Writers' Narrative April 2025

EDITORIALTEAM

WendyH.Jones-EditorinChief-isalsoourExecutiveCommissioningandFeaturesEditor.Sheisthe multi-award-winning,best-sellingauthorofadult crimethrillersandcozymysteries,children’spicturebooksandnon-fictionbooksforwriters.Inaddition,sheisawritingcoach,partnerin Auscot Publishing and Retreats andhoststheWritingandMarketingShowpodcast.

SheenaMacleodisourDeputytotheEditorinChief. Sheoverseestheday-to-dayproductionanddesign. Sheis authorofthehistoricalfictionnovels,ReignoftheMarionettesandTearsofStrathnaver,andco-authorofthenonfictionbookSo,YouSayICan’tVote!FrancesConnelly.

PaulineTaitisoursubmissionsmanager.Sheisanaward -winning&bestsellingchildren’sauthor,romantic suspensenovelist,andwriting&publishingmentor tochildren’sauthors.SheisthevoicebehindReluctantReaders,aweeklynewsletterforparentand carersofchildrenwhofindreadingachallenge.

AllisonSymesisourCopyEditor.Sheisanawardwinning,publishedflashfictionandshortstorywriter. Shealsowritesaweeklycolumnontopicsofinterest forwritersforonlinemagazine, Chandler's Ford Today.

Susan McVeyisourContentEditor.Susanwrites dystopianfictionandfantasynarratives,tailoredfor theyoungadultandteenageaudience.ShepublishesunderMartiM.McNair.Herworksinclude Island of Ruin (RuinorRedemptionBook1).

EditorinChief

MaressaMortimeroverseesourmarketingandoursocial mediaengagement.MaressaisauthoroftheElabi Chronicles, Burrowed and Sapphire Beach.

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ContentEditor

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Featured Interview with ConnerMcAleese

WritingScienceFictionand Fantasy Flash Fiction Fantasy

The History of Science Fiction Andmuchmore...

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C.Brown

Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction: How to Create Out-of-

-World Novels and Short Stories byOrsonScottCard,

DoNotAllowYourSquirrelstoBeatyou byPeterThomasandSophie

This month we take an in depth look at the world ofscience fictionand fantasy aswell as writing in general. If you write in this genre orare thinking about it, there is something foreveryone.

Dianna Sinovic’s article, Getting to the (Off-World) Point,takesusbeyondworldbuildingtowritinga compelling plot. Andrew Chamberlain takes us through the Concept and Craft of Science Fiction and characters are covered in Creating Future Characters (Or) Creating Characters of The Future byMadonaSkaff.

Of course, there is so much more, too numerous to mention in this short editorial. Suffice to say you will finish reading the magazine enthused withtryingScienceFictionorFantasy.

I wish you the best with it and above all have fun. Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy can be alotoffun.Thesky’syourlimit.Literally.

Wendy H. Jones Editor in Chief

Wendy H. Jones Author, Publisher, Writing Coach

FeaturedInterview: ConnerMcAleese

InterviewedbyWendyH.Jones

Editor in Chief Wendy H. Jones interviews Dr Conner McAleese. Conner McAleese has recently completed his Ph. D. in American Horror at the University of Dundee. His thesis, titled ‘Terror, Trauma and the American Everyman: Horror Literature after 9/11’, dealt with the changes in horror fiction after 9/11. His debut novel, The Goose Mistress, details Eva Braun’s descent into madness during WW2. Despite this eclectic mix of genres, the first five books he wrote were all fantasy.

Conner,thankyouforagreeingtobeinterviewedforWriters’NarrativeMagazine.It isapleasuretohaveyoujoinus.Iknow youareabusyman,soIappreciateyoutaking timeouttobehere.

Howdoyouapproachbuildingauniqueand immersivefantasyworld?Whatdetailsdo youfocusonfirst?

Forme,themapiskey.AnytimeIreadafantasy novel,Ilovetoseeamap.Thereissomething wonderfulaboutexploringthevisualrepresentationofanauthor’screativity.Asaformerhistorian,mapshavealwaysbeenpartandparcel ofmycreativeprocess.

Oneofthebenefitsoffocussingonamap,first andforemost,isthatIcangetasenseofthe scaleofastory.Icanvisualisewheremycharactersmaygo,wheretheydefinitelywon’tgo,and whythismaybe.ThisthenmeansIhaveagreatersenseofmycharacters,oftenbeforeIhave evengiventhemaname.

ConnerMcAleese

Asaconstantreaderoffantasynovels,Ialsofeel thatwheretheauthorchoosesnottogocan oftenhelpmefeelmoreengrossedintheirworld. Bywonderingwhatgoesonbeyondthemountains,oracrosstheswampland,orevenonthe othersideofacity,Ifeelmoreconfidentinthe author’sknowledgeoftheirownworld.So,asan author,Ibeginwithmapstohelpinspirethat sameconfidenceinmyownreaders.

Howdoyoucreatememorableandcomplex fantasyprotagonistsandvillains?

Lisa Turley is from West Virginia. She is on numerous ARC street teams and reads in multiple genres. She is passionate about helping authors get the wordoutabouttheirbooks.

I’mavillainaficionado.I adore avillain.Especiallyifthatvillainsubvertsthebinarybetween what’sgoodandwhat’sevilintheworldtheyinhabit.Thoseblackandwhitevillainsarewonderful,butavillainwithatingeofgrey?Thosevillainsare marvellous.

Ioftentryandseemyvillain’spointofview.Why aretheydabblingintheduplicitous?Howdothe plantoachievetheirgoals?Whoweretheybeforethesegoals?Ibelievethatdisillusionment canoftenleadtovillainousactsandIoftentry andtracethisthreadasfarbackasIcaninmy ownvillains.Again,historyisimportanttome here.I’mabigfanofhistorythatdealswithNapoleonandtheNapoleonicwarsafterthe FrenchRevolution.Napoleon’srisefromCorsicanlowernobilitytoEmperorofFranceandvillainofEuropeisfascinating.Icanonlyhopemy ownvillainshavethesamedepth.

Forprotagonists,themessierthebetter.Ibelieveintheoldadagethatwritersaremagpiesof other’slives,collectingscrapsofshinyanecdotesfromthoseclosesttothem.Iusethatas oftenasIcantocreateprotagoniststhatdon’t knowthey’resupposedtobe‘good’.Theyonly knowwhotheyare.

MycurrentWIPdealswithacollectionof ‘Others’whoarebeingaskedtosmuggleweaponsforanimperialpower.ImmediatelyIfound myselfinafourpagelongconversationbetween themallastothe‘rightness’oftheirtask.Ithink thosemakeforthemostinterestingprotagonists–thosewhodon’ttryandbegood,but simplyfollowtheirownmoralcompass.

Wheredoyoudrawinspirationforyourfantasysettings,creatures,andcultures?

Ihavetouchedonthisalittlealready,but there’smoretoitthanplunderingahistorytext book.

It’svaluabletounderstandwhatyouwantyour booktosay.Often,Ifocusoneitherconflictor theimmediateconsequencesofconflict–these areniceepictroublestowrestlewith!AndthenI considerwhatIwouldliketosayaboutthisconflictinparticular.Thisoftenhelpsestablishculturalparameters.Well,ifthissocietyquiteen-

joysawar,whyaretheymilitaristic?Ifthisone doesnot,thenwhathappenedtothemtomake themthatway?BeforeIknowit,Ihavecherry pickedsectionsofhistoricalculturesandcreatedatapestryofmyownwithabrandnewculture.

Then,mysettingfollows.Wallsarethesignofa countryunderthreat,palacesandgardensarea symbolofasecurecountry,etc.However,Iama Scottishladandforme,theseahasalwaysbeen closetomyheartandIhavealwayslivedina citywithariver,sooftenIfindmyselfdrawnto thosecreatures,settings,andculturesthat mimicmyreality!

Howdoyoubalanceusingtraditionalfantasy tropeswithcreatingsomethingfreshand original?

IbowdowntoTolkienandacceptthatweall followinhisfootsteps.IamaScottishguy,who haslivedinScotlandformostofmylife.It wouldbeinauthentictotryandpretendotherwise.However,Icandrawonmybackgroundin history.

Whileasignificantportionoffantasydealswith Europeancultureandarchitecturefromaround themedievaltimes(aterribleclassificationfor suchawidespreadportionofourhistory!),there isscopetouseothertimeperiodsforfantasy.

Ineitheradvancingorregressingbeyondthe medievalandfeudalsectionofourpast,wecan injectnewpoliticsandstoryarcsintoourwriting.Ihaveafascinationwiththedynamicsbetweenimperialpowersandthescopethisallowsforcapitalisticventures(ashintedat above!).Soitdoesn’tmakesensetobasemy worldinafeudalisticeconomyorlocalisedpoliticalstructure.

Thisisn’ttosayIhaven’tusedthosetropes,I absolutelyhave.Longlivethecastleandits

wallsinfantasy,sayI!Butanegotiationoftime wouldbemyboldestattempttobe‘original’.

What’sthehardestpartofwritingfantasy, andhowdoyouovercomeit?

Beingconsistentintheworldbuilding.

Nothingannoysreaders–andmyself–more thanaprettyobviousplothole.Weshan’tsling mudhere,butmorethanafewfantasyseriesare nowlambastedforpoorworldbuilding.Itis bothasourceofterror–andopportunity!

Howmuchbackstoryandloredoyoucreate beforewritingthemainstory?

Ifirmlybelievethatanyfirstdraftisnotactually yourfantasynovel,butyourowngettingintimatewithyourfantasyworld.EachfantasynovelIhavewritten,whenIlookbacknow,isnothingmorethanbackstoryandworldbuilding. Rarely,ifever,wasitanactualbook.AndIthink thisshouldbeembraced.

Ineedtogetexcitedaboutmyworld,andoften loreandbackstoryishowIachievethis.IfIreturntomyWIP,it’saworld–assomanyare–on thecuspofconflict.Myfocussofarhasbeenon why.Whyareseveralimperialpowersirritated withoneanother?Whatallegiancesandcontestsarefracturingacontinent’spoliticalstructure?Andwhatdothepeoplethatinhabitthese regionsfeel?Howdothosefeelingschange?

There’sabalancetobestruckthatIhaven’t quitemanagedyet.There’sanelementoftrepidation,ofhidingbehindtheideathat‘youdon’t knoweverythingyet’andrefusingtowriteuntil youdo.Butyouonlyironoutthekinkswhenyou begintowriteyourstoryinearnest.Thisiswhen yougiveyourideasspacetobecomethemes.

Howdoyoucomeupwithuniqueandbelievablenamesforcharacters,places,andcreatures?

Ilovearogueletter.A‘Q’,a‘Z’,a‘V’and‘I’combination.Iftheselettersarecommontoyour name,Iapologise!Iliketoplanouttheshapeofa nameandthenworkfromthere.Then,onceI haveanideaoflettersandlength–shortnames feelpunchy,andlongernamesfeelelegant (thoughagain,thisisallinmyhead!)–Ithink aboutthespiritofwhoIwantthecharacterto inhabit.

OneofthefirstfantasynamesIcameupwithwas aQueenwhoascendedthethroneafterherfather’sassassination,andshewasundertheinfluenceofaquitedastardlyman.Itookagreatdeal ofinspirationfromthetumultuousfirstyearsof ElizabeththeFirst’sreign,andhereventualrelationshipwithFrancisWalsingham.WhileIinvertedWalsingham’sroletothatoftraitorinmystory,IcalledmyQueen‘Elizarine’.Here,myattachmenttotherelegatedlettersofthealphabetis present,andsoisthe‘Eliza’ofElizabeth.While othernamesaremorecomplicated,thisisoneI amthemostproudof.

Forplaces,Iamincrediblyfortunate.AsaScottishwriter,Icomefromaculturethathasnamed everybog,forestandlochrepeatedlyforwell overathousandyears.It’snothardtostickmy headoutthewindowandtakeinspirationfroma streetnearby!

Howdoyoumanagepacinginafantasynovel, especiallywhenthere’salotofworldbuilding involved?

Thisistricky,andreallyquiteanindividual choice.Asareader,Ilikequitealotofexposition atthestartofanoveltogivemethegroundingI needtoinhabitthatworld.Asawriter,however,I cannotabideit.Itfeelslike‘telling’andnot

‘showing’.It’sfunnythatthereissuchadifferenceinhowIreadandwritehere.

