I think one of the biggest signs that a story is starting to become real is when your characters stop feeling safe to you. Not evil. Not edgy. Not a kind of “look how dark this is.” I mean genuinely unpredictable, to the readers and even yourself. The kind of character that says something and… Continue reading

Most people remember the battles. They remember the kings screaming commands from horseback. The betrayals. The final stands. The sword through the chest. The line that changes everything. But the scenes that matter most to me have always happened after the fighting stops. The quiet conversations. The moments where characters sit in silence because they… Continue reading