Fantasy novel
Stories involving magic, paranormal magic and terrible monsters have existed in spoken forms before the advent of printed literature. Homer's Odyssey satisfies the definition of the fantasy genre with its magic, gods, heroes, adventures and monsters. Fantasy literature, as a distinct type, emerged in Victorian times, with the works of writers such as William Morris, Lord Dunsany, and George MacDonald.
J. R. R. Tolkien played a large role in the popularization of the fantasy genre with his massively-successful publications – The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien was largely influenced by an ancient body of Anglo-Saxon myths — particularly Beowulf — as well as modern works such as The Worm Ouroboros by E. R. Eddison, and it was after his work that the genre began to receive the moniker, "fantasy" (often applied retro-actively to the works of Eddison, Carroll, Howard, et al.). J. R. R. Tolkien's close friend C. S. Lewis, author of the The Chronicles of Narnia, also an English professor interested in similar themes, was associated with popularizing the fantasy genre as well.
This page lists notable fantasy novels (and novel series). The books appear in alphabetical order by title (ignoring "A", "An", and "The"); series are alphabetical by author-designated name or, if there is no such, some reasonable designation. Science-fiction novels and short-story collections are not included here.
Best Fantasy Books
Take a stroll through any mega bookstore, and you will be inundated with countless fantasy fiction books. A few will be great fantasy books, some will be good fantasy books, and most will be bad fantasy books. Finding a good fantasy novel is difficult, like sifting for gold among sand. But occasionally, just occasionally, you'll find that rare nugget, that grain of gold to forever treasure. Tastes change from person to person, but I think most astute fantasy readers will agree that the fantasy novels on my list stand out far above the rest.
Some have a negative perception towards fantasy literature (especially those who read only "mainstream" literature) as being cheesy, badly written, and cliché. Yet, rest assured there are some very well written fantasy books out there -- books that can compete arm to arm with "literature". You just have to know where to look. I've made some major updates to this sites and I'll be adding lots of new book recommendation lists and features for you fantasy lovers, so stay tuned.
Blog Updates
March 20, 2010
Peter V. Brett’s The Warded Man Review
This is the premise of Peter V. Brett’s The Warded Man
(published as The Painted Man in the UK, as in the cover art displayed). Humanity has been broken, once great civilizations nothing but a memory, reduced to tiny cities, towns and hamlets. Travel between villages and towns is all but non-existent – with people only willing to travel short distances from their homes. To get caught outside a warded building overnight is a certain death sentence. To travel, you must face the night.Only a few dare to travel — Messengers, brave men who risk their life each night on the road.
The only thing that stands between certain death at night when the demons come out are wards — strange magical symbols and patterns engraved in surfaces that prevent the demons from entering any space enclosed by wards. These ancient symbols have been mankind’s only defense against the demons, faint memories from an ancient time when men once fought against demons and prevailed. But mankind has forgotten most of the wards – gone are the wards of attack — now, men cannot fight against demon, only survive.
Men fear to challenge the night. But there is one who will fight.
I was really blown away by this book. I heard about it in passing last year, but I never actually got around to reading it until a few months ago. I’m glad I did. The Warded Man (also called The Painted Man in the UK) was my favorite book of 2008. This is the first book in a series, but oh what a delicious book it was.
What stands out about this book is the interesting world portrayed, vicious action, and strong characterization. The world portrayed is a world without hope. Men are reduced to a food source for demons and the will to fight has been lost. It’s a world that’s ripe for a hero.
The novel is not a perfect one. I will say the novel does falter with the way it handles some of the characterization — the way some of the characters act can seem a bit unrealistic at times.
But don’t let this dissuade you from reading the book! To be sure, this book is very action orientated. But the book combines a hell of a lot of action, very good characterization, and interesting world building. Â There is also a keen sense of anticipation and adventure throughout the novel. If you like books like Rothfuss’ Name of the Wind and Feist’s Magician, you should find yourself at home in this book. This book is NOT a complex epic fantasy saga in the vein of Song of Ice and Fire, nor is it a high, nor is it a turn-fantasy-tropes-on-their-heads like The Blade Itself. This is a more classic fantasy tale, but the world building, magic, and characterization are all top notch.
If you are looking for a book that will keep you up all night, I highly suggest Peter V. Brett’s The Warded Man
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Nunc nisi elit, sollicitudin volutpat, adipiscing eu, rutrum sed, ligula.Liquid Silver
Dietary minerals are the chemical no-frills called for by living organisms, other than the four elements carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen present in common integral molecules. The vocable "mineral" is archaic, since the intent of the definition is to chronicle ions, not chemical compounds or actual minerals.
Dietitians may recommend that minerals are best supplied by ingesting specific foods rich with the element(s) of interest. Sometimes minerals Liquid Silver are ingested as mineral dietary supplements, the most daily being iodine in iodized salt. The dietary focus on minerals derives from an interest in supporting biochemical reactions with the required elemental components. Appropriate intake levels of convinced chemical morphemes are thus demanded to maintain optimal health. According to nutritional experts, the requirements are met matter-of-factly with a conventional balanced diet.
Dietitians may recommend that minerals are best supplied by ingesting specific foods rich with the element(s) of interest. Sometimes minerals Liquid Silver are ingested as mineral dietary supplements, the most daily being iodine in iodized salt. The dietary focus on minerals derives from an interest in supporting biochemical reactions with the required elemental components. Appropriate intake levels of convinced chemical morphemes are thus demanded to maintain optimal health. According to nutritional experts, the requirements are met matter-of-factly with a conventional balanced diet.