Ithinktemperanceisimportant.Youhavespent yearsofyourlifebuildingafantasyworld(or five!)andyou–quiterightly–wanttoshowit off.Myadvicewouldbetoonlytellthereader whattheyneedtoknowinthatmomentandno more.Whileyoumayunderstandthatthebeach yourcharactersarestandingonwasthebattlegroundbetweentheSeaPeopleandMeninthe FourteenthAgeofAtlantis,unlessyourcharactershavegonetothatbeachforthatreason, thenletthemenjoytheirdayonthesand!Your readerwillthankyoumoreforunderstanding yourcharacterandthenhowyourcharacterunderstandstheworldaroundthem,morethan theywouldreadingahistorybook.

What’sonepieceofadviceyou’dgiveto someonewhowantstostartwritingfantasy?

Writefantasy.

Iamnotbeingglibhere.Imeanit.Writeithow you wanttowriteit.SowhatifyouhaveOrcs andsodidTolkien?Sowhatifyourarchitecture isfirmlyrootedintheWesternEuropeantradition?Sowhatifyouthink‘it’sallbeendonebefore’?Youneedastrongstomachtobeawriter ofanykind,andgenre-fictionlovesaquickputdownof(DannyDeVitoasAngloGoblogian) ‘Derivative’isnonsense.Astoryisnotmade solelybyarchitectureoroneraceofspecies,it’s madeupofeveryexperienceandmemoryyou haveasaperson,andhowyoutheninterpret thoseexperiencesandmemoriesasawriter. And,ifyouwanttochangethearchitecturelater, thenfeelfree.

Mybigadviceforanytypeofgenrewritingis writeyourstorywithoutthegenreifyou’reunsure.Writeaghoststorywithouttheghost,the fantasystorywithoutthebelchingdragonsand

whatyou’llhaveisastorytruetoyourcharactersandhowtheinteractwithoneanother.Layeronthegenreafter.

Tellusaboutyourownwritingandbooks.

Iliketohopbetweengenres.OneofthethingsI havebeenmostscaredofthroughoutmywritingcareerisbeingtold‘right,it’stimetopicka genrenow!’Luckily,noonehasnoticedme enoughyettohavemadethisdemand.

MydebutnovelarosefrommyfirstMaster’sdegree.InmyundergraduatedegreeIfocussedon historyand,asseenabove,thisstillholdsa greatswayovermywriting!Whilestudyingfor myMaster’s,IhadtheTVoninthebackground andIheardthedocumentariansay‘Eva’spower overHitler’–anditwaslikeIhadgrappledalive wire.Oneofmygrievanceswithhistoricalstudy ishowunderservedandoftenexcludedwomen arefromhistoricalnarratives.So,tohearEva Braun–oftenonlydescribedasa‘WarMistress’ –beingdescribedinsuchinfluentialterms… well,ithaschangedmylife.

SincemysecondMaster’sandmyPh.D.,Ihave focussedprimarilyonshorthorrorfiction,with fourhavingbeenpublished.IalsowontheCreativeWritingSociety’sHalloweenCompetition forashortstorythathasn’tfoundahomeyet called‘Peeking’s Cheating’.However,asisquite clear,Iamreturningtomyfantasyrootswithmy latestnovelbeingapostmoderntakeonglobal conflictwithinthefantasygenre.

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TheGooseMistress:ADarkLoveStorybyConnerMcAleese

Reviewedby WendyH.Jones

ISBN-10 : 0999701649

ISBN-13 : 978-0999701645

Publisher: Dark Ink Press (April 2018)

Blurb

ShelovedhimbeforehebecametheFührer–howcanshenotlove himnow?

AsWorldWarTwodawnsacrossEurope,TheBerghofstandsinthe idyllicObersalzburgValley,battlelinesalreadydrawn.EvaBraun, Hitler’smistresssince1929,ispreparingtofightforherplaceby theFührer’ssideandwinaplaceforherselfinhistory.

AsherambitionhurlsherintoconflictwiththeNaziwivesthatrule TheBerghof,herdesperationtosuffocateanyrivalsforhisaffectionsforcesadangerousultimatumontheFührer–herselforhis belovedhalf-sister,AngelaHammitzsch.ButEva’sheartisher

mosttreacherousenemyasitturnstowardsthehandsomeandbarbaricS.S.Officer,HermannFegelein, andtemptsherwithaworldbeyondthecrumblingReich,beyondherdesireforfame,andbeyondthe world’smostdangerousman…butonlyifshemakesthechoicetorun.

SetagainstthebackdropofWorldWarTwo,TheGooseMistressdelvesintothehiddenglamourandbrutalityoftheNazielitewhostalkedthehallsofTheBerghofwhiletherestofEuropeburned.Andintothe womanwhoconqueredHitler–EvaBraun

Review

ManyofuswillhavereadbooksabouttheSecondWorldWarandfeelweknowthestoryofHitlerandhis atrocitiesinsideandout.Atfirstglanceitwouldseemimpossibletobringauniquespintothis,butConnerMcAleesehaspulleditoff.

TheGooseMistressiswrittenfromtheperspectiveofEvaBraun,Hitler’smistress.Thisisapowerfulnovelthatdealswiththeemotionsandpersonalitiesofthosewehavecometoconsidermonsters,showing themascomplexindividuals.EvaBraunwaslovingandterrifyinginequalmeasureandthiscomes acrossinthebook.

McAleeseisaskilledwriterandthenarrativeheweavesdrawsthereaderinandhastheminvestedinthe storyline.ItisevidentalotofresearchwentintothecharacterofBraunandherrelationshipwithHitler, butthisenhancesandenrichesthestorylineratherthanboggingitdown.Icanhighlyrecommendthis booktoanyonewhowantstoseeanothersideofthestory.

DallerGut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee

Reviewedby LouiseCannon

Review

ASIN:B0CCKYMRN1

Publisher: Wildfire

Blurb

Inamysterioustownhiddeninourcollectivesubconsciousthere's adepartmentstorethatsellsdreams.Dayandnight,visitorsboth humanandanimalshuffleintopurchasetheirlatestadventure. Eachfloorspecializesinaspecifictypeofdream:childhoodmemories,fooddreams,iceskating,dreamsofstardom.Flyingdreams arealmostalwayssoldout.Someseekdreamsoflovedoneswho havedied.

ForPenny,anenthusiasticnewhire,workingatthestoreistheopportunityofalifetime.Assheuncoverstheworkingsofthiswhimsicalworld,shebondswithacastofunforgettablecharacters,includingDallerGut,theflamboyantandwiseowner,Babynap Rockabye,afamousdreamdesigner,Maxim,anightmareproducer,andthemanycustomerswhodreamtoheal,dreamtogrow, anddreamtoflourish.

EscapeintoauniquestorethatsellsdreamsthatisthebrainchildofDallerGut.Interestingly,there’sa noteaboutthesubconsciousanddreams,beforeplungingintothisdreamyworld.

Pennyhasanewjobinthestoreandcomesacrosspeoplefromallwalksoflifewhoarelookingfordifferentdreams.Sheworksonthefirstfloor,learningaboutthedifferenttypesofdreams,includingde-javu,conceptiondreamsandevennightmares.

Howpeoplepayfordreamsisimaginative.Insteadofpayingbymoney,theypaywiththeemotionsthey experience.Thesearethenusedbythestoreforvariousthings.TheDallerGutDepartmentStoremaybe quitewhimsicalinplaces,butthat’swhatmakesitentertainingandcosy.Thisfantasticalbookispure escapismthatallowsrelaxationtooccurafterthestressesoftheday.

Louise Michelle Cannon lives in Central Scotland with family and a cute but wily cat. She writes a blog – Bookmarks and Stages, reviewing books, theatre, festivals and conducts the occasional Q&A sessions.

GettingToThe(Off-World)Point

Your story must have a point to it, no matter how fantastical its setting. Dianna Sinovic discusses the basic essentials for a sci-fi story that will keep your readers engaged.

You’vecreatedanawesome,amazingworld foryoursci-finovelorstory,thrownin somescenesthatshowcasethatworld, andwonderwhatelseyouneed.

Howaboutthis:What’sthestory?

Justlikeanyothergenre,sci-fimustofferthe essentials acharacterwhogoesthroughanarc ofchange;somethingmusthappeninthenovel thatdrivesthestoryforward.Ifit’sjustarandom bunchofcoolscenes,yourreadermaynothang inforthelonghaul.Atypicalsci-finovelcanrun to100,000wordsormore.Andthat’salongspan tokeepyourreaderengagedifnothingmuch happens.

Let’slookatthebasics,toseewhereyourWIP stands.

Thebravenewworld

We’llassumeyou’vespenttimebuildingthe worldforyourstory,whetherthat’sinteresting aliensorhightechofthefarfuture.You’velaid outhowthatworldworksandwhatcanorcan’t happeninit.ThinkofLosAngelesofthefuturein theclassicmovie Blade Runner,orthemining townonMarsin Total Recall.Thedepictionof theseworldspullsyouinwiththeirdetail,so you’rewalkingdownthatdark,seedystreetin

DiannaSinovic

LA,withtheeternalraindrippingonyourhead, oryou’restandinginabarinVenusville,watchingthevariedclienteleandhopingyoudon’tget attacked.

Thepoint

Whatareyoutryingtosayinyournovel?What areyouarguingforinyourstory?It’snotjust abouthowcoolyourworldis. Within that world, what’sthemessage?In Blade Runner,oneofmy all-timefavmovies,it’sthequestion:Whatdoes itmeantobehuman,andwhogetstodecide that?In Children of Time,anovelbyAdrian Tchaikovsky,thequestionis,Canothercreatures(let’ssay,spiders)viewithhumansintheir levelofintelligence andempathy?

Takealookatyournovelandseeifyoucanarticulateyourpointinjustonesentence.Don’t worryifitsoundslikeacliché:Lovewinsinthe end.Crimedoesn’tpay.Youcan’tjudgeabook byitscover.Thispointisatthecoreofyourstory.It’swhatthereaderwillcomeawaywith whentheyturnthelastpage.

Themotivation

Whatdoesyourmaincharacterwant?Forthe readertobesatisfied,theprotagonistmust struggleintheirattempttoachievewhatthey want.Andtheymustchangeoverthecourseof thestory ortheirworldmustchangeevenif theydon’t.ThinkofSecUnit(SecurityUnit)in All Systems Red,thefirstinMarthaWells’ Murderbot series.SecUnithasoverriddentheinternalmodulethatgovernsitsactions,whichcouldmean thearmedandlethalcyborggoesonakilling spree.Instead,SecUnitcontinuestokeepitshumanclientssafebecauseitdoesn’twanttobe discoveredasarogueentity.Asthestoryunfolds,SecUnitbeginstodevelopfriendshipswith thehumans,evenasittriestoresistdoingso.

Thinkaboutyourprotagonistandask:Whatdo theywantandwhat’satstakeiftheydon’tgetit? What’stheexternalmotivation(winningabattle, findingthesecretportal)?Andwhat’shappening onanemotionallevel,theinternalmotivation? (Winningthebattleprovestotheprotagonist thattheyareworthyofbeingaleader.Finding thesecretportalmeanstheprotagonisthasfulfilledtheprophesy.)

Inanotherexample,YeineDarr,theprotagonist inN.K.Jemisin’s The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms,isplacedinathree-waypowerstruggle, whichmayleadtoherdeath.Sohermotivation istostayalive butsheisalsomotivatedtofind outwhomurderedhermother,whomsheis grieving.

Theconnectedaction

Doesthestoryprogress,withoneactionorscenedrivingtothenextandthenthenext?Orisita bunchofrandomoccurrences thishappened, thenthishappened,thenthishappened?

Toreturnto Blade Runner,themainplotfocuses onaformerpoliceofficerwhoisdirectedtohunt downandterminateagangoffaux-humans

calledreplicants,whoareforbiddenfrombeing onEarth.Thathuntdrivesthestoryforward,untiltheleaderofthereplicantgroupiscaught.But whatifinstead,themoviefeaturedaseriesof scenesinwhichreplicantsfoughtwiththepolice, overandover,withnoeventualclimax.Thefilm wouldn’thavebecomeaclassic.Someviewers mighthaveenjoyedthatvisionofthefuture,but mostmoviegoerslikelywouldhaveleftthetheaterearly,orpannedthefilmafterward.

Onewaytoevaluatetheconnectedactionin yourWIPistolookateachmajorsceneanduse the“becauseofthat”structure.SomethinghappensinSceneA;thatoutcome because of that setsupSceneB.SceneCfollowstheoutcomeof SceneB.Ideally,everymajorscenewillbeconnectedinthatway.Ifyoufindonethatdoesn’t, that’sthetimeforbrainstormingandrevision.

Nowputitallthesepiecestogether,andyou’ll haveastorythatpullsthereaderalongasthey rootforyourprotagonistandhissatthevillain withtheraygunortheenormousasteroidthat keepsgettingintheirway.

