Welcome to the Forge. Here’s one handy list of everything I’ve written here. Fiction short stories are at the top. All non-fiction is down below.
Short Stories
All short stories are set in the same high fantasy world. Every story is stand-alone and can be read in any order. However, I have a collection of loosely-connected stories in progress (linked below) which should reward returning readers.
Stand-Alones:
A young adventurer has won his trophy, but can he escape with it?
Trapped by deadly wraiths, an old hermit must rediscover an ancient magic and confront his past.
A fisherman must make hard choices in order to live through merciless times.
The First Death of Segitars Arpadi
A story of love, pride, tradition, and bloodshed.
What does a man gain by going to war, and what does he lose by staying home?
An anecdote of war.
A poor family, confronted by a heavily-armed intruder.
“The Delver”: Tales of Maldurian the Archmage
Ash and Death on a Dangerous Road
A man has an ominous encounter in the wilderness
A letter between feuding colleagues, with the essence of magic at stake
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Other Collections, Non-Fiction
On History & Fantasy
Why Warriors Wield the Weapons They Wield (Part 1)
Weird Weapons, Cringe Combat (Part 2)
Commentaries & Reviews…
…on the genre of fantasy
Tolkien’s “On Fairy Stories,” with Clifford Stumme of Past the Dragon
…on specific works
Commentary on some of my own stories, and lessons from the 2024 Gibberish Writing Competition.
On Writing
The Most Important Narrative Tool No One Told You About
On narrative distance, and saying “No” to the RPG Video Game Camera
Two Simple Questions That Will Give Depth To Your Characters
Using temperament to get beyond “what do they want and why?”
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