Perfume
In some cases, words such as "extrême", "intense" or "concentrée" appended to Perfume fragrance names might indicate completely different fragrances that relates only because of a consonant perfume accord. An example of this would be Chanel‘s Pour Monsieur and Pour Monsieur Concentrée.
The most practical kick to foundation describing a perfume is according to the hieroglyphs of the fragrance notes of the scent or the group it belongs to, all of which affect the overall impression of a perfume from first application to the last lingering hint of scent
The most practical kick to foundation describing a perfume is according to the hieroglyphs of the fragrance notes of the scent or the group it belongs to, all of which affect the overall impression of a perfume from first application to the last lingering hint of scent
Canine Vaccinations
- The definition of a dog breed is a matter of some controversy
- Depending on the dimensions of the original founding population, closed gene pool breeds can have problems with inbreeding, specifically due to the founder effect
- Dog breeders are serially au courant of the importance of population genetics and of maintaining diverse gene pools
- Health testing and modernistic DNA experiment can aid avoid problems, by providing a replacement for natural selection
- Dogs have in essence 220 million smell-sensitive cells over an distance about the greatness of a Canine Vaccinations pocket handkerchief (compared to 5 million over an scope the size of a postage stamp for humans)
- Some breeds have been selectively noble for excellence in detecting scents, even compared to their canine brethren.
Flower Girl Dresses
| In Western culture, dresses are habitually considered women's clothing |
|---|
| The hemline of dresses can be as high as the upper thigh or as level as the ground, depending http://www.onesmallchild.com/ on the whims of fashion and the modesty or personal taste of the wearer. |
- Dresses are, like other outer clothing, usually worn with underwear
- A wearer of a dress is likely to wear a appearance of panties as innerwear, though depending on the occasion, type of material, and type of skirt for modesty odd may wear a slip over the panties.
Cuban Cigars
- The English cigar comes from the Spanish cigarro, which in cycle derives from the Mayan word for tobacco, siyar; see the entry for cigarro at the Spanish Elevated Academy's information superhighway dictionary.
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Phoenix Airport Transportation
In the 1800s the first vim ships were developed, using a puissance engine to drive a paddle wheel or propeller to move the ship. The puissance was produced using grove or coal. Now most ships have an engine using a slightly refined type of petroleum called bunker fuel. Some specialized ships, such as submarines, convenience thermonuclear energy talent to produce the steam. Recreational or educational craft still applicability puff power, while some smaller craft end constitutional combustion engines to drive singular or another propellers, or in the case of jet boats, an inboard drench jet. In empty draft areas hovercraft are propelled by colossal pusher-prop fans.
- Cable transport is a immense mode where vehicles are pulled by cables instead of an intramural power source
- It is most commonly devoted at steep gradient; habitual solutions include aerial tramway, elevators, escalator and ski lifts; some of these are Phoenix Airport Transportation categorized as conveyor transport.
Photo Puzzles
The Rubik's Cube and other magic polyhedrons are toys based on puzzles that can be adrenalizing toys for kids and are a recreational activity for adults. Puzzles can be given over to hide or obscure objects. A great example is a puzzle box used to hide jewelry.
The excessive number of puzzles that have been created can be Photo Puzzles divided into categories, for exemplification a maze is a type of tour puzzle. Other categories include construction puzzles, stick puzzles, tiling puzzles, carriage puzzles, disentanglement puzzles, sliding puzzles, logic puzzles, bulletin puzzles, picture puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, lock puzzles, folding puzzles, combination puzzles and mechanical puzzles.
The excessive number of puzzles that have been created can be Photo Puzzles divided into categories, for exemplification a maze is a type of tour puzzle. Other categories include construction puzzles, stick puzzles, tiling puzzles, carriage puzzles, disentanglement puzzles, sliding puzzles, logic puzzles, bulletin puzzles, picture puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, lock puzzles, folding puzzles, combination puzzles and mechanical puzzles.
Talking Caller ID
However, CNID and ANI are not the same thing. Caller ID is made up of two divergent pieces of information: the calling integer and the billing (or subscriber) John Doe where available. When an elementary phone switch sends out Talking Caller ID a phone fraction as caller ID, the telephone crew receiving the call is responsible for looking up the epithet of the subscriber in a database. Additionally, nothing ensures that the number sent by a switch is the actual sign where the call originated. It is very easy for a telephone switch initiating the call to send any digit string desired as caller ID.
In May 1976, Kazuo Hashimoto, a prolific Japanese inventor with over 1000 patents worldwide, first built a norm of a caller ID display device that could receive caller ID information. His functioning on caller ID devices and premier prototypes was received in the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American Yesteryear in 2000. U.S. patent 4,242,539, filed originally on May 8, 1976, and a resulting patent re-examined at the patent office by AT&T, was successfully licensed to most of the better telecommunications and minicomputer companies in the world.
Credit Card Debt
A basic loan is the simplest form of debt. It consists of an agreement to lend a principal sum for a fixed period of time, to be repaid by a self-confident date. In retailing loans interest, calculated as a percentage of the principal sum per annum, will also have to be paid by that date.
