The Quiet is Loud

At my recent “World-building and Cultural Research for Storytelling” panel at the Filipino-Canadian Book Festival, one question asked where we start our respective worldbuilding processes. Here I’ll go into more detail about how I start worldbuilding as a sci-fi/fantasy author. /// Note: A slightly more detailed version of this post first appeared in my monthly newsletter, Deadmedia. Join us here if you want earlier access to posts like this one! /// How I start my

To celebrate crossing the midpoint in my science-fantasy novella, I’m sharing the Filipino & Finnish mythology & folklore I’ve incorporated in my work so far, including The Quiet is Loud. Folklore/mythology from the Philippines:⁠ ✦ Nuno sa punso, a nature spirit who takes the form of an old man living in a mound of earth⁠ ✦ Tikbalang, a half-horse, half-human trickster who lives in the forests and mountains ⁠ ✦ Siyokoy, a humanoid sea creature

Since 2008, I’ve taken myself on three DIY writing retreats. I’m sharing the things I’ve learned about DIY writing retreats, and what I’d do differently next time. Or, will there be a next time? Writing retreat #1: 2008 The idea for my first DIY writing retreat came to me out of impatience. I had the urge to attend a formal retreat, but all the interesting ones had either just finished, or were starting months in

“She should have been more mature for a 40-year-old.” That’s a paraphrasing of a book review I read recently. It made me wonder if this person actually knew any 40-year-olds. Sure, there are people who should know better no matter how old they are, but why would a protagonist that age have to act mature, whatever that means? ⁠ In The Quiet is Loud, Freya is 28. In my fantasy novel-in-progress Seeker of the Lost