World-Building: Politics, Commerce, & Justice

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World-Building: Politics, Commerce, & Justice

Some people hate world-building and others love it. I consider myself to be the latter. When I begin writing a new story, the first thing I like to do is create the world.

A great way to think about it is like this. A theatre performance would be pretty boring without the set, backdrop, and props to great a spectacle on the stage.

It is the same with writing fantasy and science fiction (for me, at least). A story and its characters are made better by the captivating world around them.

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Writing Inspiration: Greek Mythology (Part 3)

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Writing Inspiration: Greek Mythology (Part 3)

Greek mythology is my favourite source of inspiration for creative writing (as you might’ve guessed by now). One reason why is that the characters in Greek mythology are unforgivably human and complex.

Divine or mortal, every man and woman has their flaws and strengths; and thanks to a contemporary fascination with classical studies, a lot more people are writing about the gods, heroes, and heroines in a modern context.

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My Creative Writing Process

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My Creative Writing Process

There is nothing more engaging and exciting than two creators talking about their art. I myself have a friend who is very gifted at digital drawing, and I always take the chance to learn more about her process and support her progress. She, too, is always eager to hear about my creative writing.

One thing engaging with other writers and artists has taught me is that there is no right or wrong way to write a story or do anything remotely artistic.

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World-building: How I draw fantasy maps

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World-building: How I draw fantasy maps

I like maps. I think they’re great when you’re trying to figure out where your story is set and what the characters see in the world around them.

Now, I don’t consider myself an artist. My maps are messy, but I have learned a lot overtime about how to draw them. I thought it would be fun and helpful to share some of the tricks and tips I’ve discovered about fantasy mapmaking and worldbuilding.

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World-building Inspiration: Geography

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World-building Inspiration: Geography

World-building is one of my favourite things to do. Especially when I find a new project to work on or I need a break from my current writing project.

Creating a unique, exciting world from scratch it what makes different fantasy novels so unique and exciting to read.

I’ve been thinking for a while now that fantasy literature is starting to make a comeback. And this makes writing fantasy even more inspiring and fun to do. But it is no easy feat. There is a lot of work that goes into creating a rich, imaginative world that feels real.

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Creative writing inspiration: Greek mythology (part 2)

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Creative writing inspiration: Greek mythology (part 2)

People always ask me what I’m going to do with my Classical Studies degree. Well, here’s one thing I always use it for.

I have become a storyteller. I find people around me and I narrate my favourite stories about the ancient Greek world. It’s not that grand, but it still feels like I am carrying on this age-old tradition. Of passing stories down by word-of-mouth.

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8 Things I've learned about creative writing

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8 Things I've learned about creative writing

I’ve always loved creative writing, and it wasn’t until university that I realized it was one of my passions. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t imaginative, creative, a day dreamer.

Now, at 21 I’ve realized that my imagination is one of my biggest strengths and it would be a shame to waste it.

Last year (2018) was the year I finally started to write with determination. To craft an entire story from nothing in my free time during my studies. Looking back, it was terrible but so is every other first draft.

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How I Create Characters For My Writing

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How I Create Characters For My Writing

Today, we have access to countless writing resources because of the internet and social media. Already, the writing community on Tumblr is thriving and National Novel Writing Month – or NaNoWriMo – is more popular than ever with young, seasoned and aspiring writers.

It is never a challenge to find inspiration for your own writing when you have all these resources available to you. We’ve created an environment where everyone is welcome – no, encouraged - to share their writing and creative process.

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writing inspiration: Greek mythology (part 1)

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writing inspiration: Greek mythology (part 1)

Who loves fairy tales? I know I do. While I think that they’re an amazing source for writing inspiration, I also feel that there are other places that we haven’t yet dared to look.

I was obsessed with Greek mythology in my high school years. And before you ask, no I didn’t read the Percy Jackson books.

What I did do is take a class in Classical Studies in my final year, and I enjoyed it so much that I decided to major in it at university.

Most people have only heard of the mythic Trojan War. Either they read the “Iliad” or they watched the movie or BBC tv series. When I made Classical Studies the focus of my education, I learned that there is so much more out there.

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