Dianna Sinovic is an author of speculative fiction, mystery, and horror, as well as a certified book coach and editor. Her short stories have been published in a number of anthologies, and her flash fiction appears monthly on the blog A Slice of Orange. Her paranormal thriller Scream of the Silent Sun is slated for release in the spring of 2025. She’s a member of the Horror Writers Association, Sisters in Crime, and the Bethlehem Writers Group, where she serves on the executive committee.

Connect with her via her website, www.diannasinovic.com, or on Instagram, @dsinovic94.

BookReleases

RecentReleases

Title: Floating Hotel byGraceCurtis

ISBN-10: 0756419301

ISBN-13: 978-0756419301

Publisher:DawBooks(March2024)

Blurb

WelcometotheGrandAbeonaHotel:homeofthefinestfood,thesweetestservice,andtheverybestviewsthegalaxyhastooffer.Allyearroundit movesfromplanettoplanet,systemtosystem,pamperingguestsacross thefurthestreachesofthemilkyway.Thelastwordinsub-orbitalluxury andanabsolutemagnetforintrigue.Intriguessuchas:Whyaretherelove poemsinthelobbyinbox?HowmanyImperialspiesarecurrentlyon board?WhatisthetruepurposeoftheProblemSolver'sconference?

Andperhapsmostpertinently whoisdrivingtheship?Eachguesthasasecret,everymemberofstaffa universeuntothemselves.Atthecenteroftheseinterweavinglivesandinterlockingmysteriesstands Carl,onetimestowaway,longtimemanager,devotedcaretakertothehotel.It'stheloveofhislifeand theonlyplacehe'severcalledhome.ButasforcesbeyondCarl'scomprehensionconvergeontheAbeona,hehastofaceonefinalquestion:whenisittimetoletgo?

Title: Rebels of Ruin –Book2intheRuinorRedemptionbyMartiM. McNair

ISBN-10:1916721044

ISBN-13:978-1916721043

Publisher:RebSamPublishing(October.2024)

Blurb

Inthemercilessdepthsofthemines,Jasmineforgesunbreakable bonds.AfterescapingintothehandsofRobinia’speople,sheuncovers theResistanceopposingthegovernmentfromwithin.Alongtheway, shenavigatesthetangledtribalcomplexitiesamongthoselivinginthe caves.Taskedwithunitingbothfactionsandburdenedbyadarkhistorysteepedinmistrust,Jasmineemergesasabeaconofrebellion againsttheOneWorldOrder.

Whenanarchenemyfallsintohergrasp,secretsareunveiled,leavingJasmineatacrossroads.Willthese revelationsignitetheuprisingorplungeitintochaos?Asthelinesbetweenheroandnemesisblur,Jasminegrappleswiththecostoffreedomandthepriceshemustpay.

Non-Fiction Matters byWendyH.Jones

Reviewedby SheenaMacleod

Review

Title: Non-Fiction Matters: You Can Write That Non-Fiction Book byWendyH.Jones

Publisher: ScottandLawsonPublishing(March 2025)

Blurb

Haveyoueverdreamedofwritinganon-fiction bookbutdon’tknowwheretostart?Non-Fiction Matterswalksyouthroughthestepsfromfinding anideatoseeingyourbookinreaders’hands.

Whetheryou’reanexpertinyourfieldorpassionateaboutsharingyourknowledgeinaspecific area,thisbookguidesyouthrougheverystageof thewritingjourney.Learnhowtorefineyour idea,structureyourcontent,staymotivated,researchyourtopicandnavigatethepublishing worldwhicheverroutetopublicationyoutake.

Packedwithpracticaladvice,insidertips,and real-worldexamples,Non-FictionMattersproves thatyourbookdoesmatterandnowisthetime towriteit.Readersworldwidearewaiting.

Ifyouwanttowritenon-fictionorarestrugglingtostartorcompleteyournon-fictionmanuscript,then thisisthebookforyou.Withsectionsonhowtogetstarted,timemanagementandplanningandstructuringyourmanuscriptthisbookwillhelpmotivateyoutostartandfinishyournon-fictionprojects.

Therearefourchaptersdedicatedtoresearchtohelpyouplan,undertakeandorganiseyourwork.At theendofeachchapter,thereare alsoquestionstoaskyourself,taskstocomplete,tipstomotivate youandexercisestohelpyoucompleteyournon-fictionmanuscript.

Non-Fiction Matters isthefourthbookinthebest-selling‘HowTo’seriesbyWendyH.Jones.Withhelpfulchaptersonediting,formattingandpublishingyourmanuscriptaswellastipsonblogging,writing articlesandfindingyourreadersthereissomethinghereforeverynon-fictionwriter.

Writing Non Fiction isagreatadditiontomylibrary.Withhelpfulchapterscoveringmanyoftheaspects ofwritingnon-fictionthisisabooktotreasure.

FlashFictionFantasy

Allison Symes discusses how the fantasy genre plays a major role in her flash fiction and shares useful tips for writing it.

Whatismeantbyfantasyfiction?Simply, itisfictionsetinanimaginaryuniverse.

Thecharactersdon’thavetobemagical,though theyoftenareorthereisamixtureofmagicaland non-magicalspecies.Thatuniversecanbesetin thecurrentday,thepast,orthefuture.

Thesettingreallycanbeinagalaxyfar,farawaywherehaveIheardthatbefore?

RulesandConsistency

Theadvantagetowritersisbecauseitisyour world,youinventtherules.Youcannotgetit wrong.

Theonekeypointistobeconsistentwithwhateverrulesyouuse.Forexample,ifyouhaveone speciesunabletousemagicforwhateverreason, youcan’thavethemsuddenlyabletoperform magicinchapterfiveunlessthereisacompelling reason(e.g.someonehasgiventhemthepowers andthereisastoryidearightthereforwhowould dothisandwhy).

Itpaystodecideearlywhatcanandcannothappeninthesettingyoucreate.Youareworldbuildingbutyoudon’tneedtoknoweverythingallat once.

Whatyoudoneedtoknowiswhoyourcharacters are,whattheyarecapableof,and,asnonhumans,howwouldweasreadersidentifywith themtowanttoreadtheirstories?I’mnotgoing toreadastoryaboutanarrogantelf,say.Iwill readastoryaboutanelfwhoovercomeshispride torescueadwarf.

Youneedtoworkoutwhocandowhatmagically andthinkaboutlimitsonpowers.Thereisnostoryifallproblemscanbeovercomewithaswift waveoftheoldmagicwand.Yourcharactersneed somethingtodo.Theyhavetohelpthemselvesor behelpedtohelpthemselves.(Oftenbothoccur. Theytrytohelpthemselves,getintotrouble,and amentorthencomestotheiraid,sometimesusingmagic).

Workoutwhatyourreadersneedtoknow.They shouldbeabletotellspeciesapart.Theyshould beabletoknowSpeciesAcandothisbutaredependentonSpeciesBforsomethingelsewhichis vital.Theyneedtoknowwhattheconsequences ofusingmagicare.Thereshouldbesomeasall powerhasconsequenceswhenitiswielded,so magicshouldn’tbeanexception.

Scales

Givenyouareworldbuilding,youmightthinkall fantasystoriesmustbehugeanditistruefantasy isoftenonanepicscale.Thinkabout The Lord of the Rings justtonameone.

Lisa Turley is from West Virginia. She is on numerous ARC street teams and reads in multiple genres. She is passionate about helping authors get the wordoutabouttheirbooks.

Fantasycanconveygreatideasandhugethemes. The Lord of the Rings, forme,isthedefinitivefictionaldepictionofgoodversusevil.

Allison Symes

Butfantasycanbeusedinmuchshorterwriting. Manyofmyflashfictionstories(cominginat50 wordsuptothe1000wordslimit)featurefantasy characterssuchasannoyedwizards,afairyput onToothFairydutyandresentingit,andmany more.

Ishowyouwhatmycharacterisanddon’tneed totellyouitisfantasy.Idon’tneedtoshowyou howmywizardgothispowers.Idoneedtoshow youwhyheisannoyedandwhathedoesabout it.Thatliterallyisthestory.

Thelate,greatSirTerryPratchettconjuredupa wholeworld, Discworld, andwroteover20novels basedinthatonesetting,usinghumourand strongplotlinestocreatetaleswhichstillresonatebecauseitiseasytoidentifywithhischaracters.

Withinthatserieshehadcertaincharactershe keptusingsoyouhavetheVimessetofnovels, theDeathonesandsoon,butallwereseton Discworld. Greatworkslikethatcanshowthesettingalmostasacharacterinitself.Inthosebooks wefoundoutmoreaboutthesettingwitheach novel.Itwasn’tallshownallatonceinbookone. Pratchettgavehisreadersenoughtoidentify withhischaractersandtomakesenseofthesetting.

TheRoleofFairytales

Mostofuswillhavebeenintroducedtofantasy fictionatanearlyage.Howmanyofushadthe classicfairytalesreadtousduringourchildhoods beforegoingontoreadthesetalesforourselves?

Fairytalesaresooftenthewayintofantasy. They’reusuallythebasisfortheclassicUKtraditionofpantomimetooso,earlyon,thoseofus whohavegonetosuchperformanceshavehad fantasyworldsactedoutforusonthestage.

Fairytalesoftensetsomeoftherulesseeninotherformsoffantasy.Fairytaleswillshowmagic

beingusedbutwithlimits.Thefairygodmother couldonlysoftenthewitch’sspellin Sleeping Beauty, notcancelit.

Fairytalesareoftengreatforshowingthearrogantbeingbroughtdown.Thinkabout Beauty and the Beast andhowthebeastbecamethat wayinthefirstplace.Thereareconsequences foroffendingamagicalbeing.

EvenwhenIwasachildIbecameusedtothe ideaonthethirdtimeofsomethinghappening, therewouldbeachangewhichwouldleadto the(usual)happyeverafterending.SoIwas takingintheRuleofThreeeventhoughIdidn’t knowitthen.

Thefairytalesareinterestingalsobecausethey don’tusuallygivemuchsettingdescription.Oh yousee Sleeping Beauty’s palacebutwhatyou focusonisthefairygodmotherpreventinga tragedyanditisseeingherdoingthatwhich confirmsitisafantasytale.

Soyes,thereisworldbuildinginfantasybut theredoesn’thavetobereamsofit.Somuch dependsonthekindoftaleyouwishtotell.

Conclusion

Thinkaboutwhyfantasymightbeagoodvehicleforyourstoriesandcharacters.Ifyouknow youneedmagicalelementsandwhy(andthere mustbecompellingreasonsforthese),thenfantasyisthewaytogo.It’salovelygenretoexplore.

Allison Symes is a flash fiction/short story writer, blogger and editor based in Hampshire. She runs writing workshops, judges competitions, and writes weekly for writers for Chandler’s Ford Today. She has two flash fiction collections published (Chapeltown Books) with a third in the pipeline.

TheConceptsandCraftofScienceFiction

Andrew Chamberlain explores the power of science fiction to reflect not just our contemporary society but also our future.

First,mastertheconceptsofthestory youwanttotell.

Allliterature,andperhapsallart,holdsamirror uptooursocietyandculture.Theuniquegiftof sciencefictionisthatitcanshowusnotjust what’shappeningnow,butalsomanypossible futures.Thisgivesthesciencefictionwriteralot ofresponsibilitytobearandalotofworktodo, butalsoalotofpowertowield.

Ifyouwanttowritesciencefiction,you’regoing tohavetobebravebecause,ifyou’reserious aboutit,you’llhavetocopewithwhatyousee inthatmirror.Howmightthingsactuallybein thefuture?Howcanthingsgowrong?Howcan welearnfromourexperiencesnowtobewise aboutwhatthefuturemightbring?

Towritesciencefictionyouhavetodomore thanjustlookintotheabyss,youalsohaveto say,“Okay,I’mgoingtowranglethisbeastand masterit’.Youhavetolookintothedarkness, workoutwhattypeofdarknessitis,seearound theedgesofitandthenmuzzleitandputalead onit.Onlythencanyoupresentitbacktothe readerwithconfidenceandsay,“I’vegotthe betterofthisthing,Icanguideyouthroughthe storyandshowyouwhatcouldhappen”.

Onceyou’vethoughtthroughtheconcepts, you’reapositiontopresentsomethingbackto

yourreaders,butthere’sstillalotofhardwork todo.Youhavemasteredtheconceptsofyour story,butnowyouhavetomasteryourcraftto tellit.

Thenmasteryourcraftsoyoucantellthestorywell.

Therearesomebasiccraftdisciplineswhich,if youcangetthemright,willputyouwellonyour waytotellingthestoryyouwanttotell.

