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What is a Red Herring?

Andrew Michael Miller2 Comments

The term "red herring" gets thrown around fairly often, especially when discussing mystery genre stories, or other stories with such elements. Based on the context that you've heard the term used, it should be pretty obvious what the term means, but what happens when the obvious answer is wrong? It would be such a shame if the author of something you were reading deliberately misled you by placing clues in the story for you and the characters to incorrectly assume are the answer to the big mystery. But, it happens, and you should really watch out for it when it does.

Reasons for Building the World of El Tor

Andrew Michael Miller2 Comments

It should be no secret what things have influenced my worldbuilding for Caelon and the surrounding area. Everything that resembles the history of the real world, especially in medieval Spain, as well as Ireland and other European countries, was intentionally used as a model for the world I have been sculpting for the last two years. I wanted to take the backdrop of something familiar so that it would feel welcoming to certain cultures who might one day read my work, but more importantly I wanted, and still want, to achieve a few goals.

What is “Chekhov’s Gun” and Why Does it Matter?

Andrew Michael Miller1 Comment

Have you heard the term "Chekhov's gun" before, when talking about a scene from a story? Maybe it was in the context of a negative review of a movie or show you just watched, or maybe someone critiquing your work suggested there's a case of "Chekhov's gun" that you should address. So what is it, exactly, and how can you spot it from now on?

The Gifted Wars – 32 Years of Bitter Feuds (Part V)

Andrew Michael MillerLeave a comment

The unprecedented success of newly crowned King Eldrio Moro of Ismar in the year 54 A4 changed the political landscape of Caelon immediately. Word spread fast throughout the land that he had succeeded where Joske, lord of Iobina had failed, and had won sovereignty over the Torian rule. Although sentiment for independence had already grown among many of the lords of the land, the victory of King Moro served as a catalyst for the notion that by having blood of the First Son in their veins, that gave them the right to rule as kings. Wars on many fronts would soon be waged, an uncoordinated yet decisively effective turn of events that would prove impossible to stop. And so began the inevitable fall of the unified Torian Empire.

3 Tips for Finding Sources of Creative Inspiration

Andrew Michael MillerLeave a comment

We've all been there before. We get into our creative place, set aside plenty of time for ourselves, and then we freeze. Often times this leads to distraction, and then before we know it we lose track of time and ultimately end up with nothing to show for it. We walk away frustrated, knowing we floundered when we could have been focusing for all that time. We get too caught up in our own head and then we have nothing to show for it. We begin to doubt ourselves and end up worse for the wear. So, what can we do to avoid falling into this trap? For starters, it helps to be prepared before ever getting into our creative space. Here's a few tips on how you can prepare yourself with plenty of sources of inspiration when there are just none to be found.