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Articles by J.S. Morin
Mind-Bending Sci-Fi & Fantasy Books Picked For You
in Books to Read if You Like..., eBook, Fantasy & Science Fiction Mind-Bending Sci-Fi & Fantasy Books Picked For You These science fiction and fantasy books capture the wonder and danger of venturing into the unknown. From interstellar voyages to alien encounters, they’re perfect for readers who dream of the stars and want adventure at light speed. by Lisa A. Traugott Release Date: August 11, 2025 A stolen scroll. A cursed bloodline.
6 Books That Will Sweep You Away
in Books to Read if You Like..., eBook, Fantasy & Science Fiction, News 6 Books That Will Sweep You Away Immerse yourself in captivating worlds with these 6 new fantasy and science fiction books. From epic quests to mind-bending adventures, these reads will sweep you away and leave you craving more.
Inside Scoop on Black Ocean
by J.S. Morin | Mar 19, 2017 | Behind the Pages | As I started planning 2017’s 4 Black Ocean missions, I realized that the main story is coming to a close. But even though the characters have decided to spread their wings, and live off-camera (for at least a while), I wanted to make sure the end is satisfying to the most important audience: readers.
Year 4 of My 5-10 Year Overnight Success Plan
by J.S. Morin | Jan 31, 2017 | Checking in | So… January 31st marks the 4th bookiversary of Firehurler. I’ll have been a self-published author for four full years. At this point, I have vague recollections of an office job in some sort of engineering field. It just seems like such a stark contrast from my day-to-day existence now. I’ve written 22 books now and published 19. I’m writing faster than ever, but now there is more deliberation and patience behind the publishing side of things.
What's coming in 2017? -
by J.S. Morin | Jan 20, 2017 | Behind the Pages | “The time has come,” the Writer said, “To write of other things. Of robots, clones, and aliens, Of shadowbloods, and kings. And why V.R. is killing us, And why spaceships have wings.” “But wait a bit,” the Readers cried. “We haven’t read your last. For some of us are well behind, Not all of us read fast!” “No hurry!” said the Publisher. “You’re going to have a blast!” “A series new,” the Writer said, “Is what we chiefly need.
Who Can Practice Magic
by J.S. Morin | Jul 5, 2016 | Worldbuilding | So, your world’s got magic. Great! Since you’re in charge, it’s up to you to dole out that mystical power to your characters. Time to decide who gets to participate. A Matter of Study Anyone with a keen mind and a good work ethic can learn the arcane arts. Maybe it’s something where a precocious student can figure out the basics on his own, but more commonly they’ll need to learn from someone who already knows.
Naming as a Worldbuilding Tool
by J.S. Morin | Jun 29, 2016 | Worldbuilding | Many writers struggle with naming characters. I’m not here to help them. I’m actually going to make it harder by giving them another consideration to bear in mind: character names help define your world. How names work in the real world Every culture on Earth has come up with a method for naming their offspring (though I’d love to hear of historical exceptions if one didn’t). Some will name children after ancestors or historical figures.
When to Start Worldbuilding
One question that an aspiring worldbuilder is going to ask is when to start. Can you build a world without knowing anything about the story you’re going to tell in it? Do you need any characters before you build a world for them to inhabit? Actually, you have options. From a Blank Slate You can, in theory, begin with the beginning. Imagine a cosmic void, and design a world from scratch. What sort of world do you want?
How to Write Ensemble Scenes
Writing a scene with one character is simple. Two isn’t much harder, and introduces the possibility of conversation. Even three characters in a single scene leaves room for everyone to breathe. But what do you do when the number gets higher? How do you keep a scene with five, six, or even ten characters from devolving into chaos? Let’s take a look at three methods for handling a six-way argument, a common type of problem in an ensemble scene.
Worldbuilding: Animals (and Monsters)
by J.S. Morin | May 10, 2016 | Worldbuilding | From chulls to owlbears, wargs to thestrals, fantasy has taken to the creation of its own wildlife. They make a world feel separate from the Earth we know, even if they purport to exist on Earth (beyond the reach of common knowledge). They can be man-eaters, beasts of burden, or simply animals that live out in the wilds going about their business. If you want to add imaginary creatures to your world, what do you need to know? What do they look like?
A 26th Century Wizard Reviews Star Wars: A New Hope
by J.S. Morin | Apr 12, 2016 | Behind the Pages | Born on Earth just after the turn of the 26th Century, Mordecai The Brown is a wizard of considerable skill. His enmity for modern science and technology has nonetheless left him with an appreciation of ancient entertainment media that involve primitive scientific arts. Among these, he is known to enjoy the occasional flatvid (i.e. pre-holovid) movie. Being a wizard, he is more than happy to share his opinions on them.
The 5 Minute Shortcut to Creating Cultures
by J.S. Morin | Mar 9, 2016 | Worldbuilding | Often times you’ll find a need for a foreign culture in your writing. But you can convey a sense of a vibrant, multicultural world without having to delve into the minutiae and idiosyncrasies of every nation. It’s fine to flesh out nationalities and ethnicities that recur or play major roles in your story. But don’t bog readers down with information that doesn’t help the story.