Mastering the craft: setting

First,you’llneedtobringthereaderintoyour worldandkeepthemthere.Thisrequiresthat youcreateasettingwithtwofundamentalqualities.Itneedstobebothcredibleandimmersive.

Lisa Turley is from West Virginia. She is on numerous ARC street teams and reads in multiple genres. She is passionate about helping authors get the wordoutabouttheirbooks.

Thedictionarydefinitionoftheword ‘credible’is somethingthatis possible to believe, something that is convincing.Thesettingmustbecapableof beingbelieved,justaswemightbelieveina character,butthesetting,likethecharacter,

AndrewChamberlain

doesnothavetobereal.Thisdistinctionbetweenwhatiscredibleandwhatisrealisimportantbecauseitreinforcesthefactthatstoriesdon’tworkbecausethethingstheydescribe exist,theyworkbecausethereaderisprepared tobelieveinthem.Butforreaderstobepreparedtobelieveinourwork,theyhavetotrust it.

Thesettingalsoneedstobeimmersive;this meansthatthesettingisnotonlybelievable,it’s alsoanattractiveplaceintermsofthewonderit offers.

ThesciencefictionwriterPeterFHamiltonreflectsthisprinciplewhenhesays, “You've got to give the reader the sense of wonder, the sense of escapism.”

AuthorJKRowlingalsoalludestothiswhenshe says, “There's always room for a story that can transport people to another place.”

Myfavouriteanalogyforillustratingthisconcept isthecomfychair.Ahardchairiscrediblebut notimmersive,webelieveitwillholdusbutit’s notcomfortable.Abrokensofaisimmersive,so it’ssuperficiallycomfortablebutitwon'thold us,soit'snotcredible.Acombinationofboth qualities,adecentcomfortablechair,works best.

Wecangiveoursettingsthesetwofundamental qualitiesbycreatingafirmfoundationwitha goodbackstory,bypresentingsparseandspecificdescription,andbyusingsensorylanguage.

Mastering the craft: characters

Nextyou’llneedtoaddcharacters.Theydon’t needtobehuman,buttheyneedtobeidentifiableandinteresting.

Agoodstorycharacterneedstobeplausible andpredictableinawaythatallowsthereader tounderstandwhothepersonis,thenyouneed togivethemsomethingtolivefor,they’llneed goals,motivation,andpassion.

Aplausiblecharacterisonewhocanbelievably existinthecontextwherewefindthem,andalsoactsandreactsinawaythat,atsomelevel, seemsreasonableforwhotheyare.

In The Hunger Games,becausetheauthorSuzanneCollinshasshownushowimportantfamilyistoKatniss,itisplausiblethischaracter wouldoffertotaketheplaceofhersisterinthe HungerGames.

In The Lord of the Rings,weknowenoughabout Aragorn’smoralintegritytobelievehewould resisttheofferoftheringfromFrodo.

Inanygoodstory,thecharacteralsowants something,manythingsinfact,andtheywant thematseverallevels.Wecanthinkofthecharacter’sdesiresasoperatingatthreelevels: goals,motivation,andpassion.

Agoalisaclearlydefinedobjectiveforthe character,atasktheyshoulddo.Thiswillgive yourcharactersomethingtangibleandspecific toaimfor.Characterscanhavemanygoals,and thosegoalscanchangeduringthestory.Oneof HarryPotter’smanytasksinthe Harry Potter seriesistodestroytheHorcruxes.

Themotiveisthereasonthecharactergoes afterthatgoal.It’sthereasonwhyachieving

thegoalissoimportant.Theprotagonist’sgoal mightbetorevisefortheexamforthreehoursa night;theirmotivationistopasstheexam.Motivesmightchangeduringastory,butlessfrequentlythangoals.In The Lord of the Rings, Sam GamgeecomesbacktofindFrodoafterFrodo rejectedhimbecausehispromisemotivateshim tolookafterhisfriend.

Finally,wehavethecharacter’s passion.Thisis thedeepestandmostpersonalaspectofwhat drivesthecharacter.Itisintangiblebutstill powerful.Thepassionforthecharacterintegrateswiththeirownworldview,theirownmoralcompass.Itcaninvolvefeelingslikelove,patriotism,desire,duty,andloyalty.Again,from The Lord of the Rings,SamGamgeewillstickwith Frodobecauseheloveshimdeeplyasafriend, thatishispassion.Likewise,inthe Hunger Games,Katnissloveshersisterpassionately,that motivateshertotakeherplaceintheHunger Games.

Mastering the craft: story

Thefinalessentialisthestoryitself.Itdoesn’t havetofollowtheclassicplotstructure,butit needstobeastory.

Onehelpfulwayofexploringthestoryistothink ofitinsixstages,theseactasusefulwaypoints toguideyouthroughfrombeginningtoend.The sixstagesare:

Introduction:hereyoupresentaneedfor changeandaction,andcapturethereader.

Incitingincident:youaddresstheneedfor change,andpreparethereaderforthelaunchof thestory.

Momentumstage:herethestoryneedstogatherenergy,withrisingconflict,developingcharacters,anddevelopingstakes.

Thecrisis:thestoryiscomingtoahead,thisis thepointjustbeforeabigconflict,itcanbethe

calmbeforethestormwhereweseethetrue mettleofthecharacters.

Theclimax:wheretheissuesthatarereallyat stakeareresolved.

Resolutionandclose:resolvethekeyissueof thestory,tieuplooseendsandsetupanyfuturestories.

Anexcellentsciencefictionstoryisadelightto allwhoreadit,butittakeshardworkandcouragetoengagewithandmarshaltheconcepts andthenexperienceandskillstodeliverthe character,settingandplotrequirements.Good luck!

MasteringtheCraft:Story

Introduction:Presentaneedforchangeand action,andcapturethereader.

Incitingincident:Addresstheneedfor change,andpreparethereaderforthe launchofthestory.

Momentumstage:Herethestoryneedsto gatherenergy,withrisingconflict,developing characters,anddevelopingstakes.

Thecrisis:Thestoryiscomingtoahead,this isthepointjustbeforeabigconflict.

Theclimax:Wheretheissuesthatarereally atstakeareresolved.

Resolutionandclose:Resolvethekeyissue ofthestory,tieuplooseendsandsetupany futurestories.

Andrew J Chamberlain is an author, speaker and Co-Director of the British Christian Writers Conference; the themes of this article are explored in The Creative Writer's Toolbelt Handbook. His Science Fiction novel, The Centauri Survivors, was published in 2019. Check the QR code for more details about the 2025 British Christian Writers Conference.

Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction: How to Create Out-of-This-World Novels

and Short Stories

by Orson Scott Card , Philip Athans and Jay Lake Reviewed bySheenaMacleod

You'lldiscover:

ISBN-10: 1599631407

ISBN-13: 978-1599631400

Publisher: PenguinPublishingGroup;2ndedition(2013)

Doyouenvisioncelestialcitiesindistant,fantasticworlds?Do youdreamofmythicalbeastsandgallantquestsinexotickingdoms?Ifyouhaveeverwantedtowritethenextgreatfantasyor sciencefictionstory,thisall-in-onecomprehensivebookwill showyouhow.

WritingFantasy&ScienceFictionisfullofadvicefrommaster authorsofferingdefinitiveinstructionsonworldbuilding,charactercreation,andstorytellinginthemanystylesandpossibilitiesavailabletowritersofspeculativefiction.

Howtobuild,populate,anddramatizefantasticnewworlds.

Howtodevelopmeaningfulthemesthatwillexpandthecanonofsci-fiandfantasystorytelling.

Excitingsubgenressuchassteampunk,aswellasnewdevelopmentsinthesci-fiandfantasygenres.

Howtoimbueyourtaleswithhistoricallyaccurateinformationaboutworldcultures,legends,folklore, andreligions.

Detaileddescriptionsofmagicrituals,fantasticweaponsofwar,clothingandarmor,andotherworldly beastssuchasorcs,giants,elves,andmore.

Howsocieties,villages,andcastleswereconstructedandoperateonaday-to-daybasis.

Astoundingmethodsofinterstellartravel,therulesofstarflight,andtherealitiesandmythsofscientific exploration.

Howtogeneratenewideasandgraftthemtothemostpopularthemesandplotdevicesinsci-fiandfantasywriting.

Theboundariesofyourimaginationareinfinite,buttocreatecredibleandthrillingfiction,youmust groundyourstoriesinrules,facts,andaccurateideas.

Review

Thetitleofthiswritingbookspeaksforitself.Ifyouwanttowriteafantasyorsciencefictionstorybut don’tknowhowtostart,orwanttotakeyourworktothenextlevel,thenthisisthebookforyou.This secondeditionisfilledwithadvicefrommasterauthorsandcoverseverythingyouwillneedtogetstartedwritingyoursci-fiandfantasynovelsandshortstories.

CreatingFutureCharacters(or)CreatingCharactersofTheFuture

Madona Skaff discusses the many ways in which science fiction characters differ from regular fictional characters.

Aresciencefictioncharactersdifferentfrom ‘regular’fictionalones?Theshortanswer–no.

Storiesareaboutpeople.Whetherthosepeople areordinaryhumans,aliens,robots,mutants,or disembodiedenergyfields,theyallhaveagoal.It canbeassimpleasfindingfood,orascomplexas navigatingthroughdeepspace.Nomatterwhat, theyneedtobewellrounded,threedimensional charactersthatfeelreal,andthatthereadercan believein. Butthatdoesn’tmeantherearen’t interestingconsiderationstomakewhenyoufind yourselfattheinceptionofasciencefiction world.So,let’stalkaboutit.

Whatwillhumanslooklikeinthefuture?Perhaps theirmentalabilitieswillhaveadvancedsomuch thattelekinesisandtelepathyarecommon.The futurehumansmaylooklikecyborgs,similarto theBorginStarTrek.Ortheirimplantedtech maybeseamlesslyintegratedintotheirbodies. Wealreadyhaveprostheticlimbs,artificial hearts,brainandspineimplantsthathelpwith movements.Smartdevices,suchasphonesand wristwatches,alreadykeepusconnectedtothe internet24/7.Whataboutastepfurther?Thehumansofthefuturemayhavephysicallyintegratedtechnology.

Sciencefictionstoriesdon’tnecessarilyneedto havealiens,andcantakeplaceonearth.There canbeenoughsciencefictiondramarighthere. Thestorymaybeastudyofhowregularpeople copewithdisaster,likein The Last Policeman se-

MadonaSkaff

riesbyBenH.Winters.Inthebooks,aplanetkillerasteroidwillhittheearthinsixmonths,yet thedetectivecontinuestoinvestigateamurder. Oritcanbethestoryofhumansventuringinto space.Aretheyfollowingtheirinstincttoexplore,orisittoescapeadyingplanetandcolonizeanewone.Onceoutthereintheuniverse, whowilltheymeet?Solet’stalkaboutaliens.

Keepinmindthatalllivingbeingsareaproduct oftheworldtheyevolvedin.Evenatemporary changeinenvironmentcanaltertheirbodies. Forexample,astronautslivingontheInternationalSpaceStationtendtoloosebonedensity thelongerthatthey’reinzerogravity.Fictional charactersshouldbetreatedthesame.Dependingontheenvironmentthattheylivein,the peoplewillnotonlylookdifferent,theircultures willalsovary.

Apopularaliendesignisahumanoidwithafew physicaldifferences,suchas:achangeinsize,a fewextraappendagesoreyes,andmaybeeven greenskin.Thiscanmakeiteasierforthehumansandalienstorelatetoeachother–andus tothem.

Butwhatifyouwanttodesignamoreunique

lookingalien?Perhapsonesthatliveunderwater,maybeinanoceanthatistoxictomostearth -basedcreatures.Orperhapsinathinatmosphere,oronethat’sdenseandoxygenrich.You canlookrighthereonearthforinspiration.Our ownplanetishometocountlessunusualorganismsthatliveinsometimesunimaginableenvironments.

InthePacificOceanliestheMarianaTrench,the deepestplaceinanyocean.Itishometothetadpole-shapedMarianaSnailfishwholivesat depthsbelow8kilometresandcanwithstand pressuresofover800psi.Humanscantolerate onlyabout4to7psi.

Thestrangeanimalsdon’tjustliveunderwater. Reindeer,aswellasseveralotheranimals,can seeultravioletlight,whichgivesthemanadvantageinthedimlightofanarcticwinter,orthe brightsummersunshinereflectingoffsnow.This helpsthemspotpredatorshidingintheshadows,andfindscarcefoodsuchasUVreflecting lichen.PenguinsnotonlycanseeintheUV range,buthaveaflatcorneaforclearvisionunderwater.Thesetraitscancomeinhandyforan alienworldsimilartoAntarctica.

