Just a little note here on some thoughts I’ve had of late. To be a successful writer, I think I should focus on getting a short story published. To do so, I plan to subscribe to some of the sci-fi magazines for a while and read them, enjoy the stories, and take notes on the stories. What is the plot structure? What type of characters are involved? What challenges do the characters face? I don’t want to copy anyone, but I think if I better understand exactly the types of stories that are published I can try to think of a new idea that can be shaped to fit those expectations.
In other writing news, I continue to have more ideas solidify around the Skylands world. Part of the key to a good fantasy or sci-fi novel, is an exotic setting of characters, worlds, places, creatures, and things. It’s what lures most of us to that genre. In this setting you place characters we identify with. Characters we admire, we hate, we love, etc. And you make them as colorful as the setting. From cyborg implants to powerful spells, to alien physiques. You make sure you have a variety of types of characters who interact and have conflicts. And through those conflicts you present challenges to the characters’ beliefs and mindset to overcome. Open their minds to new ideas, make the shy bashful character finally believe in himself, etc.
Now the key is to just put all that together.