The struggle for any writer published these days -- whether traditional or indie -- is the simple act of getting your work recognized by readers. Writing is Art; Publishing is Business, and that business hinges on getting as many eyes-on as we possibly can. Views mean sales. Buzz means sales. A groundswell of interest means... Continue Reading →
There's much talk in fantasy circles about "systems" of magic. By system, I think writers and creators mean the codified elements of magic: where does it come from, how do you access it, how is it learned, what is its cost. It makes me think of science: "if you have access to W and know... Continue Reading →
One of the most common pitfalls when writing non-human characters, such as orcs, is the tendency to make them little more than humans in orc suits. Actors in costume. CGI’d monsters who do nothing different from their human counterparts. Now, part of this comes down to readability. Readers must have some common ground with your... Continue Reading →
On this, the seventh day of Orctober, I’d like to chat about Twilight of the Gods. It was my pandemic book -- released in February of 2020, just a few short weeks before the world shut down (THANKS, COVID!). Because of this, and the general woes attributed to second books in a series, it’s not... Continue Reading →
Anyone who knows me knows I'm so not above leaping onto a broad set of coattails and riding shotgun on the success of others. Which is why the success of Robert Eggers' The Northman has me swinging into action to try and grab a bit of that Viking love that's bubbling forth from movie-goers. My... Continue Reading →
Frequent readers of this blog will most assuredly already be familiar with the kaunar -- Grimnir's folk, called skrælingar by some, orcnéas by others, and orcs by the likes of JRR Tolkien. But, all and sundry likely wish to know: where did they come from? According to the Kaunumál (British Library, Cotton Vespasian D. VI),... Continue Reading →
With Twilight of the Gods a week old, now, I thought I'd share a teaser I wrote for the next book in the Grimnir series: The Doom of Odin: As the Black Death rampages across Europe, two creatures of the Elder World clash over the rotting corpse of Christendom ... Sicily, 1347 AD. A ghost... Continue Reading →
The leading industry mag, Publishers Weekly, has weighed in on Twilight of the Gods! And while it did not garner a starred review (reserved for books of particular distinction) like A Gathering of Ravens, it is nevertheless fairly glowing in its praise: "Oden’s impressive writing successfully evokes a grand but grim atmosphere [...]. Fans of... Continue Reading →
A new month, a new chapter! In Chapter Three, we bear witness to the meeting between our protagonist, 16-year old Dísa Dagrúnsdottir, and the Hooded One -- the immortal herald of the Tangled God, Father Loki, who watches over the Raven-Geats of Hrafnhaugr. And, we discover the Hooded One's true identity . . . Here's... Continue Reading →
Scott Oden 