Writing
Everything on Writing
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GENRE 101 – Mystery
“The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes.” Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Hound of the Baskervilles Do you ever dream of being the bad guy, vanishing people who annoy you, robbing their fortunes and forcing their decisions by imposing fear? Or would you rather be the good guy, the one to observe strange event, collect evidence and draw conclusions, a seeker of truth? How about you could be both? The Mystery genre is a relatively young contestant in the fight for the best position on the bestseller lists. It has proven enormously successful and versatile. Mystery stories come in all shapes and forms,…
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GENRE 101 – Horror
“My revenge has just begun! I spread it over centuries and time is on my side.” Bram Stoker, Dracula Imagine for a moment, how it must have impressed the prehistoric humans, after having mastered the ability to conjure and control fire, to realize that they were unable to carry a torch into the mountains. Despite making sure it was potent enough to last the way, the flame was still snuffed out if they went deep enough into the cave. They would be left disoriented, blind, confused, dizzy. Did they panic and faint, see strange visions and feel, as if someone or something was strangling them in the dark? They could…
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GENRE 101 – Historical Fiction
“I saw death come for you, and I had no philosophy.” Mary Renault, The Last Of The Wine Historical Fiction is one of the most represented genres on the bestseller shelves and it often manifests in combination with the other real world-genres such as Romance, Drama, Family Saga and Adventure. It is also particularly well liked in the Mystery sections for reasons I will discuss in the related chapter. It is a very popular genre to attach to a broader spectrum of interests and that is only one reason why it is sometimes hard to identify, even if it seems obvious. Contemporary or Historical Fiction? It may come as a…
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GENRE 101 – Fantasy
“I can not carry it for you, but I can carry you.” J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord Of The Rings A good number of Fantasy authors draw their inspiration from ancient tales, legends and myths and about as many base their framework on the universe that J.R.R. Tolkien has created with The Lord Of The Rings and related stories. Regarding the richness and mythological universality of his tales, it often feels impossible for any Fantasy Writer to crawl out from under Tolkien’s large shadow. He has defined roles and races for a modern audience, which have been popular since before the time literature became an art form. He has placed…
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GENRE 101 – Romance
“Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs.” William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet It is not disadvantageous to read a lot of related material if you wish to write a romantic novel, because there are not only so many different ways to approach the subject, it is also a cross-genre phenomenon. Almost every story from ancient times to Hollywood has at least one flirtatious moment and those are often remembered the longest. Therefore, even if you do not aspire to become a Romance novelist, the understanding of the concept is vital for writers of all genres. There is always a love story attached, even if it is…
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Music|Inspiration
|01 |02 |03 |04 |05 |06 |07 |08 |09 |10 |11 |12 |13 |14 |15 |16 Music has always been a big deal for me personally and in relation to my work. It has this unique potential of telling a different story for everyone, providing imagery, atmosphere and emotion by catering to one sense only. It is a great source of inspiration and I would be lost without it. Each one of these titles has been of significance in the creation of specific scenes and characters. You can now check out the music that is setting the tone while I work inside the universe of Mirathaton via my youtube playlists.…
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Beauty Is Born In The Mind
Do you like music? I do, very much so. I am a huge admirer of great singing voices. My favourite singers can fill halls, maybe not with people, but with beautiful sounds, even without a microphone. They may not have large audiences. No, they do not attract millions of fans to the big stages with impressive dance performances, high tech sound systems, short dresses and a ton of make-up. Admittedly, some of them may not even be able to win a beauty contest, if they were the only ones participating. However, when I close my eyes while listening to their voices, they turn beautiful in my mind as if I…
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GENRE 101 – Family Saga
“We are all dying of life.” John Jakes, North and South There is a long lasting debate about the term Family Saga. Originally the term Saga referred to the old Icelandic family and hero chronicles that had a lot in common with the modern literary fiction genre, but were considered historical records. The first family novels were probably inspired by the genealogical structure of the old Icelandic Sagas until Family Saga became a genre of its own. The term is also great for advertising the quality and importance of the literary work. Not unlike the term epic which is becoming synonymous with exciting, the term has been adjusted in its…
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The Special Power Of The Vanilla Hero
The Dramatis Personae of your next novel may be one of the most important building blocks that immediately claim your attention and it is probably the one that is most influenced by gut feeling. Instinctively we may think that we need someone special to fill the position of the protagonist, a pretty strong and colourful hero to impress the readers and carry our story. A protagonist is by definition the most important figure of the story, hence the notion that the writer should put a lot of work into perfecting and detailing this character. This is not a silly idea. In many cases that is exactly what your novel needs:…
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GENRE 101 – Juvenile Literature
“My life is a perfect graveyard of buried hopes.” L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables The Curse Of Youth As we become adolescents, we enter the fast track to full development of our young brains. This means we are capable of understanding very complex concepts that were only visible to the adults before, we begin to be interested in deeper connections and do not merely ask how things work, but why they do in one way but not the other. Adolescence comes with its own rules. A world of astounding variety and opportunity is unlocked and at the same time everything seems so much darker then before. We may…