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Why You Shouldn’t Rush Your Novel

Andrew Michael MillerLeave a comment

So you made the mistake of telling someone that you're writing a novel, and now you feel a sense of urgency to get the book finished. But why do this to yourself? How long has it been since you first started charting your course? Six months? A year? Two years? Maybe you have even written quite a bit, but you know that it's a long way from perfection. So what do you do - rush it, just to get it done? The answer should, of course, be no - not if you are passionate about what you are writing and want it to be something that makes you proud. After all, there's a lot of precedent from successful novelists, and comparing the time frames of their writing to your own could do you a lot of good to help relieve that pressure you imposed upon yourself.

Vanity and the Ancient: Concerning the Second Age

Andrew Michael MillerLeave a comment

The civilization centered on and around Caelon we know today was built on the remains of a vibrant and ancient world, one more far-reaching and expansive than many people realize. The ancient societies of mankind were said to have spread far and wide, far beyond the reaches of modern man in his attempts to rebuild. Although the bones of their cities still stand, the knowledge they gathered and the technology they used now are lost to the ever-flowing stream of time. What hints of the past still remain are closely-guarded secrets in libraries and treasure troves kept by the rulers of the modern world. However, there are a few important discoveries that have been made in time, that give us a glimpse of what life used to be like before the Fall of Man.

Tips for Writing Your First Fantasy/Sci-Fi Novel

Andrew Michael Miller2 Comments

If you have ever wanted to write a Fantasy or Sci-Fi story, you've undoubtedly wondered when the perfect time to write the story would be. You may know the story you want to tell, but maybe you're not sure about the ins and outs of how the story will interact with the universe you hope to create. Sometimes, this can cause what some writers call "Worldbuilding Hell," a rabbit hole that many authors fall into that makes it hard to get back into the real story writing. So, how can you avoid the worldbuilding trap while still telling the story you want to tell in an appropriately designed world of your choosing? Here are some tips to consider.

The Founding of Torium

Andrew Michael Miller1 Comment

After the Gifted Wars reached their conclusion, several factors brought the remainder of the Torian Empire closer to the edge of destruction. Losing direct control over nearly half of the Torian-founded settlements on Caelon to new monarchies primed the government of the White Walled City for an eventual takeover by outside forces. For nearly 400 years, the Torian government saw decline as more and more cities came to prominence, decentralizing the trade and lowering the intrinsic value of a capital city. While the Torian forces would be ultimately conquered and removed from their home, the ancient seat of El Tor, the remnants of the once-great society still survive across the great Lago Nero, on a large stretch of land now known as Torium.

What is the Bechdel Test?

Andrew Michael Miller1 Comment

Have you ever noticed how sometimes in films and tv shows, when two women are on screen together, they tend to talk about men? Whether it bothers you or not, you're definitely not the only one to notice this phenomenon. Back in 1985, there was a comic strip by American cartoonist Alison Bechdel that called out the normalization of this phenomenon in modern cinema. The three-part "test" explained in the comic strip was that one character of the strip would only see a movie if 1) there are two women in the movie who 2) talk to each other about 3) something other than a man. The punchline was that it was so rare for this to happen that hardly any movies passed the test. Because this strip's message became so popular, the Bechdel Test was named in her honor.