by msk | Oct 10, 2023 | Fantasy Deep Dives
Ah, The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger’s magnum opus. A pilgrimage of teenage angst, alienation, and a profound dislike for “phonies.” Now, take that existential dread and give Holden Caulfield a wooden stake and some garlic. What do you get? A...
by msk | Sep 27, 2023 | Tropes & Worldbuilding
Today, we’re diving into an interesting topic that’s been debated in cozy reading nooks and heated online forums alike: Have the words “wizards” and “witches” become clichéd in modern literature? Oh boy, let’s talk! So,...
by msk | Sep 24, 2023 | Shifter Fantasy, Tropes & Worldbuilding
From vampires to gothic horror, Bram Stoker’s 19th century novel Dracula still has its fangs sunk deep into YA fiction today. It’s hard to find a supernatural YA story that doesn’t owe some debt to Stoker for popularizing legends of bloodsuckers and other...
by msk | Sep 21, 2023 | Shifter Fantasy
When designing fantastical beasts for YA fantasy novels, one technique authors use is basing their made-up creatures on attributes of real animals. Gifting your imagination with the extraordinary blueprints of our natural world can help you dream up monsters,...
by msk | Sep 18, 2023 | Tropes & Worldbuilding
Love ’em or hate ’em, YA tropes are here to stay. As a hardcore YA fiction fan, I have a complicated relationship with these common themes and devices that show up again and again in young adult books. On one hand, there’s a comfort in the...
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