From the very beginning, Reflection’s Edge was intended to be for both readers and writers. We wanted to share what we knew and learn even more about how to improve our craft, and ideally, learn a little more about the world on the way. To be a really great nonfiction piece, it needed to accomplish two things: first, provide writers with useful information, and second, entertain everyone. It’s hard to accomplish the two every time, but our favorites below managed both, and then some.
World Building
The succinctly titled World Building, by Romie Stott, is both the lengthiest RE article, and in some ways, most indicative of RE’s goals. Generalities are easy to come by, but down-and-dirty, specific walk-throughs of how one can genuinely accomplish something as nebulous as world building are far between. In particular, don’t miss the “tracing the implications” section, where she takes a single construction (in this case, a one-year marriage) and walks it through how this concept might affect or be affected by technology, society, environment, economics/finance, and psychology/art.
For more on this subject, see:
- You Are When You Eat, by Romie Stott
- Chores, Minerals, and Phalanxes: Adding Historical Flavor to Your Fiction, by Xina Marie Uhl
Characterization and Plot
Misleading, confusing, and downright incorrect descriptions of mental illness are probably some of the most common reasons for a horror story rejection. But even for authors who intend to do their research, it’s not easy to figure out where to start; after all, without key words, how do you begin? AJ Grant helps demystify this complex issue and explains basic and not-so-basic psychological terms in Characters on the Couch: Introduction and its sequel, Characters on the Couch: Depression.
For more on this subject, see:
- Villains with Internal Codes, by Romie Stott
- The Politics of Dancing, by Elizabeth Bear
- Saving Mary Sue, by James Lyn
The Mechanics of Warfare
Writing hand-to-hand combat is, to say the least, confusing. In Romie Stott’s Bustin’ Caps, Bashing Heads, and Bloody Knives: Writing Realistic Violence, she takes you through everything from the effects of adrenaline, guns, knives, strangulation, and suffocation to drowning, as well as common wounds’ results and, to round things off, some classic examples of good fight choreography. While no single article should comprise the whole of a writer’s research, it’s a remarkably complete brief for writing one-on-one combat.
For more on this subject, see:
- Flight of the Gas Bag, by Richard Marsden
- Sharp, Pointy Sticks: The Evolution of the Spear in Warfare , by Richard Marsden
- Western Swordsmanship, by Richard Marsden
Language: The Tools of the Trade
English for Time Travelers, Parts One and Two, by Evelyne Browne, may be the most erudite article we’ve published; her detailed knowledge of language throughout the ages is remarkable, and her clever delivery makes the reading of it all the more fun. Alternate history (and speculative fiction) authors, take note.
For more on this subject, see:
- Beyond the Looking Glass: How to Write Meaningful Description, by Judith Tarr
- Writing the Language of the Future, by Michael A. Burstein
- Writing Visual Dialect in Fiction, by Tony Burton
- Usage: The Nice and Exacting Practice of Using the Correct Words Correctly, by Jennie Worden
- Making Neologisms Work in Speculative Literature, by Ekaterina Sedia
The Science of Fiction
When it comes to specifics, hard science fiction writers and historical writers may work the hardest. Ciro Faienza’s explanation of real hacker culture in Is the Matrix Really Green and Black? A Writers’ Intro to Hacker Culture should be required reading for all beginning science fiction writers. