The Secrets of Writing Fantasy Heroes

Posted on March 8, 2013 by

Writing Fantasy HeroesA How To Guide for writing fantasy heroes? Sounds ideal doesn’t it for any aspiring epic fantasy writer – and especially for anyone who would want to get published in Fantasy Short Stories?

Well now there is a book giving you tips on just how to write fantasy heroes and its called … Writing Fantasy Heroes!

Here’s some more info about the book:

Fantasy heroes endure. They are embedded in our cultural fabric, dwarfing other literary figures and the mere men and women of history. Achilles and Odysseus, Gilgamesh and Beowulf. King Arthur and Robin Hood, Macbeth and Sherlock Holmes, Conan and Luke Skywalker. They dominate our legends, and tower over popular culture. The stories we tell each other begin and end with fantasy heroes, and the 21st Century is as thoroughly captivated with them as ever. From Batman to Gandalf, Harry Potter to Tyrion Lannister, the heroes of fantasy speak to — and for — whole generations. But what makes a fantasy hero? How do the best writers create them, and bring them to life on the page? In Writing Fantasy Heroes some of the most successful fantasy writers of our time-including Steven Erikson, Brandon Sanderson, Janet Morris, Cecelia Holland, Orson Scott Card, and Glen Cook-pull back the curtain to reveal the secrets of creating heroes that live and breathe, and steal readers’ hearts. Whether you’re an aspiring writer or simply a reader who loves great fantasy and strong characters, this book is for you.

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Apex Magazine Announce Their March Issue

Posted on March 6, 2013 by

Apex Magazine - March 2013 IssueApex Magazine, a science fiction, fantasy and horror magazine has just announced its March issue is available.

Contents include:

Fiction 
“Death Comes Sideways to the Mall” by William Alexander
“Mermaid’s Hook” by Liz Argall
“If You Were a Dinosaur, My Love” by Rachel Swirsky
“The Fairy Library” by Tim Pratt

Nonfiction 
“Editorial: Blood on Vellum” by Lynne M. Thomas
“I Married a Fake Geek Girl; A Defense of Casual Fandom” by Kelly McCullough
“Interview with Tim Pratt” by Maggie Slater

It looks like there’s lots of great stuff there for fantasy fans to read.

For more details go to http://www.apex-magazine.com

Subscriptions and the individual issue are also available to purchase.

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2012 in review

Posted on January 3, 2013 by

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This blog had 15,000 views in 2012. If each view were a film, this blog would power 3 Film Festivals

Click here to see the complete report.

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Fantasy Short Stories moving to Print Publication as well as eBook

Posted on November 29, 2012 by

The first issue of Fantasy Short Stories was only available as an eBook. However, print is not dead, so for subsequent editions we will be making Fantasy Short Stories available in a print edition as well as an eBook. Hopefully that will give it an even wider readership than currently as there are a lot of people out there (myself included actually) who prefer to read in print.

This means that our terms and conditions on acceptance of a story will now ask for first serial rights for both eBook and printed book formats.

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Update on Alt Hist Issue 5

Posted on November 29, 2012 by

Reblogged from Alt Hist: Historical Fiction and Alternate History:

I thought I should give followers and readers of Alt Hist a quick update on where we are with Alt Hist Issue 5. I was hoping that we would have an issue ready for November this year - our plan being to publish an issue twice a year, one in May and one in November.

However, we don't have enough stories yet for the issue.

Read more… 88 more words

Some information about our sister publication Alt Hist.
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Review of Fantasy Short Stories at SF Site

Posted on October 24, 2012 by

Thought you might like to know that the first issue of Fantasy Short Stories has been reviewed over at SF Site. Stephen M. Davis thought it was an “interesting, albeit uneven, debut.”

Visit SF Site to read the review in full, and if you haven’t yet read the first issue yet then take a look at our Current Issue page for more information.

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The Golden Age of Role-playing Games

Posted on October 20, 2012 by

Reblogged from Alastair Savage:

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The words 'golden age' don't often appear in the same sentence as 'the 1980s', but the decade was the golden age of role-playing games. In the 1970s, role-playing games (RPGs) were an esoteric hobby played by a select few. By the 1990s, they were already fading in popularity due to competition from computer games.

Most of the general public still use 'Dungeons and Dragons' as a generic term for RPGs.

