As part of the Australian Women Writers Challenge 2013, I recently finished reading Shadow Queen (The Binding #1 -- first published Allen&Unwin 2009), a fantasy novel by my good friend and cafe writing buddy, Deborah Kalin. It's the story of Matilde, a young woman groomed to rule over a seething conglomeration of houses all vying against each other, … Continue reading Book Review: Shadow Queen by Deborah Kalin
Is there any creature more synonymous with fantasy than the DRAGON? I don't think so. I cannot count the number of novels and movies featuring dragons. They appear in many different guises -- they may be ferocious and evil, gentle and benevolent, or else plain disinterested in man. They may or may not speak or possess … Continue reading D is for Dragon
After my positive experience during NaNoWriMo last November (when I wrote a stack of words on my WIP) I'm now considering signing up for Camp NaNoWriMo. Yep. It can all happen again in April and/or July -- the word slinging, the discipline, the moral support from the writing community. This time we have the flexibility … Continue reading Packing for Camp NaNoWriMo
Some might think them a cliche, but for me castles are one of the quintessential hallmarks of classical fantasy. I love them -- soaring towers and turrets, imposing battlements, mazes of halls and corridors and bedchambers, walls so thick the characters can hold parties upon them . . . and so often overlooking a majestic landscape or … Continue reading C is for castle
I've been getting back into my WIP this week, which is hugely satisfying. After hitting the wall during NaNoWriMo in November, I lost momentum -- mainly because December is always crazy with Christmas and the start of summer, and then I was just getting going again in January when... stuff happened. But I am going … Continue reading Being an update on writerly progress
Last year, I gave my nine year old niece the first Harry Potter book for her birthday. She wasn't much of a bookworm... in fact, she preferred books on science or the natural world. Nonetheless, I decided to impose my love of Harry Potter on her and crossed my fingers that she would like it. … Continue reading But what if Hogwarts really does exist?
It's time for the second installment of my A-Z of Fantasy series, inspired by the letter B (what else?)! Although several fantasy B words resonate with me, that which calls strongest to me today is BARD. Perhaps it's the siren call of song winding through my senses after an evening singing with the Soulsongsters. Or … Continue reading B is for Bard
My new D&D character is a ranger called Ash. She is a northern plainswoman, a 'pale-skinned barbarian' in the imaginary world of our game. Hailing from a remote plains village that has recently been raided by thieving goblins, Ash and the village cleric (Alix) are the only surviving members of a party that set out … Continue reading D&D Chronicles: A tough induction for Ash
It seems I've finally gotten around to my promised post on "Why I Write" in response to Liv Rancourt's guest post in December. I should point out, though, that the focus is not so much on why I slave away for hours at the computer when I could be relaxing... it's rather on what's important about … Continue reading Four things I want my writing to accomplish
Today marks the first of a new series of posts I'm calling the 'A-Z of Fantasy'. Each post (roughly each fortnight) will be inspired by a different letter... and there are no other rules! I can think of many fantasy tropes beginning with A: apprentice, amulet, angst, armour, ale, armies... But in my view ADVENTURE … Continue reading A is for Adventure
Ellen Gregory 