Susan and John Ruff, Fantasy Authors

Tag: fantasy novel

  • Writing Inspiration Destination: Rhodes, Greece

    (This is part 7 of the series describing places that have influenced my writing.) Few places in the world shout, “fantasy novel setting” more than the Island of Rhodes. The crenelated barbicans and towers rise over the buildings around them in a classic, story-book-castle style. The shoreline boasts magnificent sea…

  • Writing Inspiration Destination: Venice, Italy

    (This is part 6 of the series describing places that have influenced my writing.) In June, I wrote a blog post entitled “Five Places to Inspire Writing.” In that post, I briefly mentioned Venice as an inspirational city. After I gave the matter more thought, I decided that Venice really…

  • Killing Characters in Novels: Red Shirts or Dead Ponies?

    Many years ago, I read a short story in school about a kid and his favorite pony. Bad stuff happens to the pony and the kid goes through herculean efforts trying to save it. In the end, the pony dies and the story was very depressing. I think it may…

  • Writing Inspiration Destination: Granada, Spain

    (Note: as mentioned in an earlier blog post, one of my friends suggested that I write about some travel destinations that had a direct influence on my writing. This is part 5 of the series.) Have you ever wanted to visit a place because of a song? Recuerdos de la…

  • Time for a Second Edition

    If you are an Indy author who just published your latest book, should you consider a second edition of your original novel to clean up the formatting problems with the first edition? In my case, the answer to that question is easy: Yes. John and I are currently finalizing a…

  • Writing Inspiration Destination: Balboa Park

    Sometimes, you don’t need to go any farther than your own hometown for writing inspiration. This becomes much easier, of course, when your hometown happens to be a major tourist destination with beaches, parks, culture, museums, and other fascinating places to visit. I grew up in San Diego County, and…

  • Writing Inspiration Destination: Santorini, Greece

    (Note: as mentioned in an earlier blog post, one of my friends suggested that I write about some travel destinations that had a direct influence on my writing. This is part 3 of the series.) A writer of any genre could find inspiration on the Island of Santorini, with its…

  • Writing Productivity vs Burn Out

    Being an Indy author is tricky. You must learn to market your own novels. You need to find others to help with proofreading and editing, and you need a circle of friends to encourage you to keep writing when sales are low. More than anything else, however, you need to…

  • Writing Inspiration Destination: Heidelberg, Germany

    (Note: as mentioned in an earlier blog post, one of my friends suggested that I write about some travel destinations that had a direct influence on my writing. This is part 2 of the series.) The old section of Heidelberg, Germany is a fantasy author’s dream destination. Fairytale sights abound:…

  • Writing Update for July 2021

    A lot of exciting news from Emerald Cove today. First and foremost: John and my new fantasy novel Prophecy’s Malignant Son is now for sale on Amazon. You can find it at: Amazon.com: Prophecy’s Malignant Son: A high fantasy novel eBook: Ruff, Susan and John: Books The book is available…