Read more… 659 more words

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Interview with C. L. Holland, author of ‘The Empty Dark’

Posted on July 14, 2012 by

It’s now time for our last author interview from issue 1 of Fantasy Short Stories, which features C. L. Holland, the author of ‘The Empty Dark’.

Can you tell our readers a little about ‘The Empty Dark’ and how you got the idea for the story?

The characters were already floating around, but ‘The Empty Dark’ itself came from one of the writing challenges over at the Liberty Hall writers’ website. Unfortunately I can’t remember what the trigger for that particular challenge was, but it seemed to fit. The story’s been changed a lot since then, and it was the first time I realised Korix why is afraid of the dark.

Who are your favourite fantasy fiction authors, and why?

At the moment, Patricia McKillip and Sarah Monette. I love McKillip’s lyrical style, and the feel of the worlds she creates. Sarah Monette’s work is dark and beautiful, her world-building is so detailed and she’s not afraid of putting squalor and horror right in the middle of it.

Are there any authors that you admire from other genres?

I absolutely love Phil Rickman‘s series of Merrily Watkins books, about a female Deliverance Minister (exorcist) in the Church of England. I’m also making the most of having an e-reader to work my way through all the classics I don’t have shelf space for.

How did you get into writing, and why did you choose to write fantasy?

I don’t remember a time when I didn’t write. I used to tell bedtime stories to my younger brother if my parents weren’t able to. Genre-wise, I think fantasy chose me. The first stories I ever wrote were fantasy but I don’t know why. Writing in the real world scares me!

What do you do when you’re not writing?

I make jewellery and sell it at www.xanthalanari.etsy.com, and I’m also currently taking a distance learning course in proofreading. And I read, a lot.

Are you working on any other short stories or novels at the moment and if so can you tell us a bit more about them?

I’ve got several stories in various stages, one of which is another Korix and Leveri story. There’s also a superhero story, and a historical fantasy, as I like to try new things.

What are your ambitions as a writer?

At the moment I have the modest ambition to be able give up one day a week of my day job, in order to concentrate on freelancing. More time to do something I love would be wonderful. I also intend to try and keep all of my stories available, by putting out e-books whenever I have enough stories where the rights have reverted. So far I have two small collections available. Anyone interested in keeping up with my work can find me at www.facebook.com/CLHollandwriter, or my website Conversations with Dragons.

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Interview with Mike Pielaet-Strayer, author the ‘The Dying Elf’

Posted on June 25, 2012 by

Mike Pielaet-StrayerMike Pielaet-Strayer is our fourth author interviewee. His story ‘The Dying Elf’ begins the first issue of Fantasy Short Stories.

Can you tell our readers a little about ‘The Dying Elf’ and how you got the idea for the story?

The idea for this story came to me in the form of an image. I don’t remember what I was doing, I might’ve been in the shower, might’ve been smoking a cigarette, but I got this image in my head of a young elf slowly bleeding out, and a dark swordsman looming above him, crying. So I started asking questions. Why is the elf dying? Why is the swordsman in tears? Where are they? And the story evolved from there.

Who are your favourite fantasy fiction authors, and why?

Well, I was raised on J.R.R. Tolkien. I’ve probably read The Hobbit twenty times, and when I was young my mom would read to me from magazines like Fantasy and Science Fiction as I went to bed. I love the Dark Tower series by Stephen King, and I’m currently reading A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin.

Are there any authors that you admire from other genres?

Yes. I believe Cormac McCarthy is our greatest living writer. And in terms of poetry I’m a fan of W.S. Merwin. I also love Hunter S. Thompson, as well as Charles Bukowski. I’m a huge fan of Raymond Chandler and Frank Bill, as well.

How did you get into writing, and why did you choose to write fantasy?

I started writing at a very young age. My parents bought me a typewriter at a garage sale when I was in grade school, and I haven’t stopped writing since, though I really didn’t begin to take it seriously until I was in college.  As far as fantasy is concerned, I didn’t exactly choose to write it. I got an image in my head that wouldn’t go away, and when the story was finished it happened to be a fantasy.

What do you do when you’re not writing?