Inspirationforhowaliensmighttalktoeachothercanalsobefoundintheanimalsofearth. Thereareanimalssuchasdolphinsandfrogs, thatcommunicateintheultrasonicrange,above 20,000Hz,whichisoutsidetherangeofhuman hearing.Whileelephantsusethelowerinfrasonic rangeof1to20Hztocommunicateoverseveral kilometres.Perhapsthoseprimitivelookingaliensdon’tactuallyneedtechnologytosendmessagesafterall.

Theseearthcreaturesweredesignedbynature tobemoreefficientatfindingscarceresources, huntingpreyoravoidingpredators,andthemost important–findingmates.Allwiththepurpose ofgivingthemthebestchanceforsurvival.

Thereareendlesspossibilitiesforaliendesign. Butdon’tjusttakeahandfulofcharacteristics

andthrowthematthepage(orscreen).Theirbodiesneedtobecloselyconnectedtotheenvironmenttheylivein,andeverythingneedstoberelevanttothestory.Forexample,don’tcreatealiens thatareherbivores,thensuddenlybecomemeat eaters.Theirdigestivesystemwouldrebel,or mightevenkillthemiftheycan’textractenough nutrients.Unlessit’sanintegralpartoftheplot andislogical,thereadermaycallyououtonit.

Youknowwhateveryonelookslikenow.However, don’tforget who theyare.Ensurethatthey’rewell roundedcharacters,thatmayincludesomefrailties.Theyshouldbeatcentrestagewiththeworld -buildingactingasacanvasforthem.

Onceyouhaveafullcastofcharacters,it’stime forthemtomeetandlearntointeract.Butcommunicationdoesn’tjustmeandecodingthelanguage,italsomeanslearningtorecognizetheculturaldifferences.Bodylanguageandfacialexpressionscanbeconfusing,andintheworstcasescenario,amisinterpretationcanleadtowar.Thealienplanetthatyou’vecreatedmayalsohave differentcultures,eachwiththeirownsenseof morality.

Evenifeveryonehasfiguredouthowtoholdconversations,itdoesn’tmeanthatjobisdone.The possibilityremainsthattheseculturalandlanguagemisunderstandingsmaycontinuetocrop up,addingabitofextra–‘drama’–toyourworld andstory.

Charactersaretheeyesthroughwhichreaderssee yourworld.There’sanentireuniversethatyou’ve createdandit’stimeforthemtogooutandexploreit.

Based in Ottawa, Madona Skaff is the author of several mystery and science fiction short stories. She also writes the Naya Investigates series about a young woman recently disabled by multiple sclerosis, who turns sleuth to solve crimes. Her recent novel, Shifting Trust is a near future SF Thriller. Find out more about her at https:// madonaskaff.com

WhenThingsGoWrong!

This month, Lis McDermott explains the poetic form of her fantasy poem Quest For a Suitor and discusses how initial mistakes can lead to better work emerging

Originally,Iwasgoingtowritetoarather vaguepoeticformI’dfoundonline (wheretherewasn’tevenanexample), buthalfwaythroughwriting,IrealizedI’dgone completelywronganddecidedtoalterittofit myownversion.

Idecidedtotrytowriteafantasystoryabouta Princesslookingforsuitors.Writingwithinaset poeticformdoescreatelimitations.Icouldhave chosentowritesimpleABABtyperhymes,where Icouldhavedecidedonthelengthofeachline, butasalways,Ichosetogoforsomethingwhere Ihadtofittheconstructionoftheform. Hence myearliermistake!

Theform:

8linestanzas

Syllables:2-4-6-8-8-6-4-3

Lastwordofthepoemmustbethesameasthe first(althoughasyounotice,thereare3syllablesinthelastlineratherthan2likethestart). It’snotatypo.

Rhymed: AbcddcbA

I’veleftthenumberofsyllablesandrhyming patternmarkedonthefirstverse.

QuestforaSuitor

A2Princess,

B4WantingaPrince

C6Setsataskforsuitors. (aquestforthe princelings)

D8Shesendsheraldsacrossherland.

LisMcDermott

D8Foroneworthytotakeherhand

C6who’dpullheartstrings

B4whollyconvince A3thisPrincess.

Magic spellsandcharmscast trav’llersfromfarandwide. Happy,proudyounghopefulsarrive wemournthosewhodidnotsurvive. Standinginlinewithpride manyfail,fast bymagic.

Beauty tomeethereyes, theironeandonlygoal toreceivefromherabroadsmile. Yetallseemtohavefailedthetrial aseachgivesuptheirsoul, andlosetheirprize; herbeauty.

Alone

Short,twisted,bent

hestoodoutfromthecrowd. theothersuitorsputhimdown ‘asifhe’deverwearthecrown’ theircommentsfartooloud shegaveconsent, ‘Himalone’.

Truelove

Liftedeyesmet

Themagicleft,dispersed, leavingtheprince,handsomeandkind asthoughallthestarswerealigned Fullyfreedfromhiscurse atlastshe’dmet hertruelove

Version2.

‘Princess, wantingaPrince!’

Onaquestforprincelings, gallantheraldsscoutallherland foroneworthytotakeherhand; who’dpullheartstrings, whollyconvince thisPrincess.

Magic spellsandcharmscast, Trav’llersfromfarandwide. richandpooryounghopefulsarriveThechamberwasbuzzing;alive. Standinginlinewithpride manyfailfast; hermagic.

Beauty.

Tomeethereyes, theironeandonlygoal, toreceivefromherabroadsmile. Yetallseemtohavefailedthetrial aseachgivesuptheirsoul, andlosetheirprize; herbeauty.

Oneman justwithindate, stoppingtohelpothers

Puttinghisownlifeindanger whenaidingevenastranger, Thankedbymanymothers hearrivedlate, thatoneman

Alone

Short,twisted,bent hestoodoutfromthecrowd. Theothersuitorsputhimdown’ ‘Asifhe’deverwearthecrown’ theircommentsfartooloud. Shegaveconsent; ‘Him,alone’.

Truelove.

Liftedeyesmet, Themagicleft,dispersed, leavingtheprince,handsomeandkind asthoughallthestarswerealigned, fullyfreedfromhiscurse; Atlast,she’dmet hertruelove.

Lis McDermott is a multi-genre author, poet and writing mentor. Visit Lis’ website: https://lismcdermottauthor.co.uk

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ThreeFacesofBleak

K. G. Whitehouse discusses bleak fiction and what it is and isn’t.

Callmefussy,orpicky,ormostlikely,pedantic.Toomanypeopleusetheterms hard-boiled,noir,anddystopiainterchangeably.Sorry,no.Cantheyoverlap?Sure, butthatdoesn’tmaketheminterchangeable.

Let’sstartwithwhathard-boiled,noir,anddystopiaarenot.Noneisastorytype.Noirandhard -boiledaren’tgenres,either.Dystopiaisasubgenreofsciencefiction(SF),whichisagenre, butnotastorytype.Anytypeofstory love,adventure,crime,evencoming-of-age canbeSF anddystopia,hard-boiledornoir.AndinSF,the protagonistdoesn’thavetobeahumanbeing orevenalive.

Asagenre,SFdealsinvisionsofthefuture,near andfar,fromascientificandrationalpointof view.Innoothergenredoideas,particularlypoliticalandsocial,mattermore.Howhumanswill orwon’tlive,whattechnologydoesordoesn’t dotoindividualsandsocieties,whatwillhappen whenhumansmeetnewspeciesoflife,sentient orotherwise theseareallpartofthevastrange ofSF. (Newsentientspecies?Humanswillfreak out,thoughthefilm Independence Day suggests itmightbewhatuniteshumanity.) Aboveall,SF asksanancientquestioninafuturisticsetting whatmakesushuman?

Dohumansevenhaveafuture?Andifwedo,and thatfutureisbleaker,poorer,totalitarian,anarchic,orpost-apocalyptic(Mad Max or The Last of Us),thananythingthatexistsrightnow,then we’vehitdystopia.It’sawarningtoustowake

upandmakebetterchoices,orwecouldendup intheevolutionarydustbin.

Dystopiahasfocuseditslensoncontemporary fearsformorethanacentury.HGWells’ The Time Machine (1895)hasautopiansurfacewitha dystopianfoundation:theEloiliveaboveground ontheindustriallaboroftheundergroundMorlocks,avividmetaphorforthewealthdisparity betweenthelandedclassesandtheworking classes.BothAldousHuxley’s Brave New World (1932,eugenics)andGeorgeOrwell’s 1984 (1949, masssurveillance)aredeeplydystopian,and they’vebeenfollowedbyRayBradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 (1953,bookburning),MargaretAtwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale (1985,theocracy)andSuzanneCollins’ The Hunger Games (2008,totalitarianism),amongmanyothers.

KatnissEverdeenhasalonghistorybehindher. Forallthatshelivesinacruel,corrupt,andtyrannicalworld,herstoryisneitherhard-boiled nornoir.Katnissisaproperherowithamoral core.Shestartsoutasagoodperson,replacing hersisterastribute,andlearnshowtobebetter.

That’snotthecasewitheitherhard-boiledor noir,whicharestylesunderscoringbleak themes.Crimestoriesarethemostlikelytobe

K.G.Whitehurst

doneinahard-boiledornoirstyle.Inhardboiledstories,aworld-weary,ethicallychallengedprotagonistsolvescrimesormysteriesin thefaceofauthoritarianism,corruption,and criminality.Theprotagonist,withsardoniccommentary,maycrossafewmoralorlegallines, butthevillaingetscaughtandusuallygets handedtotheauthorities,whoaren’talways thebadguys.Justiceisserved.Theprotagonist survivestofightanotherday.

SamSpade,VIWarshawski,and Murderbot?

Yes,Murderbot,thesnarky,world-(galaxy-) wearycyborgSecUnitwhowouldratherwatch itsentertainmentfeedsthanpullhumanchestnutsoutofthefire.CreatedbyMarthaWells, Murderbotisanunconventionalinvestigator, solvingthemysteriesofwhyandbywhomthe assignedhumansareunderattack.Murderbot extricatesthemfrombadsituations,usually causedbycorporatepowerandprofitgrabsor bycorporateneedtocoveruprealwrongdoing.Itgoesroguetodothejob,butthenlives towatchanotherepisodeof Sanctuary Moon,a favoritesoapopera.

Innoir,theprotagonistismorallydodgyatthe beginningandgoesdownhillfromthere.Thisis therealmoftheanti-hero.Badpeopledobad thingstoworsepeople.Orsomelosergivesinto temptation,onlytodiscoverthere’snoeasy walktoEasyStreet.Thesystemisalways rigged.Oraninnocentisframed,and,notonly doesnobodygiveadamn,theperpetratorof theframelaughsallthewaytothepenthouse. Theendingisalwaysbleak,anabsolutedowner, anddeathisalwaysonthecards.Enoughdead bodiesequalsaroughjustice,butit’sneither certainnornecessarilyintended.

Anurbanphenomenon,noirsettingslookbleak, grim,down-at-the-heel.Theplayofshadowand light,therain-slicked,poorlylitstreets,thereflectionshots,particularlyinthemirror,up-and down-the-staircaseshotsareclassicaspectsof filmnoir.Everythingtakesplaceatnight,when

allcatsaregrey atbest.Towritenoir,weuse toneanddictionandvoicetocreatethedarkatmospherethatunderscoresthetheme you can’twin,youcan’tbreakeven,youcan’tgetout ofgame.Asthat’sawaytodescribethesecond lawofthermodynamics,whichdealswithentropy,thedeclineofenergyandmatterintheuniverseasitfallstodisorderanddeath,it’saneasy slideintodystopianSF.

AndtheplacetostartwithnoirinSFis Blade Runner (1982),basedonPhilipKDick’snovel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.RidleyScott’s moviepresentsadenselypopulatedworldwhere replicants,robotswholookandsoundhuman, arehunteddownandkilled.Scottshotitinfull filmnoirstyle:thefuturistic,exploitativecityat nightwithrain-soakedstreets,shadowsacross faces,andterse,tenseconversations.Noirstyling heightensthepunchofthisdystopiancrimestory.

Othernovels,films,andTVshowshavefollowed Blade Runner downthosedark,meanstreets. Strange Days (1995,voyeurismandprivacy), Gattaca (1997,genesasdestiny), Minority Report (2001,security),and Altered Carbon (2018,high techcrime),aNetflixseriesbasedonthenovels byRichardKMorgan.Therearemanyothers,as wellasawholestrainofJapanesemanga.

