Author Archives: J. S. Allen

Making Fantasies Real: The Art of Plausibility

One of the biggest enticements to write fiction is the ability to express ourselves through vivid use of imagination. We can do, say, and create virtually any reality we want on the page simply through a few pencil or keystrokes. Nowhere is this truer than in science-fiction and fantasy, where we are given virtually aContinue reading “Making Fantasies Real: The Art of Plausibility”

The Pros and Cons of Making Books Into Films

The book is always better. That’s what they say, anyway, and for the most part I agree. There isn’t much that the big screen can do that the pages of a book and a little imagination can’t do better. That said, movies do serve their purpose, as I intend to outline here.

The Pros and Cons of E-Books

I’m no big fan of e-readers (as you can probably tell if you’ve read some of my former posts). I never have been, and never will be. While I do own one, I’ve never quite been comfortable with using it the way I am with printed, bound works. With that in mind, here’s my listContinue reading “The Pros and Cons of E-Books”

Plans for December

November was a relatively quiet month, as expected. It saw the typing up of my semi-final draft of my YA anthology, and that’s about it. December should be a bit busier as I attempt to wrap things up and brace for the new year. I will review and edit the next book in my SauragiaContinue reading “Plans for December”

Outlining Your Story

Outlining can be a useful tool, but only if done properly. Of course, what constitutes proper outlining is subject to the occasion. There are some who prefer not to bother with any planning at all, but it’s worth trying at least once, and so I’ll highlight a few methods I’ve come across here.

My Ten Favorite Book Series

I was a tad pressed for time this week, so here’s another top 10 list. This time the subject is my 10 favorite book series! These selections exclude nonfiction, short stories, picture or poetry books, sagas, etc. (The numbers in parentheses indicate how many novel-length books are in each series. All book titles are listedContinue reading “My Ten Favorite Book Series”

Sci-Fi or Fantasy: The Fine Line Between Genres

What is the difference between Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Lord of the Rings? It’s a common enough question (among a few folks, anyway) with a common enough set of answers. To some, there is no difference: both are speculative fiction (i. e. deal with made-up worlds and situations). To other, more devout followersContinue reading “Sci-Fi or Fantasy: The Fine Line Between Genres”

!!!New Site!!!

I am pleased to announce the launch of a new weblog, Random History 365. It will be dedicated to delivering random historical facts and short summaries about events on the very date that they occurred (or as close to as possible). Some will be special anniversaries, but most will just be dates I happen toContinue reading “!!!New Site!!!”