3
Posted on October 30, 2020 1 Comment
Poundage, Range, Rate of Fire & Training In the third part of my five-part series on bows, I will be covering some more bits of critical information if you are writing an archer, especially if you’re doing a battle scene. As always, magic is the exception to the rules. Because magic. Poundage Probably one of […]
Rebecca Shedd - Author 