Dystopiahascontinuedinpopularity,it’sparticularlypowerfulwhencombinedwithnoir,andI expecttoseemoresuchstoriesinthefuture. Gee,Iwonderwhy.

A former college professor, K. G. Whitehurst holds a Ph.D. in British history from the University of Virginia. She currently resides in Frederick, Maryland with one long-suffering husband, three naughty cats, and over one hundred houseplants. Her work has appeared in the online magazaine Everyday Fiction and at www.diymfa.com.A writer of both historical mystery and SF & F, she is currently at work on a mystery set in 18th century England during the Gordon Riots.

TheHistoryofScienceFictionandWhyWriteIt?

Editor in Chief Wendy H. Jones looks at the history of science fiction and discusses its endearing appeal to readers

Thefirstauthortobecreditedwithwriting thefirstsciencefictionbookwasMary Shelleyof Frankenstein fame.Thisfact makesmeparticularlyhappyas,notonlywas sheawomanbutshethoughtofthestorywhilst visitingTheBaxterfamilyinDundeewhereI live.Apparently,sheusedtowalkalongthe banksoftheRiverTayandcameupwiththe ideaandplotforthenovelasshewalked.Ididn’tthinkDundeewasthatterrifying,butitcertainlymadeliteraryhistoryinthiscase.

Thereisalsoanargumentthat Arabian Nights or Gulliver’s Travels couldbeconsideredscience fictionbutI’mnotquiteseeingthat.So,let’s stickwiththe Frankenstein theorywhichgives usadateof1818forthebirthofthegenre.

Shelley,intruetrailblazingstylegavebirthto thepost-apocalypticsub-genrewiththepublicationof The Last Man.Ifeelthesefeatsareto beapplauded,notonlyforgivingbirthtothe genrebutbecauseshewasawomaninaman’s world.Shedidn’teventrytohidethefactshe wasawomanbyusinginitialsoraman’sname.

Sincethisadmirableaccomplishmentscience fictionhascontinuedtonotonlyflourishbut explode.

EdgarAlanPoe–accreditedwithwritingthe firstcrimefiction–triedhishandatwritingsciencefiction.Hisshortstory, The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall,publishedin1835, isastoryofHansPfaall’svoyagetothemoonin

ahotairballoonandincludeselementsofboth sciencefictionandfantasy.

Sincethen,therehasbeenaveritableplethora ofsciencefictionandfantasyauthors.IsaacAsimov,oftencreditedwithbeingthefatherofsciencefiction,wroteover500books.AsawriterI aminaweofthisachievement.

Otherauthorswhosenamestripofthetongue includeUrsulaLeGuin,FrankHerbert,IainM. Banks,L.RonHubbard,JulesVerne,Douglas Adamsandsomanyothers.Beforeyouare thinkingtheseareallinthepast,therearean equalnumberofcontemporarysciencefiction authors,allofwhomaredoingextremelywellin thegenre.

ScienceFictionhasenduringappealasreaders lapthemupvoraciouslyandwritersthinkof newandinnovativewaystopushthegenreforward.IfyoulikereadingScienceFictionthanI wouldventuretosayitisextremelyworthwhile lookingatwritingthem.Afterall,thereisroom foreveryone,whateverthegenre.

AliceThroughTheLookingGlass,LondonbyWendyH.Jones

NotriptoLondonwouldbecompletewithoutavisittoCecilCourt,London’sbook street.ItliesoffCharingCrossRoad,itself aliteraryhubandisafewminutes’walkfrom CharingCrossStation.Withinthisquietpedestrianstreetlieseveralantiquarianbookshops,a mapshopandevenamilitarymemorabiliashop. Youcanspendhoursbrowsinghereespecially lookingatthefirsteditions.

However,todaymystepstakemetoAlice ThroughtheLookingGlasswhichisdedicatedto

allthings Alice in Wonderland.Itisnotalarge shop,butitisfascinating.Theynotonlysell booksbutartisan,heritagepiecesandmemorabiliaalldedicatedtoeveryone’sfavouritefantasy story Alice In Wonderland.Youcanalsobuypicturesandfashioninthestore,allAliceandWonderlandthemed.

Thisistrulyaliterarytreasuretrove,andyoufeel likeyouhavedroppedintowonderlanditselfand expecttohear“offwiththeirheads”atanygiven moment.Now,ifyouwillexcuseme,I’moffto haveteawiththeRedQueenandlookforthe whiterabbit.

Wendy H. Jones is the multi-award-winning, best-selling author of adult crime thrillers and cozy mysteries, children’s picture books and non-fiction books for writers. In addition, she is a writing coach, partner in Auscot Publishing and Retreats and hosts the Writing and Marketing Show podcast.

WhyConsiderWritingFantasy?

Writer Jessica Baker teaches film at a university and freelances as a camera operator in film. She discusses the fantasy genre and why you should consider writing fantasy especially as it is a broader category than you might think.

Fantasyallowsustoescapetherealworld andtraveltoworldswe’llneversee,dual sorcerers,andflyonthebackofdragons.It capturesmagiconthepage,asmuchasitcapturesourimagination.

Sowhyshouldyouconsiderwritingfantasy?

Thefantasygenreencompassesabroadrangeof fiction.Mostpeoplemaythinkofepicfantasy, withstrangemedievalworlds,dragons,and elves.Youmaythinkoffantasyromance,which seemstobeeverywhereunderthenewlypopularizedname“romantasy”,whichhasaromance asacentralplotofthestoryandguaranteesthe audienceanendingwithaHappilyEverAfter.

However,thegenrespansmorethanjustthese twosubgenres,whichevenoftenoverlapwith eachother.Urbanfantasyissetinaworldmore familiartoourworld.Cozyfantasyusuallyhas lowerstakesandleavesyoufeelinglikeyou’ve beenwrappedinawarmblanket.Fairytalesencompassfantasyelementsandarepartofpopularfairytaleretellinggenre.

“The fantasy genre encompasses a broad range of fiction.”

Whendippingyourtoesintothisgenre,oneof thefirstthingsyoushouldconsideriswhydo youwanttowritefantasy?Doyouenjoyreading

fantasyorwatchingfantasymoviesortelevision series?Ifyoudon'tenjoythegenre,thismight notbetherightgenreforyou.However,ifyou likereadingthesekindsofstoriesandenjoy worldbuilding,thismightbeagenreforyouto explore.Figuringoutwhatkindoffantasyyou liketoreadcanhelpnarrowdownwhatkindof fantasyyouwanttowrite.

Therearefantasystoriesforeveryagerange. Manyofusgrewuponfantasybookssuitedfora youngeraudience,allowingustogrowupwith thegenre.Thestoriescangetmorecomplexas wegetolder.

“There are fantasy stories for every age range.”

Worldbuildingisacorepartofanyfantasystory regardlessofsubgenreandperhapsoneofmy favoritereasonstowriteandreadfantasy.The worldscanbecomplexwithmaps,languages, andevenentirereligionscreatedjustforyour

JessicaBaker

world.Thelawsofourworlddon’thavetoapply inafantasysetting,evenwhenittakesplacein ourworld.Yougettocreatethehistoryofnot onlythecharacters,buttheveryworldinwhich theylive.Thatisn’ttosaythatitrequiresless researchthanothergenres ifanything,itrequiresjustasmuch,ifnotmoretounderstand thelittlethingsthatwedon’thavetodealwithin oureverydaylives.

“Fantasy provides an escape from the real world, both for the writer and the reader.”

Likesomanyothergenres,fantasyprovidesan escapefromtherealworld,bothforthewriter andthereader.Thestoriesyoucantellcanbe fardifferentfromwhatyoumighteverexperienceoffthepage,however,buildingafantasy

worldusingyourexperiencescancreateaworld uniquetoyou.You'reonlylimitedbyyourimagination.

Withsomanypeoplediscoveringthegenreandits recentpopularity,ifyou’veeverwantedtotry writingfantasy,nowisagreattimetostart!

Jessica lives in sunny Central Florida and is a member of Sisters in Crime. When she’s not writing, she teaches film at a university and freelances as a camera operator in film which provides plenty of inspiration for her stories.

WorldbuildingMistakesIMadeWritingAFantasySeries

Jennifer Gudgeon shares some of the blunders she made when setting out as a new writer of a fantasy series and why she sees killing her darlings as a necessity.

Firstoff,theseweren’tmyonlyblunders.I wasanewbiewriteratthestartandthinkI madeeverymistakegoing–passivevoice, tellingnotshowing,fillerwords,adverbs,too manynames,maincharactershavingnoagency. Younameit,Iprobablydidit.

However,I’dreadfantasyallmylife,soIgot someworldbuildingstuffcorrect.Iavoidedunpronounceablenames,gavemyworlddepth withoutspendingyearsworkingoutminordetails,andItwistedclichesintooriginality.Quitea fewworldbuildingtrapsdidcatchmeout though.

Imademymythologytoocomplicated

Ibeganbookone,havingdonenoworldbuilding atall.Oneday,Ijuststartedwritingadual-world fantasyserieswithoutanypriorknowledgeof storytelling.Itwasn’tlongbeforeIneededto makeupsomemythology,duringwhichIgot thoroughlyoverexcitedabouthowcleverIwas. Howhadnoonenoticedmygeniusbeforenow?

Sincethen,I’velearnedthatmegalomaniaruns closetothesurfacewhiledraftinganewbook... Myarroganceledmetoaddfartoomanyquirky elements,untilaneditoradvisedmetoremove anymythologythatwasn’tcentraltotheplot.I complied,apartfromonefeaturethatIlovedtoo muchtodelete.Itaddsalotofcharmtomy world,soI’mhappyIfoughttokeepitin.

JenniferGudgeon

Ididn’tplanthemythologyoflaterbooks

ThesecondbookinmyseriesfocusedonacharacterwhoIonlygavemagicalpowerstowhile draftingtheirstory.Luckily,theideaarrivedjust beforebookone’spublication,whichIhastily insertedtheperson’smagicinto.

ThebookhadalreadybeenpublishedwhenI thoughtupanotherworldbuildingchange.One solitarysentenceinbookonewouldnolonger makesenseifIusedthisnewpieceofmythology. AlthoughIself-publish,Ibelievepublication datesaresacred.Thatmeantmybrilliantidea couldn’tbeused.

Iworriedovertheproblemforaweek,thengave intomybaserinstinctsanduploadedareplacementmanuscripttoAmazonwiththesentence removed.Onlyafewcopiesofbookonehad sold,andthosewenttofriends.Theycouldbecomesuper-rareeditionswhenIgetfamous!

Ididn’tlearnstorystructure

Asanewbiewriter,Iknewsomethingwaswrong withmyfirstnovel,butnotwhatitwas.Isentmy manuscripttoaneditor,whorevealedthatI’d senthertwobooksinone–thefirstofwhich didn’thaveaplot.I’dwrittenthirty-thousand wordsofinfo-dumpingconversationsaboutthe worldmyMCfoundherselfin.

Sincethen,I’vegivenmyselfafewrulessothat worldbuildinginformationisspreadthroughthe action.

1.Somethingelsemustbehappeningduringan info-dumpconversation.

2.Expositioncanonlylastoneparagraphata timeunlessasignificantlengthoftimehas passed.

3.Iftimehaspassed,therecanonlybethree paragraphsofcatchupbeforethescenestarts properly.

Ipresumedreaderswereasobsessedwithmy worldasIwas

Whilewritingbooktwo,Igaveveryfewexplanationsofmyfantasyworld.Afterall,readers wouldknowallaboutithavingjustfinished bookone.Forotherpeoplemyhintswouldintriguethemintoreadingfurther.

Neitherofthesestatementsaretrue.

Withlonggapsbetweenpublications,evenavid fansneedremindersofwhatisgoingon.Also, whileitisawriter’sjobtointriguereaders,delayingallusefulinformationquicklyconfuses themenoughtogiveup.

Havingwrittentoolittleaboutmyworldinbook two,Igotcockywithbookthreeandthreweverythingintothefirstchapter–characternames,

previousstorylines,mythology.Itwastoomuch tooquickly,andIhadtorewritethewholething, drip-feedingmythologyintothefirstfewchapters.

Ididn’tconsidermyreaders

Thiswasmybiggestmistakebyfar.Bookone wassetmainlyonEarth,withinteresting glimpsesofthefantasyworld.Booktwowasa prequel,whichIalsosetonEarthuntilmyeditor readanearlydraftandaskedwhattheblinking flipIwasdoing.Readershadalreadywaiteda wholebooktovisitmyimaginaryworld,andI couldn’tmakethemwaitthroughanother.

