Just the first Maldene novel has somewhere around 8 main characters and a dozen or so more secondary ones, and later novels only add to that number. In fact, by the time all 13 novels are finished, the number has topped some 250 characters. So, why so many characters? When you have such a vast …
Tag: writing tips
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Writing Tips: Eccentric Characters
Every story has them, or at least every GOOD story has them. That one eccentric character with the quirk or odd way of behaving that draws him out to the reader’s eyes. A character that adds flavor and some fun to the telling of the tale. The eccentric character. First let’s clear something up. Eccentric …
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Writing Tips: What Is The Right Length For A Story
A question that has come up in many discussion groups is, how long should a story be? Some stories barely breach the definition of a novel at 80,000 words while others could challenge Harry Potter for sheer heft. So then, what Is the right length? The short answer is that a story is only as …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.maldene.com/writing-tips/1536
Writing Tips: Multiple POVs in an Epic Story
Writing an epic story takes a lot of planning, and by epic I’m talking something that spans multiple novels, has scenes that take place all over the world in question (or even on multiple worlds, where applicable), and has more than one major event taking place at the same time. Telling such a story requires …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.maldene.com/writing-tips/1354
Writing Tips: Passion In Your Writing
No matter what type of story, book, genre, or subject you wish to write about, be it short story, epic series, or self-help book, above and beyond ALL other good tips for writing, there is one piece of advice that rules them all, and that is Passion. You MUST have passion in your writing. So, …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.maldene.com/writing-tips/1218
Writing Tips: Designing An Alien Culture
In the course of writing a fantasy or science fiction story, the subject of alien cultures inevitably raises its head. The reader expects them and so as the writer it is your job to design some good ones. So, where to start? How do I design a culture that is alien enough and that the …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.maldene.com/writing-tips/1039
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Writing Tips: Writing Rules For A Hero
Every good story has its heros, but what defines a hero? How are some heros greater than others and what can you as a writer do to see that the Reader views him as heroic? The answers are not all that hard but are worth enumerating. First off, the obvious. A hero has to have …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.maldene.com/writing-tips/875
Writing Tips: Writing A Good Villain
Every story needs a good villain, but a great story needs a great villain. So, just what comprises a great villain? Just having someone in a black hat that can unstoppably destroy everything he touches is a bit juvenile, too basic, and rather unimaginative. On the other hand a villain can’t be weak either. So …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.maldene.com/writing-tips/843
Writing Tips: Time Travel In A Story
Time travel is one of those things that is great as a concept, but all too often a horrible miss in execution. Be it in books, movies, or TV, too often the author thinks that the phrase “It’s time travel, who can understand it?”, or “Temporal physics gives me a headache,” is all they need …
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