Susan and John Ruff, Fantasy Authors

Category: Uncategorized

  • The Road Accidentally Taken

    As a fantasy author, I love to write sweeping adventure stories full of danger and perilous magic. When I am a traveler in real life, however, I prefer my adventures a lot more safe and sedate. As Bilbo Baggins once said about adventures: “Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late…

  • Is That Where They Got the Idea?

    “Don’t those rocks look familiar?” John and I were on a road trip passing through the Dixie National Forest in Utah on our way to Bryce Canyon. Suddenly, we found ourselves driving beside the spectacular rock formations of Red Canyon. Huge red-orange stones, shaped by nature into towering monuments, rose…

  • Walking Through Someone Else’s Writing Inspiration

    The two pictures sat next to each other on the page in front of us. One was a photograph of Switzerland’s beautiful Lauterbrunnen Valley. The other was artwork done by J.R.R. Tolkien depicting the valley of Rivendell from his fantasy books. The similarities between the two pictures were striking. We…

  • A Few Thoughts on Writing Prequel Stories

    John and I have been busy writing a new short-story in our fantasy series. We’re hoping to give it out as a thank-you gift to our newsletter subscribers. It takes place earlier in the timeline than the other things we’ve written for that universe so far. While we were drafting…

  • A Perfect Day on Vacation

    What makes a perfect vacation day? I suspect every person has a different answer to that question. My years of travel have provided many great experiences. Because today is Cinco de Mayo, it seems like a good day to write about my perfect day during a trip to Mexico. I’m…

  • Writing Inspiration Destination: Delphi, Greece

    Greece is a wonderful place to visit and provides a constant source of writing inspiration for me (as you can tell by the number of times my blog posts have included locations from that country). In a land full of amazing things to see, Delphi still stands out as one…

  • Some Irish Castles for the Month of March

    If you are a fantasy author, castles are always a wonderful source of writing inspiration. They are fun to visit, great to explore, and marvelously photogenic. I love them all — from the oldest ruins in faraway lands to that delightful edifice in nearby Anaheim. March is the month of…

  • Writing Inspiration Destination: Catalina Island, California

    On Valentine’s Day weekend in 1992, John and I went on our very first cruise together. It was a little 3-day jaunt. It sailed from Long Beach, California, to Catalina Island, to Ensenada, Mexico, and back to Long Beach. At the time, I considered it a test. Neither of us…

  • Writing Inspiration Destination: Bergen, Norway

    Bergen, Norway is a wonderful city. A beautiful waterfront, fascinating historical sites, and so many other things make it a great destination. John and I had the privilege of exploring the city during two different trips, the first time in 2013, and more recently during a cruise last summer. As…

  • Announcing Our Free Newsletter and Short Story!

    It’s official! John and I now have our own author newsletter/email list. Anyone who signs up will receive a free copy of our short story Reflections of Disdain, a fun little prequel to our full-length fantasy novel The Keyhole Wizard. If you’ve been following this blog for a while and…