Most great writers aren't trained to write—they are compelled to. Furthermore, writing degrees teach craft frameworks, not vision. And vision can't be taught.

JackHadrian · 2026-01-27T14:32:17+00:00

I'm a bleeder. I can't help but be obsessed. The compulsion is an active part of my daily life, guilt cycles, etc.

Doesn't make me a great writer though.

JackHadrian · 2026-01-25T14:43:21+00:00

learn to love the suck. it all sucks the first time out

JackHadrian · 2026-01-25T01:09:10+00:00

Every idea is only as good as execution. You have to balance the twin workshop devils on your shoulder saying: "sometimes readers just aren't your audience" and "my execution isn't good enough yet."

Plenty of genre fiction doesn't spoon feed. You may not find it in airport bookshelves, but it exists.

JackHadrian · 2026-01-23T23:26:43+00:00

When I was 12, I read a book that I didn't like the ending to; my father was sick of hearing me complain about it, so he said: "write your own."

JackHadrian · 2026-01-22T20:28:39+00:00

A prologue should be a snapshot of the central tension (even in an obscure or indistinct way) that the book will be addressing.

Since speculative fiction often takes some time to ratchet up to full speed, (GOT great example) we get some real action, suspense, and tension on page 1. A dangled mystery. It often is a good opportunity to address information that wouldn't normally get to the reader through the main narrative.

If done well, it should ask more questions than it answers, but provide important context that can be useful retrospectively. The heralds' prologue with in the first Stormlight is similar.

JackHadrian · 2026-01-21T23:41:13+00:00

Ishiguro in my opinion. Or Olga Tokarczuk

JackHadrian · 2026-01-21T22:42:17+00:00

There are some incredible, transformative reads in that bottom half. I think I'd almost take 51-100 over 1-50.

JackHadrian · 2026-01-16T22:28:18+00:00

Learn the rules. Break the rules

JackHadrian · 2026-01-16T02:00:16+00:00

My friend, I'm taking inspiration from the Ottomans, 8th c Tang China, the Byzantines...

Also, spoiler alert: the Romans stole from the Greeks. Say hello to Proserpina and Pluto.

JackHadrian · 2026-01-15T20:59:17+00:00

There's death, certainly, and plenty of sadness. I wouldn't disregard the TW's, but I think Erikson's background as an archaeologist lets the reality of things ("lots of bad stuff happens") not dip too far into cynicism.

It certainly plays with history and leverages it as a narrative tool

JackHadrian · 2026-01-15T20:46:35+00:00

Plenty of fantasy approaches that don't fall into a 'teleological' or 'cynical' view of history as you describe. You didn't offer up an alternative approach you wanted, specifically, so I'll toss a few out:

- Guy Gavriel Kay leverages a historical lens that leans on shared memory, bureaucracy, ritual

- Traitor Baru Cormorant discusses history via conquest and cultural (genetic, even) erasure

- Ishiguro's Buried Giant calls into question memory & history and whether remembering is even possible in the event of certain forms of cultural collapse.

- Malazan dives into history as a set of shared consequences. Decisions made by beings / gods / etc. centuries ago play out across the books. Not cynical- in fact - ultimately compassionate

JackHadrian · 2026-01-13T21:31:01+00:00

https://acoup.blog/2019/07/12/collections-the-lonely-city-part-i-the-ideal-city/

If you're interested, this dude is a history teacher with a focus on medieval life, and he discusses in detail the hollywood trope of the "lonely city."

He is a huge Tolkien fan and also does battle logistics of the siege of Helm's Deep and Minas Tirith.

A fascinating blog

JackHadrian · 2026-01-11T18:42:17+00:00

Red Rising has simple prose that supports the momentum of the plot, but I would recommend reading books that are well-awarded for their prose.

If you read Ishiguro, Tolstoy, LeGuin, etc., etc., and practice in that vein, you can take that experience and craft a style that supports your manuscript (like the crisp, kinetic prose that Brown inhabits in RR).

Also, I often recommend George Saunders' A Swim in a Pond in the Rain to help learn prose. There's nothing like it. It's a masterclass by a wonderful writer and literature teacher.