I do a good amount of reading. I love to read. I’m also teaching myself to play guitar. I love music. Listening to it. Talking about it, playing it. Classic rock, mostly. Nothing out there quite like a David Gilmour solo, or a B.B. King progression. Other than that, I’m a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, so  I spend a lot of time with my friends… Going to the gym, or Riley’s bar, or on debauched misadventures up and down California. My friends are bundles of fun, and they function as a constant and unwavering support and inspiration for my writing.

Are you working on any other short stories or novels at the moment and if so can you tell us a bit more about them?

Yes, I’ve a couple projects I’m working on. I’m revising a short story about the end of the world, and I’m writing a novel about illegal, bare-knuckle fighting tournaments.

What are your ambitions as a writer?

I hope to one day be a best-selling novelist and the winner of a Pulitzer Prize. I really just want to be able to support myself on my writing alone.

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Interview with Gretchen Tessmer, author of ‘Sparrows Falling’

Posted on June 16, 2012 by

Gretchen TessmerFor our third interview is with Gretchen Tessmer who wrote ‘Sparrows Falling’ for the first issue of Fantasy Short Stories.

Can you tell our readers a little about ‘Sparrows Falling’ and how you got the idea for the story?

‘Sparrows Falling’ is a short fantasy piece set in a land far, far away that follows an enchantress dealing with the imminent betrayal of her powerful mentor/lord of the castle.  She’s put all her trust in this seemingly honorable man and suddenly he scraps all his principles in favor of a path that will eventually lead to the death and destruction of a whole lot of innocent people.  She’s left blindsided, confused and terrified of what this means, for herself and others.

I have been thinking about this story for a while. I used my own experience with a former mentor and obviously heightened the stakes and emotion. Betrayal is a timeless feeling—the wanting to lock yourself in your room and hide feeling, the frustrating speechlessness that comes when you realize that someone you trusted completely has failed you so miserably. It’s not a happy feeling and that’s what I was trying to capture in this story.

Who are your favourite fantasy fiction authors, and why?

Love Neil Gaiman for his wit and humor. I haven’t read a book by him that I haven’t enjoyed on some level. ‘Neverwhere’ is brilliant. I’ll always sing C.S. Lewis’s praises because as a child I couldn’t get enough of Narnia.

Are there any authors that you admire from other genres?

Yasmina Reza is currently my favorite writer in any form/genre. A good friend introduced me to ‘Art’ a couple years ago and since then, I can’t get enough of her work. ‘An Unexpected Man’ is one of the best plays I’ve ever read.  I enjoy Tom Robbins’s style of writing and adore John Steinbeck.  Margaret Atwood writes lovely prose.  I read a lot of Thomas Hardy too.

How did you get into writing, and why did you choose to write fantasy?

I’ve been writing forever.  I devoured books while I was growing up and writing was a natural next step.  Fantasy is my favorite genre, followed closely by historical fiction.  I write fantasy because I enjoy reading fantasy.  The otherworldly settings, the ideas of mysticism and magic, the old world dress and powerful dialogue are all so much fun to sink into.  In fantasy, situations tend to be more life and death so the level of emotion involved is higher too.  And strong emotion is an absolute thrill to write.

What do you do when you’re not writing?

I’ve been a paralegal for five years.  It’s not the most glamorous line of work but it pays the bills.  When I’m not working, my life is an endless parade of music, friends and family. I’m usually on a breezy porch, balancing on the railing, drink in my hand, listening to somebody play a song written fifty years ago.

Are you working on any other short stories or novels at the moment and if so can you tell us a bit more about them?

I have two major projects in the works.  I just finished my first book length historical fic, a short novel set on the Titanic entitled ‘May It Be.’  There’s a slight fantasy/supernatural element to the ending and I think the pace and narrative style of the story will appeal to a wide audience, fantasy readers included.  I’ve self-published through Blurb Books but am actively seeking an established publisher to give it a wider release.  I’ve also been working on a series of inter-connected fantasy shorts, all self-contained but set in the same universe as ‘Sparrows Falling.’  I hope to create either a short story collection or a novel from this series.

What are your ambitions as a writer?

I’ll write until the pen runs dry.  And then I’ll reach in the drawer and grab another one.  Or go out to the porch and listen to sad songs until I feel like writing again.  One word at a time…

You can find out more about Gretchen at her poetry blog and also at the website for her story ‘May It Be’.

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