Science fiction – Real McCoy Books

Part Ten: Traditional vs. Self-Publish

I figured that it might be valuable to share some of my experiences in self-publishing a book. I will be hijacking the blog for a few posts and offer some tips, and more importantly, point out the pitfalls of publishing your own book. Keep in mind this feedback is entirely one-sided as I did notContinue reading “Part Ten: Traditional vs. Self-Publish”

Part Nine: Blessings

It has been an absolute whirlwind of a week, but it is finally here. When I began writing what would become A Promise of Iron all those years ago, it was a dream and nothing more. I never thought I would ever finish the book, let alone publish it. There are so many people toContinue reading “Part Nine: Blessings”

Part Four: Characters

Hello family, friends, and fans! It was clear in the early stages of writing a first-person narrative that a compelling cast of characters was needed. The problem was I didn’t have any- not from the first work, at least. Names existed sure, but no motives, no heart, no conflict. I want to say that IContinue reading “Part Four: Characters”

Part Five: Names, Languages, and Magic

Hello family, friends, and fans! Odd sounding names and words of power are expected fantasy tropes as much as the ubiquitous black stallion and magical swords… oh wait. The creation of names and languages in A Promise of Iron was equal parts real-world inspiration and old-fashioned sounds-good-on-paper-ism. Faerin, Crylwin, Sunemere, and the like are mostlyContinue reading “Part Five: Names, Languages, and Magic”

Part Six: Inspiration

Hello family, friends, and fans! Inspiration can be a tricky thing. It is, in my experience, rarely a complete sentence or complete thought. It is parts, fragments, and building blocks of something larger that require time and effort to piece it together. Inspiration is not a blanket gifted on a cold night; it is aContinue reading “Part Six: Inspiration”

Part Seven: Cultures

Hello family, friends, and fans! Crafting a fictional world takes time, not only in the writing of but the reading of. You can’t come right out and say culture A is blah blah blah. Subtlety rewards the careful reader… those rewards lead to an expectation, a familiarity that fosters a prediction of action, behavior, andContinue reading “Part Seven: Cultures”

Part Eight: Breadcrumbing

Worldbuilding takes time, which is tricky. Your readers need to know enough about the world without the story getting bogged down into exposition (which I struggled with in my early drafts). Showing, not telling is the common theme… but that is a direction… to what many refer to as breadcrumbing. How do you leave enoughContinue reading “Part Eight: Breadcrumbing”