In the Silence of the Darkest Century
Twelfth century England marks the transition period between Old and Middle English. William the Conqueror’s victory in 1066 ushered in a slew of French nobility… Read More »In the Silence of the Darkest Century
Blog
Anachronism: Out of Place in Time and Space
Anachronism, that bane of all historical fiction writers, can crop up when you least expect it. Obvious New World acquisitions—such as cocoa and tobacco—are easy… Read More »Anachronism: Out of Place in Time and Space
Travel the Gilded Ages Past
Time travel stories make a lot more sense to me when authors branch out beyond Middle-Ages Europe. Of all the civilizations in the history of… Read More »Travel the Gilded Ages Past
Time to Trust Technology
It takes a special kind of character to self-experiment with technology, particularly when it manipulates time. On one end of the spectrum, you have the… Read More »Time to Trust Technology
The Case of the Autonomous Body Parts
Prescriptive Rule: “Never use a body part as the subject of your sentence.” E.g., “Her shoulders rose in a hapless shrug.” (This structure is deemed bad, according… Read More »The Case of the Autonomous Body Parts
If I Were Any More Uncertain, I’d Be Subjunctive
If English language elements are a collection of family members, the Subjunctive Mood is the sickly great-uncle, bed-ridden and lingering at death’s door for… Read More »If I Were Any More Uncertain, I’d Be Subjunctive
The Moment of Truth
There comes a moment of truth in most makeover scenarios, and it can go one of two ways: “Yes! This is who I was always… Read More »The Moment of Truth
The Makeover Fairy Strikes Again
The Makeover Fairy (AKA the Fairy Godmother) exists in a story for the sole purpose of transforming the main character in a flash, and at… Read More »The Makeover Fairy Strikes Again
My Fair Wager
When it appears in literature and film, the Wager requires three main elements: Person A, whose reputation is on the line, Person B who challenges… Read More »My Fair Wager
Image Is Everything and Nothing at All
Fictional makeovers almost always work. Unless the story invokes an “Emperor’s New Clothes” type of comeuppance, a character’s efforts to look their best will typically… Read More »Image Is Everything and Nothing at All