Pages

Sunday, March 26, 2017

Really Cool Locations You Can Use in Your Book

Whether you're writing a story about a huge inter-galactic war, a sweet romance, or a swashbuckling action-adventure book, location really is everything. Sometimes I think the standard locations in books these days are rather limited - you know, the never-ending suburbs of Chicago, or a vacation house at the beach, or a castle in the forest.

Which are all very well and good... until several people all decide to write about the same location, over and over.

So here's some really neat, diverse locations that are sure to spice up your book.




1. Forests
Now, forests are very common in many fantasy novels and perhaps overused. But, I realized while researching that there isn't just any one kind of forest! It will help add some variety if you specify what type of forest it is...

Pine forest, where the trees are close together and there's a lot of shelter under the trees?


Is it a redwood type forest, where the trees tower into the sky and lots of moss hangs off the branches?


Or maybe an alpine forest, covered in snow and sparse timber?


2. Jungles and rain forests
I also feel like jungles are very under-used. I've hardly ever read about jungles in books, except one. Maybe that's just because I don't read enough. But let's be honest, jungles are really awesome. Who wouldn't want to trek though a hot, steamy environment, slashing through vines with a machete and keeping watch for panthers and snakes and insects that could come flying out at you at any moment? OK, well, maybe not. 





3. Deserts
I don't see deserts a whole lot in books, either. But, there's even variety in those, too. There's the rocky deserts that can be the cold kind...


Or the kind that is made of shifting sand dunes.


4. Grasslands and plains 
Plains could be either lush and grassy, or they could be dry, cold, and barren, a bit like the alpine tundra. Either way, they make great settings for stories. Plateaus are flatter than plains, less rolling, but still ideal places.


5. Oceans, archipelagos and islands
I've always thought the ocean was super cool, if not a bit scary, but islands and reefs make really awesome places for stories. The main character in the book I'm currently writing is from a cluster of islands, and I've had fun playing around with her natural instincts for water and boats. Plus, you get to explore lots of stuff in the ocean... atolls, reefs, beaches, deltas, fjords, harbors, lagoons, and a lot more. Overall, they are on my list of top ten locations in story writing.




6. Mountains
Mountains are always great to have in any kind of story, just because they are so majestic and awe-inspiring. Plus, you can play around with the climate... cold, snowy alps that are treacherous in wintertime; wet, tree-covered ranges that trap in lots of moisture; or dry, barren peaks where almost no life forms can be found.




7. Tundra
Tundra is that weird in-between place where it snows half the year, the soil is permanently frozen, and it has no trees, but it's still very cool, pun intended.



8. Urban cityscape
This is useful when you need a high concentration of people in one area. I don't use it very often, but it will come in handy if one of your characters needs to get lost in a crowd.



9. Towns and villages
What I really like to use is quaint little rustic towns set back in the country where not much happens.





10. Planets
Or, you don't have to use any of my suggestions and just decide to come up with new planets! That's great too. 


I hope you enjoyed this post! If you like this blog, don't forget to subscribe to be notified when new posts come out!

Saturday, March 11, 2017

Modern Names for Your Characters

If you're anything like me, chances are you've spent hours, maybe days, obsessing over the perfect name for your character. Well, obsess no more! I thought I'd do you a favor and spare you all the precious time that you could be using to write or channel your creativity. *intense stare*

So here are some names for both guys and girls that are sure to get you inspired and ready to write!




Girls:

Adrianne
Mae
Piper
Rowan
Saige
Simone
Tatum
Everly
Cecily
Jade
Adair
Bree
Chanel
Julia
Mercy
Sophie
Lida
Tory
Chloe
Jacey
Lindy
Kennedy
Elise
Charis
Blaire
Tulsa
Sadie
Gracen
Ivana
Teegan
Zuri
Baylee
Mieka
Camilla

Guys:

Lucas
Noah
Mason
Caleb
Wyatt
Graham
Nolan
Miles
Gavin
Asher
Xavier
Declan
Zane
Jamison
Alec
Colby
Jess
Cameron
Elliot
Titus
Thatcher
Neil
Tom
Tate
Landon
Asa
Michael
Finn
Oliver
Jack

And here's some last names thrown in, too. Just to help you out.

Mayfield
Harding
Preston
Wright
Darrow
Kingsley
Cooper
Erwin
Maxwell
Walters
Ross
Bronson
Addington
Bishop
Sterling
Hartley
Iverson
Randall
Tremer
Whitting
Yates
McCoy
Wheaton
Burke
Jennings
Langley
Ericson
Beckett
Weaver
Olson
O' Connell
Fenninger
Vandecamp

Hope all those names helped! And if they didn't... well, good luck scrolling through endless baby name websites.

If you liked this post, check out the others and subscribe to the blog! Also, feel free to share my posts on social media!