Star Spun Souls

This post is Part 2 of a series to augment the Fictional Cartography by D.N.Frost available for free download. Start with Part 1 here . This and other map commissions are gathered in my Portfolio Directory for you to explore. Find more guest-inspired content in my Guest Directory . After getting the go-ahead in Part 1 of this series , I worked with TOAFN creators Zach Glass and Christian Madera to start mapping their Realms of Iorden. They provided me with a thumbnail map of Iorden they'd made some time earlier. I magnified the 300 pixel image to sculpt their coastline and apply rough topography swatches to their regions. Then I applied some quick color to differentiate all the areas of the map, and I added some basic text. Check out this Fictional Cartography by D.N.Frost for more maps! For working off a tiny image, I feel like I did a great job! The...

This post is part of a series to augment the Author's Manifesto available for free download. This and other inspirations of mine are gathered in the Spark Directory for you to explore. Find more consciousness content in my Cosmic Directory . I am profoundly inspired by the great humanity of the world. I love that thrill in your heart when the good guy wins. People differ in how they rise to challenges and integrate past experiences. But though the content of each personality varies widely, there is a similar structure for all personalities . I love exploring this profound diversity that arises out of a remarkable uniformity. I want to kindle that inborn sense of glory within our human condition. To delve through the wonders of our psyche, I push my characters to their very limits, and their stories evoke the triumph of human endeavor. I want to trigger your inner grandness through my charac...

This post is Part 1 of a series to augment the Fictional Cartography by D.N.Frost available for free download. This and other map commissions are gathered in my Portfolio Directory for you to explore. This post is also Part 1 of a series about David Glenn. I first met David when my repeat client Stephen Everett introduced us on Facebook. In a writer's group, David shared a rough sketch of his world, and Steve suggested he collaborate with me to take his map to the next level. I gave David my email address and he sought me out. We discussed his northern isles, then called Sodow, a world still taking form. I used maps to develop the Known World , so I knew the mapping process would provide a fantastic world-building tool for David. I also remembered how daunted I felt about mapping my world before knowing where all the pieces fit. Check out this Fictional Cartography by D.N.Fros...

This post is Part 5 of a series to augment the Author's Manifesto available for free download. Start with Part 1 here . This and other inspirations of mine are gathered in the Spark Directory for you to explore. Find more map-making content in my Cartography Directory . In Part 1 of this series , I began writing my first stories. And though I'd already decided to re-draft and edit my first novel, maintaining my devotion proved difficult as life twisted and turned. Dissatisfied with my day job and life in general, I found it hard to leverage my free time into writing time. Once again, I fell out of the habit of writing. Then I discovered Tara Swiger , who worked to help creative business owners find direction, motivation, and organization. Her idea of making a map to achieve business goals resonated with me, but since I wasn't a business owner, we passed like ships in the night. A few m...

This post is part of a series to augment the Tips for Writing Fiction available for free download. This and other writing workshops are gathered in my Workshops Directory for you to explore. Find more content navigation in my Resource Directory . Hello, there! Thanks for your interest in my writing tips. My name is D.N.Frost, and I'm a fantasy author, editor, and linguist. Through the course of planning, writing, and publishing my Tales of the Known World saga, I learned a lot about the work it takes to produce a great manuscript. So why do many good storytellers never become authors? I discovered that writing is really a composite of two distinct skills: adept storycraft, and prowess as a wordsmith. To take your writing to the next level, please enjoy this collection of short tips and workshops from TotKW Books. Download your workshop guide Tips for Writing Fiction here. ...

This post is Part 1 of a series to augment the Fictional Cartography by D.N.Frost available for free download. This and other map commissions are gathered in my Portfolio Directory for you to explore. This post is also Part 3 of a series about Stephen Everett. Start with Part 1 here . I first connected with Steve in Part 1 of this guest series , when we collaborated on his map of Babylon and Corinth for Sheridan's World. After finishing a second map for Minbari of Sheridan's World , Steve mentioned having a southern continent to work on next. We chatted about it some, and he sent me a sketch and some data about the southern continent, tentatively dubbed TeChak. Unfortunately, he sent me the sketch right as I was planning to move to a new city, so we had to shelve the project for a few weeks until I could devote the attention his map deserved. Check out this Fictional Cart...

In the novel Broken , there are 24 portents fortelling the events of the unfolding saga. Start with Portent I here . These and other riddles in rhyme are gathered in the Portents Directory for you to explore. Enjoy! The bitter crown rejects in spite Unwitting ward of legend spent And turns to last surviving knight Yet novice youth cannot relent Nor cast his fate from timeless light Driven to reign and reinvent The self behind the fight Awash in blood of early sin Against a greatness long extolled The mystics claim he cannot win Thus caught in doubt's repentant hold The dragon mage with silent kin Broken by day and verdict cold Without begins within While mentor power gained denies His land and life cannot protect Yet master frees by own demise Where hope and hatred intersect Unleashed with death before his eyes Chaos and blood as men defect Dispatches low disguise. ...