Fantasy Writing Category
The Writer’s Guide to Puncture Wounds
Posted on April 11, 2025 Leave a Comment
Puncture wounds are dramatic, high-stakes injuries that can add tension and danger to your story. Whether it’s a dagger through a knight’s side, a nail through a construction worker’s foot, or an alien claw piercing a space traveler’s suit, puncture wounds can create immediate peril and lasting consequences. Writing these injuries realistically requires understanding their […]
The Writer’s Guide to Sprains and Strains
Posted on March 28, 2025 Leave a Comment
Sprains and strains are common injuries that can add depth and tension to your story, especially in action-oriented or survival-focused plots. These injuries can challenge your characters without incapacitating them completely, providing opportunities for resilience, improvisation, and personal growth. Writing them realistically requires an understanding of their causes, symptoms, severity, and recovery. This article covers […]
The Writer’s Guide to Concussions and Head Injuries
Posted on March 14, 2025 Leave a Comment
Concussions and head injuries are common in action-packed stories, from intense battles in fantasy worlds to space missions gone wrong in science fiction. But writing these injuries convincingly requires more than just a dramatic fall or blow to the head. Understanding causes, symptoms, recovery timelines, and potential long-term effects will add depth and realism to […]
The Writer’s Guide to Broken Bones
Posted on February 28, 2025 Leave a Comment
Breaking a bone is one of the most common and impactful injuries in fiction. Whether it happens during a dramatic fight scene, a tragic accident, or an adventurous misstep, fractures offer an opportunity to showcase your character’s resilience, vulnerability, and recovery journey. To write these scenes realistically, it’s essential to understand the types of fractures, […]
The Writer’s Guide to Basic Anatomy
Posted on February 14, 2025 Leave a Comment
Understanding basic anatomy doesn’t just make your injury scenes more believable—it makes them more engaging. While you don’t need the expertise of a doctor, by focusing on how injuries affect the body, you can craft realistic, impactful moments that resonate with readers and deepen their connection to your characters. Take the time to research and […]
The Writer’s Guide to Writing Injuries Realistically
Posted on January 31, 2025 Leave a Comment
In storytelling, injuries are more than just obstacles for heroes to overcome. They have the power to deepen character development, increase plot tension, and add a layer of authenticity that draws readers into the narrative. But to achieve these effects, injuries in fiction need to be portrayed with realism. A character who takes a severe […]
World-building Case Study Example
Posted on January 17, 2025 Leave a Comment
Creating a captivating fantasy world requires not only vivid imagination, but also a structured approach to bring the world and its inhabitants to life. In this article, I’ll walk through every element of world building, following the journey of Zarina, a young woman with a rare gift for manipulating an extraordinary form of magic. I […]
The Worldbuilder’s Toolkit: World-building for Urban Fantasy
Posted on December 20, 2024 2 Comments
Urban fantasy combines the magical and the mundane, placing supernatural elements in contemporary settings. This subgenre offers a unique opportunity to explore familiar urban landscapes infused with magical intrigue, mythical creatures, and hidden societies. Crafting a believable and immersive urban fantasy world requires careful attention to detail, character integration, and the interplay between reality and […]
The Worldbuilder’s Toolkit: Building a Magic System
Posted on October 25, 2024 Leave a Comment
Magic is one of the elements that defines the fantasy genre and often serves as the lifeblood of a fantasy world, influencing everything from plot dynamics to character development. A well-designed magic system not only enhances the immersive experience but also provides a solid framework for storytelling. Here’s a guide to building a magic system […]
The Worldbuilder’s Toolkit: Magic Systems
Posted on October 11, 2024 1 Comment
Magic systems are a cornerstone of fantasy, infusing your world with wonder, conflict, and intrigue. A well-crafted magic system not only enriches your story but also deepens character development, drives plot progression, and enhances world-building. This guide is an introduction. Over the next several weeks, I will explore how to build a magic system. Hard […]
Rebecca Shedd - Author 