Building a fantasy pantheon readers can believeA convincing fantasy pantheon does not begin with a catalogue of names, genealogies and magical domains. It begins with a sacred contradiction: a promise the…
Exile In Scottish Speculative FictionExile is one of the most persistent emotional landscapes in Scottish literature. It can mean forced migration, economic displacement, political banishment or…
Crime Beyond the Scene: Writing Off-Page NoirA crime can dominate a noir story without ever being shown. A body is absent, a safe stands open, and a character is quietly ruined by something readers never…
Love stories when the world is coming apartLove in a dystopia is not romance with a grim backdrop. It is a test of what two people will protect when rationing, surveillance, displacement or political…
How to Write a Fantasy Story Set in a Single DayA fantasy story set in a single day can feel enormous: a kingdom can fall, a spell can be broken, or a life can change between breakfast and dusk. The…