Happy Fourth of July

And always remember that if you put a country like the United States of America in your fantasy or science fiction novel, people would say it's unrealistic. People to whom you should not listen. They don't want your story to be interesting.

Pegasus Maintenance

Nobody wants to talk or even think about it, but the fact is, if you're counting on your flying horses to perform at their best, your people will need to get them to drop off their loads before they take to the air. Fortunately, there are always young recruits to do it. It's a priceless learning experience, they'll be told. The best part is they know they'd better pretend to agree unless they're in love with unemployment.

Social Commentary Opportunity

It's almost the Fourth of July, and that means it's time to write about a dystopian future or alternative timeline in which fireworks are banned. Could you imagine such a thing?

Adaptation Station

I overheard your muttering. "I wonder what sort of video game Clark Ashton Smith's tales should be converted into." The answer is Diablo-clone. You're welcome.

Thoughts on The LIes of Locke Lamora

Had the title been Father Chains's Big Score, I probably would have read the whole thing. I'm treating "Father Chains" as a name rather than considering the components here, by the way.

Generating New Ideas

When you're stuck as to what kind of story to write, start by thinking of nonsensical genres you could put on the cover somewhere. Catalectic Fantasia. Quasi-Experiential Scientific Opera. Dark Internalization. Shamelessly Speculative Narrativa. With your senses of reasonable storytelling accordingly jarred, true creativity will be possible.

The First Shaping of the Land

Shortly after the world was created, there was land and nothing else, and flat land to boot. There was nothing of interest. Animals roamed without purpose.
By miraculous chance, First Horse and First Bee. Bored, they exchanged a few boasts.
"Behold how I fly," First Bee proclaimed. "What do your legs do?"
First Horse snorted and kicked the ground, crumpling it up into valleys and hills. "So much for not having strong legs. What can you do?" He showed his contempt further by spitting. The salive dribbled into the valleys and started up the rivers.
"Lord! Master! Great one! I admire what you did. I'll make a new home for you to rest half the day after you perform your feats." First Bee flew up and made the first beehive for First Horse. We call it the sun.
That was how the work of creation began. As for everything else, the oceans, the mountains, the lakes, plateaus, forests, clouds, corn, all else there is, First Pig was busy inventing it at the same time but he never got much honor for it. Things usually go similarly today.
Finis

Child Names Fundamentals

In a world with elemental magic, do you think optimistic parents would give their children names like Tempest and Pyroblast? You're thinking it now, of course.

Nickname Fundamentals

Remember when you're giving characters nicknames that most of those are 1) insults, 2) simple descriptions, or 3) common, as in Simple, Tall, or Gentleman. Everyone knows this. A super-cool nickname therefore is likely to come off as risible. That doesn't mean you shouldn't do it, but try out a bunch, really think it over.

Dragon Transformation

Many dragons turn into humans these days, but why would they do that when they could be a bear? Just look at what druids get up to when they have shapechanging powers, which is an odd thing for them to have, historically speaking.