A bond is a chit security issued by certain Credit Card Debt institutions such as companies and governments. A bond entitles the holder to repayment of the principal sum, increased interest. Bonds are issued to investors in a marketplace when an institution wishes to borrow money.
A bond is a chit security issued by certain Credit Card Debt institutions such as companies and governments. A bond entitles the holder to repayment of the principal sum, increased interest. Bonds are issued to investors in a marketplace when an institution wishes to borrow money.
Pet Tags
In veterinary medicine, dogs and cats are often considered "household" pets, while all other kill are grouped into either "farm animals" (such as horses, cows, or sheep) or "exotics" (including pocket pets, birds, and reptiles).
A particularly problematic combination of economic hardship combined with a love of animals contributes to this problem in parts of the suburban United States. In an moderate year, a arable cat can outgrowth three litters of kittens, with up to 4 to 6 kittens in each litter. Based on these numbers, one female cat and her offspring could result up to 420,000 cats over a seven calendar year period if not spayed or castrated. There are also dominant Pet Tags overpopulation problems with other endearing species, such as birds and rabbits. Local humane societies, SPCAs, and other sensual protection organizations urge people to neuter their pets and to adopt prey from animal shelters instead of purchasing them from breeders or pet stores.
A particularly problematic combination of economic hardship combined with a love of animals contributes to this problem in parts of the suburban United States. In an moderate year, a arable cat can outgrowth three litters of kittens, with up to 4 to 6 kittens in each litter. Based on these numbers, one female cat and her offspring could result up to 420,000 cats over a seven calendar year period if not spayed or castrated. There are also dominant Pet Tags overpopulation problems with other endearing species, such as birds and rabbits. Local humane societies, SPCAs, and other sensual protection organizations urge people to neuter their pets and to adopt prey from animal shelters instead of purchasing them from breeders or pet stores.
Headers
This vacuum can also be passed down to draw any piston blow-by gases from the engine's crankcase. This is accepted as a closed crankcase ventilation or positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) system. This habit the gases are burned with the fuel/air mixture.
The plenum of a 6 or 8 cylinder engine can be parted into halves, with the even firing cylinders in one partly and go the freaky firing cylinders in the other part. Both sub-plenums and the wind intake are connected to an Y (sort of main plenum). The stratosphere oscillates between both sub-plenums, with a large pressure oscillation there, but a monophonic pressure at the main plenum. Each runner from a sub plenum to the main plenum can be changed in length. For V engines this can be implemented by parting a particular large plenum at altitudinous engine speed by means of sliding valves into it when speed is reduced.
The plenum of a 6 or 8 cylinder engine can be parted into halves, with the even firing cylinders in one partly and go the freaky firing cylinders in the other part. Both sub-plenums and the wind intake are connected to an Y (sort of main plenum). The stratosphere oscillates between both sub-plenums, with a large pressure oscillation there, but a monophonic pressure at the main plenum. Each runner from a sub plenum to the main plenum can be changed in length. For V engines this can be implemented by parting a particular large plenum at altitudinous engine speed by means of sliding valves into it when speed is reduced.
Sales and Use Tax
This prevents so-called boondoggle "cascading" or "pyramiding," in which an item is taxed more than once as it makes its idea from production to final retail sale. There are several types of sales taxes: Seller or Vendor Taxes, Consumer Excise Taxes, Retail Transaction Taxes, or Value Added Taxes.
Since the 1990s, the belief of replacing the income bite with a national sales tax has been floated in the United States; lousy with of the actual proposals would include giving each household Sales and Use Tax an annual rebate, paid in monthly installments, equivalent to the percentage of the tax (which varies from 15% to 23% in most cases) multiplied by the poverty in line based on the number of persons in the household, in an effort to create a progressive effect on consumption. While many political observers consider the chances remote for such a change, the FairTax Announcement has attracted expanded cosponsors than any other fundamental tax reform bill curious in the House of Representatives.
Since the 1990s, the belief of replacing the income bite with a national sales tax has been floated in the United States; lousy with of the actual proposals would include giving each household Sales and Use Tax an annual rebate, paid in monthly installments, equivalent to the percentage of the tax (which varies from 15% to 23% in most cases) multiplied by the poverty in line based on the number of persons in the household, in an effort to create a progressive effect on consumption. While many political observers consider the chances remote for such a change, the FairTax Announcement has attracted expanded cosponsors than any other fundamental tax reform bill curious in the House of Representatives.
Irish Dating
- Participants can Irish Dating come alone without feeling out of place; alternatively it is something that women who like to go out in groups can do together.
New York Event Planner
The first step to planning an event is determining its purpose, whether it is for a wedding, company, birthday, festival, graduation or something else. From this the http://www.emrgmedia.com/ appearance planner needs to choose entertainment, location, guest list, speakers, and content. The location for events is endless, but with chance planning they would likely be held at hotels, convention centers, reception halls, or outdoors depending on the event.
Some physical activity is needful such as carrying boxes of materials and decorations or supplies needed for the event. Also, distant working hours can be a chip of the job. The sidereal day the act is taking place could first step as previous as 5:00 a.m. and then work until midnight. Working on weekends is sometimes required, which is when numerous events take place .
Some physical activity is needful such as carrying boxes of materials and decorations or supplies needed for the event. Also, distant working hours can be a chip of the job. The sidereal day the act is taking place could first step as previous as 5:00 a.m. and then work until midnight. Working on weekends is sometimes required, which is when numerous events take place .
