Grimdark Study MaterialsIf you want to write in a genre, you have to read that genre. Experts in the industry are consistent with their advice that you must be an avid reader of a genre to write well in it. Depending on what kind of grimdark novel you're writing, you'll want to look at the instructional and informational books in the epic fantasy, military fantasy, and gene
Should I Write Grimdark?Back to grimdark You should consider writing grimdark if… You should probably try a different genre if… The formula for success in self publishing for a grimdark writer is not as straight forward as other genres, because until it is an official category, you need to figure out where to market it. The hard part of all this is writing a good book. Even though grimdark is (obviously) a grim genre, spots of levity and gallows humor are also a big part of the genre. Make your characters bad but clever, evil but hilarious, vicious but loyal. Back to grimdark...
Paranormal Study MaterialsIf you want to write in a genre, you have to read that genre. Experts in the industry are consistent with their advice that you must be an avid reader of a genre to write well in it.
Em Dashes, Semicolons, and Other Less Used PunctuationOnce you get past the basics, punctuation starts to get weird. That’s because a lot of the less used punctuation are more about personal preference than prescribed usage. Even the basics can be this way; commas can often be placed or removed without violating any grammar rules or affecting comprehension. But that doesn’t mean they’re not important. All punctuation helps give your writing rhythm, give it a voice unique to you. And the odd ones even more so, as they are distinctive yet often overlap in meaning so that the choice of which one to use is esthetic rather than...
Historical Fiction Study MaterialsBack to historical fiction Online Resources 5 Tips for Writing a Fully Realized Historical Setting — From Writer’s Digest and Nekesa Afia The first question for historical fiction writers is “What era and area will I write in?” Along with the books in the Informational section below, here are some online options for helping you pick: Khan Academy’s World History Course — Khan Academy is a non-profit organization aiming to provide free, quality education to everyone. A lot of the material is aimed toward children, but there’s plenty of stuff for adults as well. Check out their world history courses and see...
Nonfiction GuideFor those who don’t want to make stuff up, nonfiction beckons. It’s obviously a research-heavy genre, so only the studious need apply. However, most people who write nonfiction choose a subject they already know well, which cuts down on the time needed for study. It’s one of the few genres where you can make money on stand-alone books. This is because one of the most common types of non-fiction book is the problem-solving book. You identify a problem readers have and you tell them how to solve it. If you hit on a problem a lot of readers have and...
Should I Write Paranormal Fantasy?If you like your urban fantasy with a side of romance; if you like Twilight or True Blood; if you think werewolves are underrepresented in modern fantasy; then paranormal might be a good fit for you.
The real thing to figure out is do you like romance? Because most of what is referred to as paranormal is actually paranormal romance.
Paranormal and Urban Fantasy GuideParanormal is a subset of intrusion fantasy that gets its own page here as it is unique in both its popularity and the fact that it's almost never written except in genre combinations.
There is some confusion/discussion about what paranormal fiction actually is.
Epic Fantasy Study MaterialsIf you want to write epic fantasy, you must read epic fantasy. Experts in the industry are consistent with their advice that you must be an avid reader of a genre to write well in it. The books listed below will teach you about the genre and help you get a feel for all the different things you can do with it.
Portal Fantasy Study MaterialsThere are only a few books noted here, because most likely your portal fantasy will owe more to its genre combination than this genre. It is especially important to look at what is hitting the top of the list when you type in portal fantasy. If your book doesn't fit with these (currently mostly romance, erotica, and LitRPG), then I wouldn't bother using portal fantasy in your advertising/search term strategies
