If you’re wondering where my story ideas come from, how magic systems are crafted, or love tidbits about lesser known fairy tale and fantasy creatures, this is the blog for you. New posts are released at the beginning of each month.
Woven throughout my fantasy blog posts are “how to” articles to help you craft magical items and some of my favorite cosplay and writing videos from my TikTok account @caitlinberve. Through these short videos, I get to dress up as my favorite characters and be creative.
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Do you know what your favorite character’s name means? Do you care? Authors put more thought into their characters’ name than you might realize. Some authors choose a name because of the way it sounds or where it comes from. Others choose a name because of its meaning. Here’s why I picked the names I did in When Magic Calls.
Read MoreHave you ever wanted to break into a new genre or find another author to follow but been afraid to wade through all the not-so-good books out there? You might have better luck if you start with a list of books that have already been vetted for quality. Awards like the CIPA EVVYs are one such list.
Read MoreFairy tales, fables, and folktales are ripe for retellings because they were designed to be altered to fit a specific audience. The original tales are slightly generic and use archetypes to allow them to be malleable. This is why storytellers like me have so much fun putting our own spin on the stories and why fairy tales are able to evolve to stay relevant in modern society.
Read MoreHave you ever wondered why science fiction and fantasy are lumped together even though the genres, ideas, and plots are so different? Other than the obvious world building similarities, I like to think it’s because science is magic. And I incorporated that idea into my short story “In Pursuit of the Bitter Berry.” Here’s how.
Read MoreFairy tales, fables, and myths use archetypal characters like the hero, evil step-mother, or wise mentor. These were meant to be more representative of a type of person than to be an actual character and to help conserve space. One of the short stories in my collection of modern fairy tales When Magic Calls began as an oral tale and that form had a huge influence on the characters of the finished piece.
Read MoreOne of my favorite New Year’s traditions is the practice of opening the front and back doors of a home at midnight to let the old year out and the new year in. When I first learned of this, my writing brain immediately started to ask what if. What if you left the doors open too long? What if you got the wrong year? Here’s how these questions created a twisted fairy tale.
Read MoreSometimes personal challenges lead to unexpected inspiration and motivation. When I created my 31 days of Halloween costume challenge, I didn’t think it motivate me to write or inspire me to return to an old favorite character.
Read MoreFairy tales are often inspired by real life events. Unfortunately, the dark origins of Hansel and Gretel didn’t have a true happily ever after. Perhaps that’s why the Grimm brothers changed it or maybe the fairy tale was created to rewrite history. Either way, it’s evolution is fascinating.
Read MoreDream catchers have become an icon for Native Americans. While many tribes have a dream catcher mythology, they were originally created by the Ojibwe tribe. Learn how to make an owl dream catcher and the mythology behind these talismans.
Read MoreFairy tales are often more than just a story. Some, like “Bluebeard” are secret messages. Which messages needed to be hidden in story says a lot about the society that created it just like how we choose to retell those stories today reveals aspects of our current society.
Read MoreText magic is the power to transport someone through the written word to fantastical lands with wondrous people and creatures. It is imagination and whimsy, but it can also be terrifying and thrilling. It is how I came to writing and a powerful way to escape and learn.
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