(This guest post is a reprint of Charles Gramlich's excellent essay on Heroic Historicals, which first appeared in January 2024 on The Swords and Planet League Facebook Group. It is reprinted here in its entirety, with Charles Gramlich's kind permission.) The Heroic Historical by Charles Gramlich I. I define Heroic Fantasy (HF) as a type... Continue Reading →
If you know Howard Andrew Jones, then you’re familiar with his battle-cry. He employs it before wading into edits, before confronting a recalcitrant manuscript; he uses it as a rallying cry, to raise flagging spirits. He uses it to let the rest of us know we’re not alone. “Swords together!” Howard received the worst news... Continue Reading →
Okay, this is going to sound silly but while watching Kamala Harris's DNC acceptance speech (and, be forewarned: if you want to rant about the VP, take it elsewhere), I was struck by what she said about her mother. Particularly, the part about if you have a problem, fix it. Don't complain, roll up your... Continue Reading →
I've been on a hiatus from writing since June 25th. Why? Well, sometimes it's good to step back and let your mind rest. I'd been working steadily on The Dying of the Light, and I'd hit a massive wall with plotting parts V and VI -- the end of the book. I could have easily... Continue Reading →
Here's a thing: I have 12 (sadly, the last copy has been sold) first edition hardcover copies of The Doom of Odin just sitting here gathering dust. I'd like to find them a good home. Ever fancied a signed and numbered copy for your library? Well, now's your chance. I'm selling these, the last of... Continue Reading →
I've chosen a rather dramatic departure in terms of structure for The Dying of the Light. Whereas all my previous books have been told in a linear form -- it starts at this point in time and progresses from there, with earlier episodes in the character's life handled by brief flashbacks -- the tale of... Continue Reading →
What is the shape of a novel? I've reached the part in the preparatory phase of writing THE DYING OF THE LIGHT where I'm trying to envision the novel's shape. Not in terms of its physical dimensions, but in terms of its length, pacing, beats, divisions, and so forth. This is the stage where I... Continue Reading →
I've been working on the "author's preferred text" version of The Lion of Cairo and I've hit an impasse. Let me preface this by saying: there is no way I'm going to edit a 14 year old book into a sudden bestseller. So, my tinkering is primarily for vanity purposes. Here's the thing, though. I'm... Continue Reading →
Apropos to yesterday's post, I wanted to share a bit of the process for editing THE LION OF CAIRO in advance of its paperback re-release. My goals are to streamline the fourteen year old text, improve its imagery, its dialogue, and lean into the Weird. Thus, without further ado . . . This is from... Continue Reading →
Scott Oden