IrealisedthatIhadn’tsentmycharactersthere becauseIwasalreadyfamiliarwiththatworld andinnohurrytogothere.Meanwhile,readers wereimpatienttovisittheweirdplaceI’dcreated.Thismistakecostmefifty-thousandwords andthreemonths’work

It’shardtorecogniseworldbuildingmistakes whendrafting,soIletmyimaginationrunwild atthistime.Itwouldbewrongtosuppress thoseoccasionalnuggetsofgoldbykeepingmyselfneatlyinabox.Igetmoreruthlessintheeditingstage,whenIensureeveryworldbuilding detailisnecessary.Whileitishorribleto kill my darlings,itmustbedoneforthesakeofmy readers.

Jenni Gudgeon is a fantasy author based in Scotland. She came late to writing after a career as a photographic artist, creating stories from pictures instead of words. Jenni wishes she’d changed jobs years ago and loves getting lost for hours in another world. To find out more visit www.jennigudgeon.co.uk

MonthlyWritingPrompts

Wendy H. Jones and Tami C. Brown set this month’s writing prompts. Inspired by a theme of science fiction and fantasy they provide a range of prompts. Why not give them a try?

Words:

Whathappenswhensciencefictionandfantasy collide?

Nothingcouldbestrangerthan…

Fromboringtofantasy;that’smylife

Music: FantasybyMariahCarey

IHaveaDreambyAbba

ScienceFiction–TheRockyHorrorShow

Images:

ScienceFictionandFantasy~mymindwentto eventsthatyoucanandcan'texplain. Youwere selectedfromtheuniversetohavethismoment.

WritingPrompts

(Photographic images by Tami C. Brown)

Image1:

Iwasatabutterflyconservatoryandthisbutterfly landedonmyheadandstayedawhile.Thistoo hassignificantmeaningasthebutterflyisasymbolofourMomvisitingus.

WendyH.Jones TamiC.Brown

ADragonflylandsonmyarmandnotethatIhavemycamerabraceleton.Thishassignificantmeaningin ourfamilieslives,asournephew,Clintpassedawayseveralyearsagoandthedragonflyisthesymbolof hisvisitstous.

Editor in chief, Wendy H. Jones is the multi-award -winning, best-selling author of adult crime thrillers and cozy mysteries, children’s picture books and non-fiction books for writers. In addition she is a writing coach, partner in Auscot Publishing and Retreats and hosts the Writing and Marketing Show podcast.

Tami C. Brown loves to have her camera ready to snap beauty wherever she goes. Her family and friends, affectionately known as the Queenies, are well prepared for random stops along the journey to have a photo op. She’s grateful for all photography opportunities and the adventures that come along with it.

Image2

Image3 GlacierinIceland

DoNotAllowYourSquirrelstoBeatYou

Sophie ably assisted by Peter Thomas discusses how persistence can win out even against all the odds and provides inspiration for writers to persevere with their works in progress.

Notmanycreatureshavethedistinction thattheirnameisusedasthegold standardforaparticulartrait.Dogsdo. “Dogged”and“doggedly”arethewatchwords fordetermination,tenacityandpersistence.So nooneisbetterqualifiedthanaspanieltooffer timelyinspirationinthatqualitywhichisessentialforallwriterseverywhere–perseverance.

YourworthyNewYear’sResolutionsaboutwritingmayalreadyhavedwindledfromaspirations todreams.Ifso,Iwanttoencourageyounotto giveupbuttopersevere.Itistheinventorofthe electriclightbulbandthealkalinebattery ThomasEdisonwhoisrememberedforsaying, “Geniusis2%inspirationand98%perspiration”.Keepsloggingon.Thegreatphilosopher DollyPartondescribedperseverancelikethis."I neverstoppedtrying.AndInevertriedstopping."

Ifweareaimingatsuccess,weneedtobetenaciousandsingle-minded.Thetelevisionquiz Mastermindhasenduredforhalfacenturybecauseofitsfamouscatchphrase:“I'vestartedso I'llfinish.”Racehorseswearblinkerssothat nothingaroundcandistractthemfromtheir destination.Ontheotherhand,humansaretoo happytoletthemselvesbeledastraybyother people,bytelevisionandphonecallsandtexts

andsocialmedia.Theyfinditsomucheasierto talkaboutwriting,ortoreadaboutwriting, thanactuallygetdowntowriting.Incontrast, onlyonethingintheuniversecandeflectadog fromhertaskinhand.Thatisasquirrel.

Thedogsinourfamilyhavealwaysbeenatwar withthesquirrels.OurgreatgreatauntieGoldenRetrieverTaraneededtobeonperpetual guardagainstthesquirrelsinthetreeopposite becausetheykepteatingtheirwaythroughthe telephonewires.Yearslaterourdaddywasalwaysbeingdistractedfromhisownwritingas hegazedoutofthewindowatthesquirrelsin thegardenjumpedteasinglyfrombranchto branchjustabovetheheadofourgreatauntie Sasha.Eventodaywhenwegowalkinginthe woodsthesneakylittlerodentsarededicated toleadusoffourpathsanduptheirtrees.

Squirrelsarealwaysdoingtheirbesttolureus withtheirbeadyeyesandtwitchingnosesand

SophieandTessa

flauntingtheirfluffytails.ButIhavetrainedmyselftoignorethemandIamnowteachingTessa thesecret.Wejustneedtoexerciseself-control andlookaway.Recognisethatsquirrelsarebeneathus.Theyarenotworthyofourprecious timeandenergies.Thereinliesthesecretofperseverance–learningtopaynoattentiontothe squirrels,orwhateverelseitmaybethatisdeflectingyouhumansfromyourpurpose.Callto mindthemaximofCommanderQuincyTaggart fromthegreatestofallspacedocumentaries GalaxyQuest:“Nevergiveup–neversurrender!”

Resistallsidetracksanddiversions.Formany writersthegreatestdistractionfromtheircurrentworkinprogressisfinishingoffthefinaleditoftheirpreviouspiece.Othersareeasilyled astraybytheexcitingearlystagesoftheirnext project.Toachieveourbestwemustkeepour focusonjustonetaskandseeitthroughtothe end.Besustainedbytheprayerattributedto thatworld-renownedduck,SirFrancisDrake.

“OLordGod,whenthougivesttothyservants toendeavouranygreatmatter, grantusalsotoknowthatitisnotthebeginning,butthecontinuingofthesameuntothe end,untilitbethoroughlyfinished,which yieldeththetrueglory.”

Sobeencouraged,unwavering,unswervingand indefatigable.AstheVictorianpreacherC.H. Spurgeonremindedus,“Byperseverancethe snailreachedtheark.”

Whateveryouareworkingon,fromtheshortest poemtothelongestnovel,presson.Keepon keepingon.Berelentless.Resolvethatthis weekyouwillsticktoyourpurposelikeadog withabone!

PeterThomasandSophie

Rev Peter Thomas has published three non-fiction books and is delighted now to assist Sophie in her creative writing projects. Originally a teacher and author in the fields of chemistry and computing, Peter retired in 2023 after 36 years as a Minister of local Baptist Churches. He continues to add to his blog and videos of more than a thousand sermons and reflections found at www.pbthomas.com.

SubscriberNews

Tonominateyourlocallibrary orbookshoptobefeaturedinfutureissues emailwritersnarrative@gmail.com subjectheadedfortheattentionoftheEditor inChief.

DouglasAdams- The Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy: A Trilogy in Five Parts

Jenny Sanders discusses the impact Douglas Adams’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy has had on the world of science fiction.

ThefamousUKseries, Doctor Who,wasprobablymyfirstencounterwithsciencefiction, albeitfromadistance.Thatprogramme wasbannedinourhouseaftermyeldestsister wasdiscoveredhiding,white-faced,behindthe sofa.Thereafterlabelledas‘tooscary’,itwas yearslaterwhenIcameacrossitagaininanew formatandthenwatcheditregularlywithmy youngson.

Inthemeantime,sci-fimaniarippledaroundthe worlddressedinflashinglights,strangebeeps andburnishedmetalas Star Wars hitcinema screensatthesametimeIhitsecondaryschool. Beyondthat,myexperienceofthegenrewaslimitedtothosecute,English,knittedpuppetswho whistledtoeachotherandfoundstrangeitems ontheirplanet,allanimatedbytheveryclever OliverPostgatein The Clangers.

Thesethreeiterationswereallaccessedviaa screenbutmyperceptionofallthingsinterplanetarywaschangedforeverbythediscoveryof DouglasAdams’epictrilogy(nowinfiveparts; yes,Iknow), The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.I waslatetothepartysincethisstartedlifeasaradioshowin1978beforeitsadaptationintoanovelthefollowingyear.Twoyearsafterthat,I was sixteenyears-oldwhenIwatchedtheBBC’ssixparttelevisedversionwhichhadmeentranced andgigglinguncontrollably.

JennySanders

Forgetmonstersmadeofoldwashingupliquid bottlesorpoorlysilver-sprayedcardboardboxes heldtogetherwithstickytape,herewassomethingdifferent.Partludicrous,partmad,partsocialcomment,partchildlikeinnocence,itwas andstillisagloriousmixtureoftheridiculous combinedwiththeabsurd,thehilariousandthe sardonicifnotdownrightcynical.

Whilemuchofitisgloriouslysilly,thereisagreat dealofwit,creativityandsurrealimaginationat workinthesebooksforreaderstoenjoy.Unlike someotherworksinthegenre,it’snotintense;in factitdoesn’ttakeitselfseriouslyatall.

Whowouldn’tfallinlovewithtwo-headedhippie rebelZappodBeeblebrox,theunlikelyPresident ofthegalaxyandthemanwhoinventedthelegendaryPanGalacticGargleBlaster: ‘like having your brains smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped round a large gold brick.’

Hisfriend,FordPrefect,believesheiscoolbyassociationbuthasbeenstuckonplanetEarthfor yearseventhoughheisfrom ‘a small planet somewhere in the vicinity of Betelgeuse’,andnot

fromGuildfordaseveryonesupposed.Asaveteranspacetraveller,heservesascluelessArthur Dent’scompanion,havingbefriendedhimsome yearspreviously.Arthurremainsbemusedand confusedashewandersthroughthepagesinhis dressing-gowninthevainhopesomewhere mustsurelyserveadecentcupofteaeventually.

ItisArthur’shomewhichisabouttobedemolishedforanewroadatthestartofthebook,a micro-mirroringoftheentireplanetbeingimminentlyblownupbyanalienVogonfleetinorder tomakewayforanewintergalacticbypass.

Therealguide/companion,ofcourse,isapreinternet,speaking,pocket-sizedcomputerwhich storesallsortsofhelpfulinformationaboutalmosteverythingonemightfindintheuniverse. Itsusefulnessisenhancedbyhaving‘DON’T PANIC inscribed in large friendly letters on its cover.’

Extractsfromitspagesareinsertedbetween chapterstogivethereadera(mostly)clearer viewofwhatisgoingon.FordPrefectisaresearcherforthisillustrioustomebutthebesthe couldcomeupwithfortheentryaboutEarthis tohaveiteditedfrom ‘Harmless’ to‘Mostly harmless.’ Arthurisnotimpressed.

However,theGuidefillsthereaderinoncrucial partsofthenarrative,thuseventuallybringing ustotheallimportantanswerabout ‘Life, the Universe and Everything’ forwhichanadvanced computer, Deep Thought,was specificallybuilt.

‘A stupendous supercomputer which was so amazingly intelligent that even before its data banks had been connected up it had started from I think therefore I am and got as far as deducing the existence of rice pudding and income tax before anyone managed to turn it off.’

Yougettheidea.

Theunsatisfactoryanswer, ‘forty-two’ isalsofamiliartomanypeoplewhohaveneverreadthe

book,whichisashamebecausetheycouldhave discoveredthelegendaryplanet-buildingplanet ofMagratheawascommissionedtohaveEarth constructedasanorganiccomputertouncover thefarmoreprecisequestiontowhichthecomputerhadalreadygivensuchanunsatisfactory answer.Unfortunately,fiveminutesbeforethe programmewascomplete,theVogonfleetblew Earthtosmithereens,whichcomplicatedeverything.

Adams’charactershavenotonlyjumpedoffthe pagebuthavebecomepartofourculture. Even thosewhohaven’treadhisbooksareawareof MarvintheParanoidAndroid,adepressedmetal robotwhosecatchphrase, ‘Life don’t talk to me about life’,hasbeenthrownaroundoffices, pubs,andlecturehallseversincepublication.

MypersonalfavouriteisprobablytheMagrathean,Slartibartfast,award-winningdesignerof fjordswhocontributedtomyinspirationand motivationforrestrictingmyfoodconsumption atuniversityinordertosavemystudentgrant moneytotraveltoNorwayandseethemformyself.Wellworththetrip!

