Tag: worldbuilding
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(Mostly) Unobtrusive Worldbuilding
Infodumps are boring. Yet without them, how do you explain why your protagonist’s magic powers are so important? How do you explain why that particular monster ... -
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang (Book Review)
The Good: One of the most badass and brutal POV characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading, worldbuilding that rises up around the reader ... -
Martial Arts and Magic, Part 4: Qigong and Inner Power
Part 4, all right! If you haven’t read the previous installments, here are the links: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. I’m going to start ... -
Martial Arts as Magic, Part 2: Baguazhang and the Basics
Welcome to Part 2 of my mini-series on creating magic systems based on movement and martial arts! If you didn’t read Part 1, start here, you ... -
Magic and Mayhem: Welcome to a World of Pure Imagination
As a fantasy writer, I think it’s important to listen to “Pure Imagination” from the 1971 version of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory every once ... -
Magical Warfare
Fallout taught fans that war…war never changes. Military historians, however, argue otherwise. Case in point: the stirrup. Before firearms dominated the battlefield, it’s generally agreed that ... -
Qi and Fantasy
Most people associate magic with strange symbols, chanting, and waving a wand around. Dusty books are usually in the picture, along with ritual circles or sacrifices. ... -
Wizards: Old Grey Beards
If you ask someone on the street to name the first three wizards that come to mind, you’ll probably hear the names Gandalf, Merlin, and Dumbledore ... -
High Resolution: Worldbuilding and the Small Details
I have a fascination with the metal buttons on pay phones, the pixels on old Zenith televisions, the writing on IV drip bags, and the lettering ... -
True Names, Binary, and Mathematics as Magic
A while ago, I decided to sit down and flesh out the notation and structure of magic in my world. One of the key problems I ...
