At a glance: This article offers some tips and strategies for creating believable characters in speculative fiction, namely sci-fi, fantasy and horror. Investing time and energy into your characters is one of the best things you can do to improve […]
Author: Brandon Cornett
I write gritty sci-fi thrillers about rogue AI and killer robots, and you can participate. Subscribe to the Machine Wars newsletter so you can participate!
Ten Tips for Writing Zombie Novels and Fiction
Need some tips for writing good zombie fiction? You’ve come to the right place. Below, you’ll find some of my own writing advice, along with tips and suggestions from other writers working in the genre. Enter, if you dare! Brandon’s […]
Ten Different Ways to Start a Zombie Apocalypse Story or Novel
A while back, I wrote an article that offered zombie story ideas for writers of horror and speculative fiction. It’s now the most popular article on this blog, in terms of traffic and readership. I didn’t expect that, but it’s […]
Writing Apocalyptic Fiction: A Guide for Beginning Writers
A guide to writing apocalyptic fiction, from an author who lives there… Doomsday stories have enthralled readers for centuries. For as long as we’ve understood our place in the world, we’ve told stories about how that world might end. That’s […]
How to Write a Good Science Fiction Novel: A 10-Point Plan
How do you write a good science fiction novel? Talk about a big question. You could fill up a college semester or two answering that one. You could write a series of books on the subject. But let’s tackle it […]
A List of Post-Apocalyptic Scenarios & Story Ideas for Fiction Writers
Looking for some post-apocalyptic story ideas and scenarios to fuel your next writing project? You’ve come to the right place. We’re about to take a deep dive into the world of apocalypse fiction. We’ll also be exploring some fresh ideas […]
How to Start a Horror or Suspense Novel: Options for Writers
Starting a novel can be difficult, even for the most experienced of writers. Starting a horror or suspense novel can be even harder. There’s a lot that needs to happen within those first few pages and chapters. And readers have […]
The First Post-Apocalyptic Novels: The Last Man, and After London
Gather ’round, ye lords and ladies. We’re traveling back in time to Georgian and Victorian England, to discover two of the first post-apocalyptic novels ever written… Recently, while writing a rambling love letter to the post-apocalyptic fiction genre, I began […]
Story Ideas: Vampires Taking Over the World
This is part of an ongoing series that offers story ideas and prompts for writers of speculative fiction. In a previous blog post, I offered some ideas for writing a sci-fi horror novel by blending elements from those genres. Today, […]
How AI Could Take Over the World: 12 ‘Aftermath Scenarios’
Science-fiction writers have explored artificial intelligence (AI) takeover scenarios for decades. But the current state of AI is actually quite limited. Machine-based “intelligence” is good at playing Go and chess, beating humans in some cases. Just don’t expect it to […]