ManyofushaveheardoftheBabelfish,Adams’ fictionaltranslatorofalllanguageswhich,once insertedintoyourear,feedsoffyourbrainwave energy.Heclaimedit 'excretes a telepathic matrix formed by combining the conscious thought frequencies with nerve signals picked up from the speech centres of the brain which has supplied them.’

Itallsoundsplausibleand,realityoftenbeing strangerthanfiction,theideahasbecomerealityinadot.comwebpagetranslationtool.The name,BabelFish,isnowthatofaNorwegian poprockbandaswell.

Iwillbeforevergratefultomyfriendwhosoimmersedherselfinthepreposterouscomplexities ofDouglasAdam’sUniverseIwasgalvanisedintopurchasingacopyofthebook.Ilovedit;Iwas hooked.

Inmyfinalschoolyear,Imadeabetwithanother friendIcouldappropriatelyweavereferencesto theRogerHargreaves’seriesof Mr Men books and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy inat leastoneoftheessaysrequiredinmyspeciallevelEnglishexampaper.Reader,Iwonthatbet (andreceivedagoodgrade).

Fivebooksfromoneideaisastretchandthey becomedarkerandbleakerastheyprogress.ApparentlyDouglasAdamswasdisappointedby theendinghewroteforbookfiveandplannedto rectifythatinbooksixbut,sadly,diedbefore thatcametofruition.

Ineverbecamea‘Trekkie’andhaveresistedeveryothernovelinthesci-fiplaybook,buthaving recentlyre-read Hitchhikers,Icansayithas stoodthetestoftime,ifnotspace.

DouglasAdams’sci-fiseries:-

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Restaurant at the end of the Universe Life, the Universe and Everything So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish Mostly Harmless

Spiritual Feasting is Jenny’s faith-based exploration of authentic living in tough times. She explores the theme of being shaped for purpose in her latest book Polished Arrows. She has two collections of humorous children’s stories: The Magnificent Moustache and other stories and Charlie Peach’s Pumpkins and other stories. She is available for author visits for creative writing sessions with Key Stage 2 children in the UK.

MaryShelley1797-1851

MaryShelleywasborn,MaryWollstonecraft Godwinin1797inLondon.

ShewasanEnglishnovelist,shortstorywriter, dramatist,essayist,biographer,andtravelwriter.Hermother,MaryWollstonecraft,wasawriter,feministphilosopherandwomen’srights advocateandtheauthorof A Vindication of the Rights of Women. Shediedlessthantwoweeks aftergivingbirthtoMary,andMarywasbrought upbyherfather,WilliamGodwin.

In1812,herfathersenthertoliveforshortperiodswiththeradicalWilliamBaxter,atBaxter HousenearDundee,Scotland.

In1814,whilestillateenager,Marystarteda romanticaffairwiththethenmarriedEnglish romanticpoetPercyByssheShelley.Herfather disapprovedoftherelationship.Afterthedeath ofhisfirstwife,MaryandShelleyelopedin 1816.Theyhadonesurvivingson.

Alsoin1816,MaryandPercyShelleyspenta summerwithLordByronandothersnearGeneva,Switzerland,wheresheconceivedtheidea forherpioneeringGothic(1918)novel Frankenstein (or, The Modern Prometheus).

In1851,attheageof53,MaryShelleydiedfrom abraintumour.

Herotherpublishedworksincludethenovels: Valperga (1823)

Perkin Warbeck (1830),

The Last Man (1826

Lodore (1835) Falkner (1837).

Flights of Fantasy byWendyH.Jones

WhatbetterlibrarytofeatureinaScienceFictionandFantasyissuethan FlightsofFantasythesciencefiction libraryofImperialCollegeLondon.

JusttoaddtoitsgeneralSciFiandFantasyfeel, itisfrightfullydifficulttofindoutanything aboutit.Itried,Ireallydid,eventravellingto London.Actually,IamhereforLondonBook Fair,sonospecialtrip,however,Istillcouldn’t findoutanythingaboutit.Therearenocontact details,eventhemainlibrariansoftheuniversityhavenowayofcontactingthemexcept throughsocialmedia.

Andeventhatispracticallyimpossible.Perfect.I lovethemysteriousnessofitall.Ididmanageto findoutyougettheredownsomestairsinacornerofBeitQuad,wherethecollectionisnow housed.Itstartedlifeasacollectionofbooksin filingcabinetsNowitisdescribedasasecretundergroundhideout.

So,ifyouareinLondon,itmightbeworthseeing ifyoucanfindit.Ifyoudogainentrytoitshallowedshelves,youmaybeabletoseethe1895 editionofH.G.Wells’ War of the Worlds.

Goodluckwithyourquest.Bytheway,tocontinuethemysterioustheme,therearenoimageseither,soenjoythehotairballoons.

Wendy H. Jones is the multi-award-winning, best-selling author of adult crime thrillers and cozy mysteries, children’s picture books and non-fiction books for writers. In addition, she is a writing coach, partner in Auscot Publishing and Retreats and hosts the Writing and Marketing Show podcast.

WritingFantasyInShortFormsofFiction

Allison Symes discusses what she loves about reading and writing fantasy and how it can work in the short forms of fiction too.

Ilovereadingandwritingfantasy.Formyflash fictionIhaven’tthewordcountroomforalot ofworldbuilding,butIcanshowenoughto convinceareadermysettingisfantasticaland mycharactersareprobablymagical.Theadvantageoffantasyisininventingstoriesand characterswherewhatweknowasrealitycanbe reinvented.

Nomatterhowfantasticalyoursettingorincredibleyourcharacters,thereisonethingwhichis crucialtomakethemsuccessfultoareader-they mustbebelievable.Thefollowingwillhelpbring aboutthatbelievability.

Setrules.Whatcanyourcharactersdo?What can’ttheydo?Ifmagicisapossibility,showits limitations.Thereisnostoryifeverythingcanbe resolvedbythewaveofamagicwand.Whereis theconflictanddramainthat?

Beconsistentwiththoserules.Thisistrueforany genrebutinfantasyitisevenmoreimportant.If youhaveacharactersuddenlyabletomake themselvesinvisible,say,whenafewpagesbeforetheyhaven’tbeenabletodothat,theremust beagoodexplanationoryoursettingandcharacterswilllosecredibility.Thatwillloseyoureaders.

Thinkaboutwhatyourreadersneedtoknow. Readersreadtofindoutwhathappens,sothey’ll focusonthat.Forexample,readerswillneedto knowifyourcharacterscanflyorwhetherthey havetousepublictransportbecausemagicisn’t allowedtobeusedforflyingforwhateverreason.

Allison Symes

Thinkaboutwhogovernsyoursetting.Who makestherules?Whoensuresothersobey them?Yourcharactersneedtoknowtheirplace intheirworldasthiswilldictatetheiractions.If yourcharacterispartofthegovernmentand theyrebelagainstit,youwillneedtoshowwhat theycandoandhow.Ifyourcharacterrebels againstthegovernmentbutisalowlymember ofthepublic,youwouldneedtoshowwhatthey coulddowhichwouldhaveanychanceofbeing effective(andwhy).

Alsonosettingisinlimbo.Yourcharactersarein asociety.We,asreaders,needtoknowsomethingofhowthatworks.Wemightnotneedto knowhowtheysortouttheirplumbing,butwill needtoknowwhereandhowyourcharactersfit inthissetting.

Lisa Turley is from West Virginia. She is on numerous ARC street teams and reads in multiple genres. She is passionate about helping authors get the wordoutabouttheirbooks.

Whatwouldbeconsideredstrangeinyour world?Itwasoddforhobbitstotravel.See The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Sowhen,firstly,BilboBagginsandthen,later,Frodotravelled, thiswasremarkedupon.Thosejourneyswere thecatalysts.Youcouldusesomethingextraordinarytobethecatalystforyourcharactersbut readersneedtoknowwhatthisis.

Bearinmindwhatcanbeconsideredfantastical variesaccordingtotime.Forexample,thedevelopmentoftheUKsewersystemintheVictorian erawouldhaveseemedfantasticaltoprevious eras.Sowhatmakesyourworldafantasy?What standsitapartfromwhatweknow?Readers mustbeabletopicturewhatisdifferent.

Readwidelyinthegenre.Seethisasresearch. Thereisahugerangeinfantasyfromthehumorous(TerryPratchett’s Discworld springstomind) totheserious“high”fantasytoromanticfantasy toevendetectivefantasy(seeJasperFforde’s work).Whatdoyoulovereadinginthisgenre? Whatcanyouofferareaderwithyourcharacters andsetting?

Fantasyisofteninspiredbyfairytalesandfolkloresoitwouldpayyoutoresearchthese.Itwill feedintowhatyouwrite.

Aswithanygenre,yourcharacterswillfaceconflictandchange.Theirmotivationsneedtobe understandable,evenifyouarewritingfroma dragon’sviewpoint(whichI’vedone).Thereisno reasonwhymotivationsoflove,justice,revenge, escapeandsomanymoreshouldbeconfinedto humanity.

Weallunderstandthosemotivationssowillunderstandthem nomatterhow“weird”your characterand/orsettingmaybe.Againitalladds tothebelievabilityfactor.

Keeplanguageappropriatetoyourcharacters andsetting.J.R.R.Tolkieninventedalanguage forhiswonderfulworkbutwedon’tneedtogo thatfar.Yes,yourcharacterswillusetermsappropriatefortheirsettingbutreadersshouldbe abletodeducemeaningfromcontext.

Domakenameseasytopronounce.Youdon’t wantlotsofconsonantstomakeitlookalien. Whatreaderscan’tread/pronounce,theywill ignoreandmaystopreading.Followthegreat exampleofJ.M.Barrie.Nobodyhasaproblem

pronouncingTinkerbellyetitisclearlynotahumanname.

Forshortstoriesandflash,youwillhavethe wordcountroomtofocusononeortwodetails onlytoshowyoursetting.Ifreadersneedto knowtheskyispinkandeveryonefliesonmotorisedbroomsticksthenthatiswhatyoushow. Youdon’tneedtogointothemechanicsofhow thosebroomstickswork.Readerswillseeyour charactersinthissetting and then something happens. Theywillwanttofindoutwhatand wheredothemotorisedbroomsticksfitin(and theymustdo,elsewhyaretheyinyourstory?).

Someofouroldeststoriesarefantasy.Rememberourchildhoodfairystories.Ifyoulookmore closelyatthem,theyareoftenbrutal(checkout theoriginalendingof The Little Mermaid. Disney couldnothavefilmeditthewayHansChristen Andersenwroteit).Theyalsooftensharemoral messageswithoutpreaching.

Fantasycanbeawonderfulvehicleforreflecting onourbehaviour.Taking Discworld asanexample,wefindoutwhorulesAnkh-Morpork,what thedifferentguildsare(andthe“politics”inthe storiescomefromtheseguildsconflictingwith eachother)andsoon.Fromourexperiences here,weknowwhorulesus.Weknowwhatpoliticscanbelikesowhenweseeinafantasysettingthesquabblingamongstgroupsweoften seehere,webelieveit.

Fantasyisrootedinreality,howeverstrange thatmayseem.

Allison Symes is a flash fiction/short story writer, blogger and editor based in Hampshire. She runs writing workshops, judges competitions, and writes weekly for writers for Chandler’s Ford Today. She has two flash fiction collections published (Chapeltown Books) with a third in the pipeline.

SUBMISSIONGUIDELINES

Writers’NarrativeeMagazine

We are interested in submissions on any aspect of writing and publishing and will accept simultaneous submissions.AllinterviewsmustbepitchedtotheEditorinChieffirstbeforedoingtheinterview.

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Theonlyimageswhichshouldbesubmittedwithyour articlesareyourauthorphotograph andbookcoversifdoingabookreview.Includeabriefbioandauthorphotographalongwithyourfirstsubmission.

Pleasestatethemonthforwhichyouaresubmittingyourarticle.However,thismaybechangedifitisfelt itbettersuitsadifferentissue.

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To nominate your local library or bookshop to be featured in future issues and for any queries including advertisingwithusemailwritersnarrative@gmail.comsubjectheadedfortheattentionofEditorinChief

Whilethereisamonthlythemeandfocus,thiswillnotbetheonlytopicforthemagazine.General articlescanalsobesubmittedforpublication.

Themesfor2025 Month Theme

January/ February Non-Fiction

March HistoricalFictionandNon-Fiction

April ScienceFictionandFantasy(It’sNationalScienceFictionMonth)

May Worldbuilding

June WritingfortheYAMarket

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Comingin….May2025

Theme—Worldbuilding

FeaturedAuthorInterview

Articles

BookReviews

Newreleases

Andmore….