Online Nursing Degree
New Zealand originally had nurse inculcation as a apportionment of the hospital system, but, as antiquated as the 1900s, post registration and post graduate programs of application for nurses were in existence. Reforms in the Online Nursing Degree 1970s disestablished the original hospital-based schools and moved these into the tertiary apprenticeship sector, namely polytechnics and universities. Within the hospital coordination were an array of titles and levels, which often focused upon clinical specialty rather than generic nursing knowledge.
Prior to the formulation of the modern three-part register on August 1, 2004, nurses and midwives were divided into a part of the register they held a qualification in. This may be now described as a 'sub-part' of the nursing register. All newly qualified nurses register in 'sub-part' 12, 13, 14 or 15, showing their branch qualification. However, nurses still practicing and holding qualifications in 'sub-parts' 1-9 are registered as such.
Prior to the formulation of the modern three-part register on August 1, 2004, nurses and midwives were divided into a part of the register they held a qualification in. This may be now described as a 'sub-part' of the nursing register. All newly qualified nurses register in 'sub-part' 12, 13, 14 or 15, showing their branch qualification. However, nurses still practicing and holding qualifications in 'sub-parts' 1-9 are registered as such.
Exercies Bikes
That excessive exercise can cause immediate death. Death by exercise deadbeat some small basis in fact. Drench intoxication can decision from prolific sweating (producing electrolyte losses) combined with consumption of extravagant amounts of plain water and insufficient replenishment of electrolytes, especially zest and potassium (e.g. when running a marathon). It is also possible to die from a heart barrage or identical affliction if overly intense exercise is performed by someone who is not at an appropriate flat of fitness for that particular activity. A doctor should always be consulted Exercies Bikes before any radical changes are made to a person's afoot exercise routine. Rhabdomyolysis is also a risk. Other humdrum dangers may occur from extreme overheating or aggravation of a corporeal defect, such as a thrombosis or aneurysm.
Spot reduction is a myth that exercise and training a particular torso part will preferentially shed the fat on that part; for example, that doing sit-ups is the most direct hang-up to reduce subcutaneous belly fat. This is false: single cannot reduce blimp from one area of the body to the exclusion of others. Most of the energy derived from cow gets to the muscle through the bloodstream and reduces stored fat in the entire body, from the last district where bulky was deposited. Sit-ups may improve the size and shape of abdominal muscles but will not specifically target belly butterball for loss. Such exercise might help reduce overall mortal part burly and shrink the amplitude of fat cells.
Spot reduction is a myth that exercise and training a particular torso part will preferentially shed the fat on that part; for example, that doing sit-ups is the most direct hang-up to reduce subcutaneous belly fat. This is false: single cannot reduce blimp from one area of the body to the exclusion of others. Most of the energy derived from cow gets to the muscle through the bloodstream and reduces stored fat in the entire body, from the last district where bulky was deposited. Sit-ups may improve the size and shape of abdominal muscles but will not specifically target belly butterball for loss. Such exercise might help reduce overall mortal part burly and shrink the amplitude of fat cells.
Adult Diaper
The purpose of a diaper is to absorb moisture and contain mess so that the wearer can remain dehydrated and hale after wetting or soiling themselves. When diapers become full and can no longer hold any more waste, they bid changing; this process is often performed by a secondary body such as a parent or caregiver. Bankruptcy to change a diaper on a regular enough basis can event in diaper rash.
Diapers are primarily worn by children who are not yet potty trained or suffer from bedwetting. However, they can also be used by adults who suffer from incontinence or in certain circumstances where access to a toilet is unavailable. These can include the elderly, those with a physical or mental disability, and people working in extreme conditions such as astronauts. Diapers are commonly worn out of necessity rather than choice, although there are exceptions; people such as infantilists and diaper fetishists Adult Diaper wear diapers recreationally for comfort, emotional fulfillment, or sexual gratification.
Diapers are primarily worn by children who are not yet potty trained or suffer from bedwetting. However, they can also be used by adults who suffer from incontinence or in certain circumstances where access to a toilet is unavailable. These can include the elderly, those with a physical or mental disability, and people working in extreme conditions such as astronauts. Diapers are commonly worn out of necessity rather than choice, although there are exceptions; people such as infantilists and diaper fetishists Adult Diaper wear diapers recreationally for comfort, emotional fulfillment, or sexual gratification.
Alternative Dating
Another problem can arise where one person believes they are dating while the other does not. While this is not restricted to either sex it seems Men misinterpret social outtings as "dates" more often than the other form around. In situations like Alternative Dating this it could be an innocent misunderstanding but sometimes one person will have no intention of intimate relations or marriage but simple let the other lad believe they are to receive gifts and attention. These relationships lapse into the reviling category and may be taken advantage of by either sex.
Online dating or Internet dating is an example of a dating order and allows individuals, couples and groups to meet online and possibly develop a romantic or sexual relationship. Net dating services provide un-moderated matchmaking through the capitalization of personal computers, the Internet, or even cell phones.
Online dating or Internet dating is an example of a dating order and allows individuals, couples and groups to meet online and possibly develop a romantic or sexual relationship. Net dating services provide un-moderated matchmaking through the capitalization of personal computers, the Internet, or even cell phones.
