How to name your fantasy characters

Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, I tackle one of the most fun—and challenging—aspects of crafting a fantasy world: naming your characters. Whether you’re conjuring a brave hero, a sinister villain, or a mysterious supporting character, the right name can add depth, cultural significance, an…

How to title your fantasy novel

Coming up with a title for your fantasy novel can be a lot of fun, but also a lot of STRESS. So today on the show, I tell some of my own stories about how I've titled my work over the years, exploring tips and tricks and industry trends that can help you figure out the how and why of your title bef…

Reading your comments! Uh oh!

Conventional wisdom says to never read the comments, but today on a special Thanksgiving episode of the podcast, we're breaking the rules in ways only the fantasy genre can. That's right, we've gotten a fair number of comments and feedback on the show recently, so to give our wonderful producers a …

How to make an outline that works for you

Some people think that they don't need outlines. Or that their outline should be this massively intricate, chapter-by-chapter blueprint that has to be all figured out before you start writing a single word. Well, it turns out that the "right outline" is going to be a little different for every kind…

First Page Critique: Interiority is your friend

Your first few sentences are the most crucial words of your entire story. So today on the show, I’m doing something a little different: critiquing an opening page from a writer seeking feedback on their high fantasy novel. I talk about the need for interiority (a character's internal thoughts and v…

How to write overpowered protagonists

If your main character is "overpowered," that's not necessarily a bad thing. The key is to make sure you find weaknesses that complement both the character and the story they're driving. So today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, I take a look at a prompt asking for feedback on a particularly over…

How to write female protagonists

Let's be real. A lot of authors (especially men like me) tend to fall short when writing female characters, let alone protagonists. There are all kinds of stereotypes, cliches, and blindspots that we're told to avoid. But at a certain point, it can all start to feel like we're fulfilling a checklis…

Why you shouldn't write your novel like it's a movie

Your novel is a novel, not a movie or TV show. And that's not a bad thing! We can do a ton with novels that won't work nearly as well in a screenplay and vice versa. So if you find yourself struggling to make your writing more "cinematic," or for it to follow a visual scene in your head, this might…

Writing Advice from Literary Agent/Editor Brenna English-Loeb

Our special guest today is Brenna English-Loeb, a literary agent for Transatlantic Literary Agency and the founder of BEL Tower Editorial, a developmental editing business where she helps authors craft rich, compelling stories across multiple genres, including of course fantasy. Brenna English-Loe…

When prologues work and when they don't

Just say no to prologues. Right? Well, usually, yes. But there's a reason a lot of the most famous fantasy novels of all time just so happen to have (you guessed it) prologues. Even though a prologue or prelude or "chapter 0" is most likely unnecessary and maybe even detrimental to your own novel, …