Quill&Steel Blog

Let me paint you a picture. You're 40,000 words into your fantasy novel. You're in the zone. Your protagonist just ran into a side character you introduced in chapter two....

Memory magic isn’t something that I see very often in fantasy. I can count on one hand the books that use this type of system, and that includes Harry Potter...

I used to think reading journals were for a very specific type of person. An eloquent person who finishes a book and immediately analyzes all the symbolism and themes within...

Kaylie Smith writes the kind of gothic, dark fantasy romance that makes you want to light a candle, shut the curtains, sit on a cozy sofa, and ignore your responsibilities....

Creating fantasy characters who leap off the page is one of the most rewarding (and challenging) parts of writing a fantasy novel. Whether you're crafting a reluctant hero, a cunning...

When I started planning out my fantasy novel, I knew one of the most important aspects would be my magic system. Aside from the rules and consequences, I first had...

What is a beat sheet? It’s a plotting tool that helps you map out the key moments in your story—so you don’t end up lost in a swamp of subplots and...

When I think about how to write romantasy, I always come back to the same thing: the romance and the fantasy can’t be separated. The love story has to matter...

I used to think writing a villain was simple. Then I actually started plotting a novel and realized… villains are some of the hardest characters to get right.  Heroes will...