Seattle CPA
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person cultured in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a character licensed to form law." http://www.mineeds.com/Seattle-Services/Accountants-CPA Law is the rule of rules of conduct established by the sovereign execution of a comradeship to correct wrongs, maintain stability, and deliver justice. Working as a lawyer involves the practical application of abstract allowed theories and knowledge to solve specific individualized problems, or to advance the interests of those who retain (i.e., hire) lawyers to perform constitutional services.
Event Planners
Event planning is the measure of planning a festival, ceremony, competition, party, or convention.
Once the location is appointed the coordinator/planner needs to prepare the accident with staff, concluded up the entertainment, and keep contact with the client. After all this is agreed the event planner has all the smaller details to address like concluded up of the advent such as food, drinks, music, guest list, budget, advertising and marketing, decorations, all this preparation is Event Planners what is needed for an action to break smoothly.An event planner needs to be able to manage their day wisely for the event, and the length of preparation needed for each case so it is a success.
Once the location is appointed the coordinator/planner needs to prepare the accident with staff, concluded up the entertainment, and keep contact with the client. After all this is agreed the event planner has all the smaller details to address like concluded up of the advent such as food, drinks, music, guest list, budget, advertising and marketing, decorations, all this preparation is Event Planners what is needed for an action to break smoothly.An event planner needs to be able to manage their day wisely for the event, and the length of preparation needed for each case so it is a success.
Hole In One Insurance
Insurance policies can be complex and some policyholders may not understand all the fees and coverages included in a policy. As a result, people may buy policies on unfavorable terms. In response to these issues, copious countries have enacted copious statutory and regulatory regimes governing every aspect of the insurance business, including minimum standards for policies and the ways in which they may be advertised and sold.
An safeguard underwriter's job is to evaluate a given risk as to the likelihood that a debt will occur. Any agency that causes a greater likelihood of casualty should theoretically be charged a higher rate. This inherent principle of health plan must be followed if warranty companies are to remain solvent. Thus, "discrimination" against (i.e., differential treatment of) potential insureds in the risk evaluation and premium-setting modus operandi is a necessary by-product of the fundamentals of safeguard underwriting. For instance, insurers rush older people significantly tertiary school premiums than they sortie younger people for course life insurance. Older people are thus treated differently than younger people (i.e., a distinction is made, discrimination occurs). The rationale for the Hole In One Insurance differential treatment goes to the heart of the risk a life insurer takes: Gray people are likely to die sooner than blooming people, so the risk of loss (the insured's death) is greater in any given period of hour and therefore the risk plum must be higher to cover the greater risk. However, treating insureds differently when there is no actuarially sound reason for doing so is unlawful discrimination.
An safeguard underwriter's job is to evaluate a given risk as to the likelihood that a debt will occur. Any agency that causes a greater likelihood of casualty should theoretically be charged a higher rate. This inherent principle of health plan must be followed if warranty companies are to remain solvent. Thus, "discrimination" against (i.e., differential treatment of) potential insureds in the risk evaluation and premium-setting modus operandi is a necessary by-product of the fundamentals of safeguard underwriting. For instance, insurers rush older people significantly tertiary school premiums than they sortie younger people for course life insurance. Older people are thus treated differently than younger people (i.e., a distinction is made, discrimination occurs). The rationale for the Hole In One Insurance differential treatment goes to the heart of the risk a life insurer takes: Gray people are likely to die sooner than blooming people, so the risk of loss (the insured's death) is greater in any given period of hour and therefore the risk plum must be higher to cover the greater risk. However, treating insureds differently when there is no actuarially sound reason for doing so is unlawful discrimination.
Promotional Tote Bags
A bag may be closable by a zipper, snap fastener, etc., or artlessly by folding (e.g. in the case of a papery bag). Sometimes a chips briefcase or travel bag has a lock. Sachets may be fabric bags that are filled with pot pourri and tied off with ribbons.
Available in Limited & Large sizes and now a Drawstring style, these Fine Promotional Tote Bags Inventiveness Tote Bags come printed with a fluctuation of famous paintings from well plain artists like Van Gogh, Monet and Degas and many have matching Fine Aptitude Umbrellas!
Available in Limited & Large sizes and now a Drawstring style, these Fine Promotional Tote Bags Inventiveness Tote Bags come printed with a fluctuation of famous paintings from well plain artists like Van Gogh, Monet and Degas and many have matching Fine Aptitude Umbrellas!
Seattle Attorney
In other countries, jurists who hold commandment degrees are allowed to provide innocent advice to individuals or to corporations, and it is Seattle Attorney irrelevant if they lack a license and cannot appear in court. Some countries go further; in England and Wales, there is no normal prohibition on the giving of innocent advice. Sometimes civil law notaries are allowed to give legal advice, as in Belgium. In legion countries, non-jurist accountants may provide what is technically legal advice in tax and accounting matters.
Another interesting lesson is France, where for much of the 20th century, all magistrates were graduates of an elite professional school for judges. Although the French magistracy deadbeat begun experimenting with the Anglo-American model of appointing judges from accomplished advocates, the few advocates who have actually joined the bench this fashion are looked down upon by their colleagues who have taken the traditional route to magistracy.
Another interesting lesson is France, where for much of the 20th century, all magistrates were graduates of an elite professional school for judges. Although the French magistracy deadbeat begun experimenting with the Anglo-American model of appointing judges from accomplished advocates, the few advocates who have actually joined the bench this fashion are looked down upon by their colleagues who have taken the traditional route to magistracy.