What Does it Take to Make Your Book Into an Audiobook?
Audio is a great way to reach readers who prefer listening over reading, or those who spend a lot of time on cars, in trains, or otherwise on the go. But there is a barrier to entry that keeps most indie authors out of this arena: not knowing what to do. If someone had shown me how easy it can be, I’d have started with audiobooks a lot sooner than I did. So here’s the basics of what it will take to turn your book into an audiobook.
Ken Hughes Interviews J.S. Morin
Today I’m lending space on my blog to author Ken Hughes. Last week I did an interview with Ken. Here is his his interview, with me answering the questions 1. Let’s start at the beginning: how did you know you wanted the kind of magic you use in your writing? J.S.: I always start with a premise, then a setting, then the characters to put into it. The magic comes after all that. What I want is something I can use in the plot, that fits in with the type of characters who’ll be using it.
Year 3 of My 5-10 Year Overnight Success Plan
by J.S. Morin | Jan 25, 2016 | Checking in | So… January 31st marks the 3rd bookiversary of Firehurler. I’ll have been a self-published author for three full years. I’d like to say the time has flown and it feels like just yesterday. But really it’s been the exact opposite. It feels like I’ve been at this for decades. In an ever-changing, ever-evolving industry, I feel like a crusty old-timer.
Worldbuilding in Skyrim: Politics
Anyone who follows my blog knows that I have a keen interest in worldbuilding. So when I decided to dust off Skyrim and have another go at it, I couldn’t help but re-examine the world that Bethesda has created. Before I start though, one caveat: open world games have an entirely different standard than written fiction. For a novel, anything that isn’t relevant to the story can (and in most cases, should) be omitted.
Miracle on 34th Street Fan Theory
‘Tis the season and I’ve been popping in all the Christmas classics this season. But as I was watching Miracle on 34th Street (in the original 1947 black-and-white), I had an odd theory occur to me. Maybe it’s too much time spent dissecting my own writing, or maybe it’s been staring me in the face all this time. Kris Kringle in the film isn’t just not Santa Claus, I think I have an idea about who he might be.
Writing Prompts 2
by J.S. Morin | Dec 15, 2015 | Writing inspiration | Looking to write but can’t think what to write about? Here are five writing prompts to give you an idea to build around. 1 – Three strangers meet at a crossroads and share a camp fire. 2 – An accident results in an heirloom breaking. Something was hidden inside for generations. 3 – A wanderer stops after years of travels and tries to remember where his journey started.
What If More Video Games Were Text-Based
I am old enough to remember Zork—the original text-based versions before they came out with graphics-enabled editions. It was an entirely different gaming experience. You had a paragraph or two to describe your location, an inventory of disparate (often bizarre) items, and a humble “>” prompting you for a command. And that little “>” accepted a startling variety of natural language inputs. But I’ve often wondered what it would be like if other games were done in the style of Zork.
Level Up Your Writing: Words Are Experience Points
by J.S. Morin | Nov 3, 2015 | Checking in | Are you a good writer? Want to get better? Well, you’d better get out there and earn more XP. Whatever innate talent and ability you think you have, those are just your raw stats. They indicate promise, not skill. To make the most of that writing ability, you need to level up. And to level up, you need experience. Words are your XP The concept of experience points has been around since the earliest form of D&D.
4 Tips to Get Ready for NaNoWriMo
by J.S. Morin | Oct 27, 2015 | Prose and Cons | November 1 kicks off the annual writing extravaganza known as National Novel Writing Month (or more commonly, NaNoWriMo). With a goal of 50,000 words toward a new novel and 30 days to get it done, many writers are clearing their social calendars, stocking up on snacks, and making sure they’ve stowed a month’s worth of coffee-making supplies. But what else should you get done if you’re preparing to tackle NaNoWriMo 2015?
Amazon Lists Their 100 Science Fiction & Fantasy Books to Read in a Lifetime
by J.S. Morin | Oct 21, 2015 | Fantasy Commentary, Musing & Brain Teasers, Sci-Fi Commentary | Amazon just made a list of 100 Science Fiction & Fantasy Books to Read in a Lifetime. I went through the list and I had read 23 (I didn’t count ones where I’d seen a film adaptation, which would have brought the number up considerably). Which ones have I read? 1984 (assigned in jr.
Self-Editing for Continuity
by | Jul 7, 2015 | Prose and Cons | One of the biggest mistakes a writer can make is a break in continuity. Immersion grinds to a halt, the reader does a double-take, and if you’re lucky, they might keep reading (if your book is reviewed by Immerse or Die, it’s a guaranteed strike). So how do you avoid making these crucial errors? I’ll break them down into a few categories and address each. A character by any other name… You’re a writer. You name things all the time; it’s part of the job.
How to Write Genius Characters
by | Nov 26, 2013 | Prose and Cons | Who is the brains behind the mastermind? Me? (Uh oh!) It can be intimidating trying to write a character who is smarter than you are. After all, it’s easy to write about a character being fast or strong. You can show that easily enough by feats of physical prowess described in your prose. How do you go about portraying someone with a brilliant mind, even of of the greatest minds, without being their intellectual equal?
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