A new section of my site has maps for my fantasy world and novels, along with background on world building, game design, and my encounter with Marion Zimmer Bradley. [Continue]

Gamers often create RPG campaign settings that don't click. Here's a look at a major game design issue that often causes this problem, and a recommended approach to set things straight. Part I of a two-part post. [Continue]

In creating an alternate history that allows for the paranormal, I considered how the paranormal - ghosts in particular - might have affected historical events. This post takes a look at the link between highwaymen, ghosts, and rural Surrey in the [Continue]

Gay marriage has been in the news a lot lately, but how does same-sex partnership work in Sa'adani space? This post outlines the contract-based relationships commonplace in the science fiction setting of Mainline, "Live Fire", and related works. [Continue]

I wrote for an anthology recently, and have other anthology projects simmering on the back burner.  The following question has arisen for me. When reading (or writing!) for an anthology, which do you prefer? A) Each story brings its own unique [Continue]

Here is some context on a work in progress I'll be blogging about from time to time: Queen Victoria's Transmogrifier, an alternate history and paranormal tale focused on Victorian London in a time/space where magick is real. [Continue]

I need to define the detailed mechanism of how an alien parasite and its related disease complex works in a story I'm writing. Reader input invited. [Continue]

Thoughts on continuity in story worlds by Deborah Teramis Christian. Continuity in complex story universes is essential so that the story resonates as true. It is also a work of scribe integrity, of "seeing it there" so the author can "bring it [Continue]

Aliens in fiction need to be more than humans in rubber suits. Growing complex aliens means rethinking their psychology from the ground up. [Continue]

As I'm working on Splintegrate, the world of Lyndir is very present in my mind. Lyndir is mentioned in my book Mainline and is the frenetic hub of culture and business in this sector. Writing about this region brings up some interesting questions [Continue]