Table of Contents
What's on the lens:
- Writing a fantasy novel:
- Writing a fantasy novel: Outlines
- Writing a fantasy novel: Characters
- Writing a Fantasy Novel: Research
- Writing a fantasy novel: Grammar and Editing
- A Writer's Ramble:
- Writing Examples: Descriptions
- Writing Examples: Characters
- The First Draft:
- Never start a story with "It was a Dark and Stormy Night"
- Worldbuilding: Part 1
- Worldbuilding- Part 2
- Building World Culture
- How to build fantasy into the real world.
- Fantasy World Building
- A Writers Link List
- Helpful Books for Writers
- More Helpful Books for Writers
- RSS: Feed: My Blog
- My Books
- Vampire Poll
- Amazon Spotlight
- Amazon Spotlight
- Great Books on Amazon
- Vote for a Fantasy Novel
- Vote for your Favourite Fantasy Classic (Plexo)
- Reader Feedback
- A Writer's Poll
- Generate some debate
- My Products on CafePress
- My Flickr Photos
Writing a fantasy novel:
Step 1
The first thing you need to write a fantasy novel (besides writing implements) is an idea.Too obvious you say, well it is obvious, but still correct and harder than it sounds. For you must find an idea that is: 1- workable; 2- not stupid; 3- interesting.
1- Workable:
This means your idea must fit into some logical structure; in other words your plot will have to have rules.
If you are going to write about magic, then you will have to put limitations and structure on your magic.
If you plan to break the laws of physics, you must be willing to explain why and how.
This also applies to supernatural plotlines; you have to define the whys and hows of such creatures as vampires, werewolves, etc.
2-Not Stupid:
Fairly self-explanatory. If you have an idea such as a magical bird that grants wishes, but all your characters wish for are crackers to feed the bird, it isn't a good idea. If they wish for world peace, only to have it threaten to end the human race, then that is a good idea.
3-Interesting:
The idea must have merit to readers and also to you as a writer. If you lose interest in writing your book, it will gather dust on a shelf, and if you want to sell books, people must want to read your novel.
Your book's subject must be something that inspires your writing passion. If you believe in the idea, then it can be unfolded into an interesting novel.
That is the end of Step 1.
In Step 2, I will show you how to take those ideas and start putting them on paper.
Writing a fantasy novel: Outlines
Step 2
Alright, you have been inspired, thought of the most brilliant idea. Now what.Well it is time to go to work, and create an outline for your story. An outline, you say, what is an outline? (Or you could be saying, of course you have to make an outline, silly) Either way I shall tell everyone about an outline.
An outline is basically a blueprint for the plot of your book. Before you start writing, it is an excellent idea to put down on paper the plot points, maincharacters, geography, etc. (I'll be detailing how to create characters and worldbuilding in later steps.)
You may even find it useful to do a chapter by chapter outline, describing the basic happenings in each chapter. I find that useful if I'm creating a world from scratch.
Now for an example:
I'll use the idea from step one; the magical bird that grants wishes.
The Outline:
Main Characters:
Don Weagle; Sara Smythe; Tim Finn
These three people are roommates, sharing a small apartment.
Geographic Location:
London, England
A brief plot outline:
Don, Sara and Tim are all friends, with minimum wage jobs, who share an apartment to save money.
Sara inherits a strange parrot from an aunt, and decides to keep the bird. Soon the luck of the three friends begins to improve, and they find even their casual wishes are coming true. Don notices the luck changed with the arrival of the bird, and wonders if he is the cause. They put this theory to the test, and discover their pet is magical. They try to find out the whys of this amazing creature, and unintentionally attract the attention of sinister people. They now have to protect their pet, themselves and the world from the dark magic.
That is a (very) basic outline. From this you can develop a chapter by chapter outline, character outlines, geographic outlines, and even an outline for your research.
That's step 2. Step 3 will be character development and how to do research.
Writing a fantasy novel: Characters
Step 3
Part 1- How to write a main character.
First adjust your mind set; you are creating a fictional character, but you must go about it as if you are writing the life of a real person.
This will allow you to develop a well-rounded character.
The initial task is to decide on who your protagonist(main character) will be; is it female or male, how old, what will the character's occupation, etc.
-Deciding on the gender: This can depend on a lot of factors. Do you feel more comfortable writing male characters or female characters?
It is of course most easiest to write what you know, so making the main character the same gender as yourself can work, but sometimes this may be wrong for your book.
There are plots that need a male protagonist, or benefit more from a male protagonist, and some plots that need a female protagonists. So you will have to consider this in creating your character.
An example: The plot: A school of wizards gets a new pupil, but they only accept male students.
Now if you are writing a standard plot line, you of course need a male character; it could be a coming-of-age-as-a-wizard story. However, a plot twist could be utilized by using a female protagonist.
She would have to disguise herself as a boy, there would be the constant threat of discovery, and even the big reveal of her being female. Both versions could be good books, but their plots hinge on the gender of the main character.
All right, you have decided on your characters gender. Now what? Now you have to detail your character's personality and life.
Some details will be dependent on your plot.
For instance:
1-How old is he, and does age matter to the story. If the plot is about the last days of an old wizard, then your character cannot be 28 years old.
2-What does your character do for a living? Again this may be determined by your plot. Whether he is a wizard, a vampire hunter, etc is solely up to the plotline.
