Fantasy Writing Category
Breathing Life into Fantasy: Creating a Believable Setting
Posted on January 19, 2024 Leave a Comment
The appeal of fantasy lies in its ability to transform the impossible into reality and make extraordinary things seem commonplace. But for a fantasy world to captivate readers, it must feel believable and immersive. Crafting a world that feels genuine is crucial, not just a writing exercise. In this article, I’ll delve into how to […]
Introduction to Worldbuilding
Posted on January 5, 2024 Leave a Comment
Fantasy literature transports readers to unimaginable realms, where they can escape reality and embark on epic quests, encounter mythical creatures, and explore magical lands. The key to the magic of these stories lies in creating fantasy worlds that are immersive, believable, and awe-inspiring. These realms become characters in their own right. The art of worldbuilding […]
The Writer’s Guide to Maritime Navigation
Posted on November 24, 2023 Leave a Comment
Over the last couple of weeks, I have covered different ships and a large span of maritime history. However, all these ships mean nothing if you do not know how to get where you are going. Today I will cover maritime navigation. I will mainly focus on navigation before satellite and radio. As always, magic […]
The Writer’s Guide to Sailing Ships of the Age of Exploration
Posted on October 13, 2023 Leave a Comment
The Age of Exploration, also known as the Age of Discovery, was a time that saw a surge of explorers taking to the seas. From the 15th to 17th century, European explorers discovered and colonized multiple regions worldwide. This exploration would not have been possible without two technological advancements. The first was the magnetic compass, […]
The Writer’s Guide to Sailing Ships of the Ancient World
Posted on September 29, 2023 Leave a Comment
The history of the sailing ship is long and throughout it humans have developed many types of vessels. The builder’s needs and the advances in sailing technology achieved up to that point usually influenced the designs of sailing ships. This will not be an exhaustive list. There are too many types of sailing ships and […]
Writer’s Deep Dive: Sail Repair
Posted on February 3, 2023 5 Comments
As I said in my last post, The Writer’s Guide to Sails, the sails are the engine of the ship. Therefore, any damage that prevents the sails from performing their function threatens the ship and crew. In the worst case, the vessel will be stranded or at the mercy of the tides and waves. As […]
Writer’s Deep Dive: Anchors
Posted on January 6, 2023 4 Comments
A ship’s anchor is a critical piece of equipment. It allows the vessel to be secured in place when a dock or pier is unavailable. However, just like the hull and sail shapes, the anchor has a significant amount of technology in its design. Now, let’s dive in! Terminology Shank – The long piece of […]
Writer’s Deep Dive: Toledo Steel
Posted on November 11, 2022 1 Comment
Damascus, Syria was not the only city that became famous for its steel. Toledo, Spain was also producing high quality and highly valued blades from ancient times. Now, let’s dive in! What is Toledo Steel? Toledo steel was famous for being flexible and strong and its production was a closely guarded secret until the 20th […]
Writer’s Deep Dive: Metalworkers
Posted on September 16, 2022 1 Comment
When most people think of metalworkers, the image that commonly comes to their mind is a medieval blacksmith hammering at his anvil. However, there are other types of metalworkers, most of whom were skilled in a specialized craft. I will focus in this article on metal crafts from before the Industrial Revolution. Unfortunately, that means […]
Rebecca Shedd - Author 