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World-building through Food

Food (including drink) is one of the most basic needs we have. Along with clothes and shelter, as well as safety and security, it is non-negotiable. And yet it usually doesn’t play a big role in fantasy literature. Often it’s “travel bread”, the occasional chunk of cheese, and whatever animal had the misfortune to end its life in the pot. Usually in the form of “stew”, which, even without the benefit of magic, rarely takes more than ten minutes to prepare. Have these authors ever tried to cook a meal from scratch? Or do they buy their sustenance at the Read More …

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Book Envy

Lately, I’ve been working hard on my abundance mentality. The attitude that there’s plenty of good fortune to go around, and that another person’s success doesn’t take away from my own chances but might well enhance them. When you think about it, it all makes sense. It’s freeing, and it’s a key to a content and generous life. And yet I have book envy. It’s not even the big-name authors. If they come out with a new book, it’s all par for the course. It’s like watching a rock star on stage: I enjoy the show, but I don’t want Read More …

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Platform Building

Platform Building. It does sound like something the oil industry might do, but, to no one’s surprise, it’s de rigueur these days if you want to have a shot at making it as a writer. Whether it’s actually a prerequisite for writerly success, I have no idea. After all, writerly success still eludes me. But when you comb through reputable sites dispensing advice for aspiring writers, platform comes up sooner rather than later. So what is it? From what I’ve gleaned, platform is a catch-all term for how you present yourself on the interwebs. And that you have to present Read More …

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Weasel Words

So I’ve recently been binge-reading Dave Asprey‘s books. He offers up a smorgasbord of biohacks that range from “you’d be crazy to skip this” to “you’d have to be pretty desperate (not to mention filthy rich) to even try”. Still, a lot of it is very doable, and I’ve always enjoyed self-experimentation, so I’ll be busy guinea-pigging for the foreseeable future. Apart from the physical hacks to upgrade your body and mind, there was one concept that appealed to the linguist in me. It’s the concept that words, used thoughtlessly, can have big repercussions on our mindset. In his book Read More …

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Dreaming up Stories

Sometimes, relief comes from the strangest places. A few months ago I had a dream. The ending to a story played out in heart-thumping excitement. Like a movie in my head. As soon as I woke up, I did my best to recall the dream, revel in it, before it disappeared. And then I wrote it all down, just for good measure. It’s sitting in a file now, patiently waiting for me to get back to it. A couple of weeks later, I dreamed the beginning of that story. Again, I enjoyed the afterglow of a good dream. And then, Read More …