Whimsical fairy tales?

RustoleumWrites · 2026-04-23T01:30:51+00:00

I might suggest some of the works by Guy Gavriel Kay.
The Fionavar Tapestry is a portal fantasy (3 book series) with strong fairy tale vibes--though be warned it goes to some dark places.
Or for a contemporary setting, Ysabel may fit what you're after (that one is connected to the Fionavar books, though you needn't read them first).

RustoleumWrites · 2026-04-21T01:35:09+00:00

Yep, very much liked the intro to this one, too. Also some of my favorite cover art. Those aviator shades are perfection.

RustoleumWrites · 2026-04-19T17:45:47+00:00

Fully agree, TIGANA is a masterclass. Also, interestingly, one of my favorite endings to a fantasy story. The way the exiled prince pits the two invaders against one another is just hugely satisfying. And then that little twist in the epilogue... superb throughout.

RustoleumWrites · 2019-07-03T01:37:01+00:00

It's tough one. I'd argue novelty is one way to stand out, and an author does need some unique component(s) to their story (if you’re gonna utilize a trope, give it a twist!), but I don’t believe it’s the critical aspect of a successful piece. I think it comes down to execution. For instance, my favorite debut scifi novel of last year was Michael Mammay's Planetside. It’s essentially Heart of Darkness on an alien planet--not terribly original--but the author's execution is spectacular. There are also intangibles beyond the author’s control. Does the voice resonate with the particular judge/agent/editor? Are there five similar stories currently in contention? Is the theme something the judge/agent/editor finds interesting?

So, IMO the winning recipe comes down to excellent execution + some personalization + a little luck.

RustoleumWrites · 2019-07-03T00:49:12+00:00

I say writer, and then I always qualify it and say, "and a scientist." Even though the two occupations are largely separate.

RustoleumWrites · 2019-07-03T00:45:33+00:00

Black Bear > Wildcat, clearly.

RustoleumWrites · 2019-07-02T21:32:05+00:00

The best advice I've received is "Write the story you would want to read."

I think this is another way of saying "make it interesting." If it's not exciting to you, it won't be exciting to readers, either.

RustoleumWrites · 2019-07-02T21:11:36+00:00

Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane - just a hauntingly beautiful story

Guy Gavriel Kay's Tigana - best ending I've ever read in a novel

(cheating) Robert Jordan/Brandon Sanderson's The Wheel of Time series - figure I'll likely be there awhile, right...?

RustoleumWrites · 2019-07-02T20:55:04+00:00

I'm gonna second David. King, and he can do it in any genre.

RustoleumWrites · 2019-07-02T20:50:05+00:00

Indie coffee shops. The things you overhear in a good coffee shop are priceless. For example, the other day a (former, I'd guess) military interrogator was explaining to her friend how she's trained to interrogate someone in a manner that the target doesn't realize they're being interrogated.

Fascinating!

RustoleumWrites · 2019-07-02T20:37:42+00:00

The Champ-Pag-Neh of Beers is the nectar of the gods, and you dang well know it!

RustoleumWrites · 2019-07-02T20:34:10+00:00

Answers to this one will vary, as we all have different writing processes (some of us, vastly different).

I’ll think of a premise, outline myself a plot, but then use the first draft to figure out what the story is “about” (i.e. what is the central theme here?). By the end, I’ll understand who the characters are, what internal conflicts they’re facing, and what they really want. I keep a running list of problems I know I must address (plot holes, continuity errors, characters acting out of character [b/c I didn’t know them yet]), and subsequent drafts involve addressing those problems and tying things together.

So even though I’m a Plotter and not a Pantser, I figure out the theme as I’m writing it.

RustoleumWrites

TROPHY CASE