But if your story is a modern fantasy, an alternative history, or just one where a character is drawn into events, the occupation may not be relevant to your plot, and therefore flexible.
Now you have a basic character, time for the details.
You should sketch out a character outline or background. How much detail included in this outline will depend on you, and how you prefer towrite.
You may feel more comfortable developing your character's personality as you write the first draft of your story (oh yes, there will be be more than one draft of your book), and you will write just a basic background for your character. Or you may find it helpful to flesh out the character with all sorts of detail, some or most of which will never be included in your book.
I try to aim for somewhere in between.
What details to include in your outline:
I like to include some sort of family tree: parents, siblings, cousins, whatever. Is he an orphan, an only child, have three brothers, etc?
Physical traits: hair colour, eye colour, height, weight, etc.
Characters, at some point in the book, will be described in a physical manner; just avoid any straight, detailed physical descriptions that read like a list. It is better to try for a more casual mention of physical traits, especially if it is mixed into the plot.
I like to be very detailed in outlining physical characteristics; I don't use every detail, but it helps me get a mental handle on writing the character.
Personality traits. Is the character shy, outgoing, laugh too much, egotistical, arrogant, sensitive, intelligent, have low self-esteem, etc. Find the traits that define your character; from these you will build every action and reaction of your character.
Major life events. Don't detail every little thing in a character's life, but do include major events that will effect the characters personality; such as deaths, choices, traumas, etc.
Take these things and create a history for your protagonist.
Part 2- How to write an antagonist (the villain of your book):
All the rules for creating a protagonist apply to the antagonist as well, but your villain has some peculiar quirks that must be addressed.
First, he cannot be too evil. Yes he may be a megalomaniac sorcerer, bent on dominating the known world through dark magic, but he can still love kitty cats. Seriously though, you do have to give your villain some redeeming human characteristics, so your readers can identify with him on some level. The best villains are the ones we love to hate, that have been twisted by circumstance, tragedy or their own ambition. By making your villain a three-dimensional character instead of a caricature, you ensure that his actions in the book are taken seriously by your readers.
Second, don't be afraid of the villain's evil side. Your villain exists solely to make life miserable for your protagonist, and to move the plot forward. So feel free to kill, maim, pillage and destroy in his/her name. Just remember to keep it realistic; make sure there are logical reasons behind every action of your villain.
Part 3- A word on how to make your characters believable:
Characters, especially fantasy characters inhabit worlds which do not exist, so it is up to you as the writer to convince your reader that the world and the people who live there are Real.
There is only one way to do this: use logic. Every world, every character you create Must Have a set of rules that that they adhere to and strictly follow. Now these rules can be dictated by real life or by a series you have created for your world.
Examples:
1- You have set your story in a modern day setting, and your characters are werewolf hunters who operate in secret. Your hunters have a code they exist by and live duel lives under a great deal of stress.
According to your rules, to make your characters believable they must:
a. -Never reveal their secrets, or face punishment and consequences
b. -Have problems in their personal lives (even if they are just small ones)
c. -Show some conflict in juggling their duel lives.
d. -Interact with modern society and a supernatural world. (So your characters will need two sets of behaviour).
2- You have created a world of dragons and wizards, who are at war.
According to your rules, to make your characters believable they must:
a. -Have limits on their magic and powers. Characters must have weaknesses.
b. -Remember war has to have consequences, and people die. Soldiers, innocent bystanders everyone is a potential casualty.
c. -Live by the laws of the world you have created. Just like in regular life they have to restrain themselves from wreaking havoc (unless the character is a villain).
d. -Know, and at least in some part, support the reasons for this war. Your characters must have a valid reason for their actions (you can of course give them doubts).
Now a note about villains:
Your villains need a separate set of rules for their behaviour, but will operate within the basic world structure you have created. They may, of course, break criminal laws and moral imperatives as needed. Just remember those sorts of actions have consequences, for both villains and the good guys.
A Helpful Link:
The Fantasy Cliché Meter: the Good Guys
First adjust your mind set; you are creating a fictional character, but you must go about it as if you are writing the life of a real person.
This will allow you to develop a well-rounded character.
The initial task is to decide on who your protagonist(main character) will be; is it female or male, how old, what will the character's occupation, etc.
-Deciding on the gender: This can depend on a lot of factors. Do you feel more comfortable writing male characters or female characters?
It is of course most easiest to write what you know, so making the main character the same gender as yourself can work, but sometimes this may be wrong for your book.
There are plots that need a male protagonist, or benefit more from a male protagonist, and some plots that need a female protagonists. So you will have to consider this in creating your character.
An example: The plot: A school of wizards gets a new pupil, but they only accept male students.
Now if you are writing a standard plot line, you of course need a male character; it could be a coming-of-age-as-a-wizard story. However, a plot twist could be utilized by using a female protagonist.
She would have to disguise herself as a boy, there would be the constant threat of discovery, and even the big reveal of her being female. Both versions could be good books, but their plots hinge on the gender of the main character.
All right, you have decided on your characters gender. Now what? Now you have to detail your character's personality and life.
Some details will be dependent on your plot.
For instance:
1-How old is he, and does age matter to the story. If the plot is about the last days of an old wizard, then your character cannot be 28 years old.
2-What does your character do for a living? Again this may be determined by your plot. Whether he is a wizard, a vampire hunter, etc is solely up to the plotline.