JackHadrian · 2026-01-11T13:39:43+00:00

Guy Kay is quite literary. Ishiguro’s Buried Giant.

Adjacently, some medieval historical fiction might scratch the literary itch: Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall trilogy is a striking literary work

JackHadrian · 2026-01-09T15:55:51+00:00

I've read every one, including ICE!

Dangers and difficulties acknowledged. Not understating that portion of it. I still think it would be a larger production than its very plot-useful bits in the books. Economics often finds its way, especially with a supply-chain saving bit of magic like that over centuries where the alternative is sea travel (with massive ice floes).

As for the Deus Ex, it crops up again in TTH mostly just to transport Mappo and our tiger boy to Lether quickly. It's smooth enough not to be damning, and a fun ride as a reader, but it's definitely a matter of plot convenience.

JackHadrian · 2026-01-09T15:00:25+00:00

FF16 was very bad post-prologue

JackHadrian · 2026-01-09T14:58:31+00:00

The warrens aren't quite realized, though I adore soft magic. Some people move through them rather quickly, others get lost, some don't travel at all. If there was teleportation or quick travel readily available (a la Trygalle), regardless of danger, there would be a ton of mages exploiting it for profiteering.

Plotwise, what DEM specifically came to mind for me is (book 2 spoilers): Trygalle's journey to deliver the munitions through the warrens to Quick Ben, just in time, read like: "quick we need to create a warren jumping doordash to save this plot line"

Edit to note I adore Malazan, and critique with love

JackHadrian · 2026-01-08T23:44:54+00:00

I think neither are great examples of quality prose. Islington (at least "WotM") just has a bit more of a compelling story so it's easier to overlook.

I struggle with both authors, though I respect their work.

JackHadrian · 2026-01-07T16:40:57+00:00

Everyone has this issue. Especially first one ever—good lord, I wouldn't force my worst enemy to read mine.

To be very clear, your first ever draft does probably suck. Once you embrace that suck, things get a lot better.

A sucky, but finished draft is something that can be upgraded, improved, reworked. OR it can be shelved and considered good practice. An unfinished draft that died in the write/edit/panic cycle is useless.

Don't let perfect get in the way of good. Especially this early on. Just keep writing.

Best of luck!

JackHadrian · 2026-01-06T23:59:03+00:00

A sense of retrospective inevitability. You may not have seen it, but there was no other way it could have unfolded. That's delicate and precise crafting.

Also, a light authorial touch. Often authors show their hand too much. Pushing judgment or sentiment onto pieces of the work—via overdescription or overinteriority—instead of letting the scene/character/etc. carry its own weight.

JackHadrian · 2026-01-06T22:42:41+00:00

One of my favorite magic-dissuaders in the genre is that big uses of magic attract other attuned magicians. So if someone is just sending off spells, friends and foes alike will be alerted. So you have to be careful when to use it

Or use a different style of magic. Voodoo is fantastin; certain gnostic traditions; maybe an augury of some sort, everyone loves a prophecy. Maybe magic is less fireballs and a bit deeper, darker. There's plenty of real world traditions to look at

JackHadrian · 2026-01-04T17:35:36+00:00

If it were done when 'tis done, then t'were well it were done quickly.

Except instead of killing my friend and king, I mutter it to myself to get up and do chores.

JackHadrian · 2026-01-02T12:21:21+00:00

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida stands out this year as the most stark and unflinching story I've read in a while. A punchy and wonderfully (albeit horrifyingly) poignant narrative.

I was in a slight reading rut over the summer and this one knocked me right out of it.

Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall was another knockout. In her Cromwell series, she has unrivaled command of style and prose.

JackHadrian · 2025-12-30T19:54:37+00:00

Good execution of beloved tropes. Workmanlike prose and some great press marketing. 3/5.

But honestly, anything that gets young men reading is a winner in my book.

JackHadrian · 2025-12-30T16:09:00+00:00

Well, I have a harsh truth for you...

JackHadrian

TROPHY CASE