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Alchemy

November 17, 2015November 17, 2015 by Beth

When I was a child, I had a fascination with potions. I don’t know if it stemmed from my reading habits, video games, or something else, but as far back as I can remember, I was always mixing something. I developed a love for tiny bottles, test tubes, apothecary jars,… Read the rest...

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How They Relate to Their Race

November 13, 2015November 13, 2015 by Beth

Demons. It was a foolish name for them, though he understood why humans called them that. He didn’t doubt that the sirens singing their lonely songs among the rocks earned themselves the same label. Humans didn’t always understand things that were different, and they couldn’t relate to his people. Not… Read the rest...

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Editing is hard, but it does get easier

November 10, 2015November 10, 2015 by Beth

Regardless of the genre they write or how long they’ve been at it, all the writers I’ve met have something in common. At one point or another, they’ve all told me that they hate editing. I used to share the sentiment, a long time ago. Now I don’t see what… Read the rest...

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Mixtures

November 6, 2015November 6, 2015 by Beth

Sometimes, no matter how many precautions she took, things went wrong. They were not the explosive accidents of her novice days, but they were mistakes, nonetheless. Improper measurements happened, sometimes from a fuzzy head after a late night. Delicate mixtures bubbled over when her back was turned for only a… Read the rest...

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Simplifications of time: Creating a calendar for Ithilear

November 3, 2015November 3, 2015 by Beth

A friend on Facebook recently asked for opinions while doing world building for her story, which set me off in an interesting direction. Her question was how she should determine a calendar for her world. My suggestion was that she didn’t bother. Some worlds greatly benefit from having a calendar… Read the rest...

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The job of the artist

October 30, 2015October 30, 2015 by Beth

“The job of the artist doesn’t end with drawings of structure and anatomy.” Rolling his eyes, Rhyllyn resisted the urge to sigh. “What does that have to do with—Ow!” He jerked forward, holding his head with both hands. “What was that for?” “I saw that.” His brother leveled a claw… Read the rest...

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Connections

October 27, 2015October 27, 2015 by Beth

I’ve been to the local zoo several times in the past year, and each visit has been a very different experience. Some zoos are better than others, both in what they have to offer and how they treat the animals, but our local zoo is often praised for both. Personally… Read the rest...