But if your story is a modern fantasy, an alternative history, or just one where a character is drawn into events, the occupation may not be relevant to your plot, and therefore flexible.
Now you have a basic character, time for the details.
You should sketch out a character outline or background. How much detail included in this outline will depend on you, and how you prefer towrite.
You may feel more comfortable developing your character's personality as you write the first draft of your story (oh yes, there will be be more than one draft of your book), and you will write just a basic background for your character. Or you may find it helpful to flesh out the character with all sorts of detail, some or most of which will never be included in your book.
I try to aim for somewhere in between.
What details to include in your outline:
I like to include some sort of family tree: parents, siblings, cousins, whatever. Is he an orphan, an only child, have three brothers, etc?
Physical traits: hair colour, eye colour, height, weight, etc.
Characters, at some point in the book, will be described in a physical manner; just avoid any straight, detailed physical descriptions that read like a list. It is better to try for a more casual mention of physical traits, especially if it is mixed into the plot.
I like to be very detailed in outlining physical characteristics; I don't use every detail, but it helps me get a mental handle on writing the character.
Personality traits. Is the character shy, outgoing, laugh too much, egotistical, arrogant, sensitive, intelligent, have low self-esteem, etc. Find the traits that define your character; from these you will build every action and reaction of your character.
Major life events. Don't detail every little thing in a character's life, but do include major events that will effect the characters personality; such as deaths, choices, traumas, etc.
Take these things and create a history for your protagonist.
Part 2- How to write an antagonist (the villain of your book):
All the rules for creating a protagonist apply to the antagonist as well, but your villain has some peculiar quirks that must be addressed.
First, he cannot be too evil. Yes he may be a megalomaniac sorcerer, bent on dominating the known world through dark magic, but he can still love kitty cats. Seriously though, you do have to give your villain some redeeming human characteristics, so your readers can identify with him on some level. The best villains are the ones we love to hate, that have been twisted by circumstance, tragedy or their own ambition. By making your villain a three-dimensional character instead of a caricature, you ensure that his actions in the book are taken seriously by your readers.
Second, don't be afraid of the villain's evil side. Your villain exists solely to make life miserable for your protagonist, and to move the plot forward. So feel free to kill, maim, pillage and destroy in his/her name. Just remember to keep it realistic; make sure there are logical reasons behind every action of your villain.
Part 3- A word on how to make your characters believable:
Characters, especially fantasy characters inhabit worlds which do not exist, so it is up to you as the writer to convince your reader that the world and the people who live there are Real.
There is only one way to do this: use logic. Every world, every character you create Must Have a set of rules that that they adhere to and strictly follow. Now these rules can be dictated by real life or by a series you have created for your world.
Examples:
1- You have set your story in a modern day setting, and your characters are werewolf hunters who operate in secret. Your hunters have a code they exist by and live duel lives under a great deal of stress.
According to your rules, to make your characters believable they must:
a. -Never reveal their secrets, or face punishment and consequences
b. -Have problems in their personal lives (even if they are just small ones)
c. -Show some conflict in juggling their duel lives.
d. -Interact with modern society and a supernatural world. (So your characters will need two sets of behaviour).
2- You have created a world of dragons and wizards, who are at war.
According to your rules, to make your characters believable they must:
a. -Have limits on their magic and powers. Characters must have weaknesses.
b. -Remember war has to have consequences, and people die. Soldiers, innocent bystanders everyone is a potential casualty.
c. -Live by the laws of the world you have created. Just like in regular life they have to restrain themselves from wreaking havoc (unless the character is a villain).
d. -Know, and at least in some part, support the reasons for this war. Your characters must have a valid reason for their actions (you can of course give them doubts).
Now a note about villains:
Your villains need a separate set of rules for their behaviour, but will operate within the basic world structure you have created. They may, of course, break criminal laws and moral imperatives as needed. Just remember those sorts of actions have consequences, for both villains and the good guys.
A Helpful Link:
The Fantasy Cliché Meter: the Good Guys
Writing a Fantasy Novel: Research
Step 3
How does one research a fantasy novel, you ask? How do you research things that don't exist? Ah, but fantasy does exist, for every good fantasy novel has at least some basis in mythology and/or history. So that is where you start.History:
Now your book is either set in our world, or a world you are creating. If it is set in our world, then you do research based on the historical time period you have chosen. If it is set in the 18th century than behavior, manners, geography, technology, etc must be reflect this century.
If you are creating your own world, you have far more leeway in in what you can write about. The first thing you decide is what historical time period most resembles your book's plot line; is it like the Roman Empire, the ancient Celts, medieval England, Renaissance Italy? Whatever time period it resembles will be the basis of your research, and you may even mix and match histories if your world has more than one culture. (Although I would suggest you stay within close time periods when creating different cultures.)
An example: Your book has a Celtic flavour, so you give your main characters similar customs of the ancient Celts. From here you can give another part of your world Roman customs, or Norse.
Just remember when creating your own world, you use history as a basis, but you can alter or tweak that basis anyway you wish. I'll be expanding more on that subject when I write on worldbuilding.
Mythology:
Mythology is used when researching supernatural subjects (especially helpful to research creatures). Most supernatural subjects have a basis in myths and folklore and can be research as to origin. You can find the how and whys of werewolves, fairies, witches, vampires, etc.
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