Well, 2020 was a … year. Good riddance to that bag of tripe. Though I was perhaps more fortunate than others given my location here on Vancouver Island, and by working for myself, but it was still one hell of a slog from January to Dec. I’m not going to dwell on anything 2020-related. That’s […]
The Fiction Factory Blog
My 2020
As is traditional, here’s a montage of my 2020. From Mexico, Yellowknife, to the wilds, and releasing a new Emaneska book, despite the craziness of 2020, it somehow ended up productive and informative.
This really isn’t supposed to be boastful, but looking purely on the good side of what was a strange, difficult, and frankly mad year. Also find out what’s coming your way in 2021 😎🤘 new books, special edition, audiobooks, more Emaneska. It’s going to be an exciting trip around the sun.
The Forever King Lives!
If somehow you haven’t got reception in your cave, The Forever King is out and live and ready to buy on Amazon in paperback, hardcover and ebook 🤘Have a look at the paperback and one inordinately excited author.
The Forever King – Epic Nordic Fantasy
The Forever King launches TODAY! I’m so excited, I had to make myself a trailer for this brand new book. Get a copy at: readerlinks.com/l/1569348
This has taken a year and a half of work. It’s the biggest book I’ve ever written, and it hits the shelf exactly 10 years after my debut book The Written. It gives me enormous pleasure to be able to say that The Forever King is now live and available to buy and devour.
watch people die inside – 41 [reupload]
What the hell is The Forever King about?
Well here we are: barely days away from the launch of book 6 in the Emaneska world. My 14th book overall, as it happens. (I promise I will sleep then I get to 15). Because we’re so close, I wanted to give you all the deets on what The Forever King is about, what you […]
My Gollum Impression
I was recently interviewed on Bookworm Blues, and I was foolish enough to claim my Gollum impression is the best you’ll hear. Of course, such madness was challenged. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.
Drawing a New Emaneska Map
I’ve thrown together a timelapse of the whole map-making process. It’s a handy little thing Procreate does, and means you can see how many times I tried to draw a river…
FANTASY AUTHOR LOUNGE #14 – Interview with Christian Cameron
I’m back with another Fantasy Author Lounge interview, and this month I’ve had the honour of being joined by none other than Christian / Miles Cameron! Author of over 40 books, from fantasy to sci-fi, he’s also a badass swordsman, reenactor, and a fountain of good humour.
Fantasy Author Lounge #14 – Interview with Christian / Miles Cameron
360º Writing Spot – Cox Bay Beach Tofino in 360º
Tech upgrade – just got myself a 360º degree camera and wanted to test it out during my recent trip to Tofino, on Vancouver Island. Check out my latest writing spot in Cox Bay Beach.
Fantasy Author Lounge #13 – Interview with Rob J. Hayes
Who’s in the Fantasy Author Lounge this month? It’s Rob J. Hayes! Aka The Hat, and fellow indie author of over a dozen fantasy books. Watch this latest Lounge interview to find out more about Rob and his books as we put the world to rights.
How NOT to Self-Publish – Self-Publishing Companies to Avoid
If you’re an indie author, here’s how to avoid being conned by so-called self-publishing companies.
Time to dive into the subject of self-publishing, and we’re going straight in at the deep-end with how NOT to self-publish. In this episode, I show you how to dodge a mistake a lot of authors have made: trusting in companies run by Author Solutions.
How to Come Up with Fantasy Character Names
Time for another How To. This time, I’m sharing some tips for stimulating that imagination when it comes to fantasy character names. In this episode I go through a few methods for generating ideas for names, and a few rules I try to follow to get the right name for the right fantasy character.
August Update – Forever King Book Reveal
How is it August already?! The calendar is almighty. Perhaps it was another whirlwind month of busyness and activity. I thought things would calm down after working 200 hours in June, but they ended up being just as busy. You know what, though? It means I’ve got a shit-tonne of things to tell you about. Prepare thyself. Here’s everything that went down in July.
Fantasy Author Lounge #12 – Interview With T.L. Greylock
Who’s in this month’s Fantasy Author Lounge? It’s amazing epic and nordic fantasy author T.L. Greylock! I’ve been a fan of Taya’s Song of The Ash Tree trilogy, so when I heard about her new book Shadows of Ivory, launching TOMORROW, I had to invite her to the Lounge. We chatted about: – a unique […]
The Last BenCast – #95
It’s time. The LAST episode of the BenCast is here. This final episode is all about The Forever King, the new Emaneska book, and this week’s excursion to Cowichan Lake on Vancouver Island to finish it. (and possibly the best writing spot I’ve found yet. A fine excuse to fly my drone). Watch me and my wine power through the words in the wilds.
July Update
What’s that in the sky? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No. It’s an inordinately tired author! Damn, June was crazy for me. After averaging 50 hours a week last month, with at least half that time dedicated to writing, I managed to get a hell of a lot of things done.
How to Build a Fantasy World
Building an entire fantasy world? Is that crazy? Not at all. Every author builds a world for a book, no matter how small, and for fantasy authors, it’s a great excuse to dream big.
In this How To Write video, find out about my Funhouse Mirror approach, which makes fantasy worlds rich and detailed, and makes your fantasy worldbuilding structured, but most of all, FUN.
Fantasy Author Lounge #11 – Interview with Nicholas Eames
It’s that time again. A little late this month as I’ve had videos piling up, but we are back in the lounge, and this time, I got the chance to interview NICHOLAS EAMES, Gemmell Award-winning Canadian author of Kings of the Wyld and Bloody Rose. It was a true pleasure chatting to Nick, he was […]
How to Write a Fantasy Novel – Part Three
I’m back with some more tips for writing a fantasy novel. In the last vid we looked at what makes a great fantasy novel. This week, we’re all about that Unfinished Syndrome: dropping a book or running out of steam 3-4 chapters in, and then abandoning it. Here’s how I defeat the dreaded unfinished nonsense and keep pushing through a fantasy novel.
June Update
Greetings to all! I hope you’re doing well? Hows it all going? Firstly, suffice it to say that North America is full of hate and horror at the moment. Matters of race and discrimination are on everyone’s lips and streets. Personally, I stand with anyone who is being oppressed or treated unjustly in these so-called […]
How To Write a Fantasy Novel – Part Two
Part Two of How to Write a Fantasy Novel is UP!
In this second episode, I dig into what I believe makes a great fantasy novel, how you can learn to write by reading, and that sometimes, the best way to start writing your novel is just to start bloody writing it 😁
How To Write a Fantasy Novel: Part 1
So you wanna be an author, do ya? Well, here’s the first in a new series of rapidfire videos all about how to write and self-publish the simplest way. Here’s the very first instalment: HOW TO WRITE A FANTASY NOVEL – Part 1.
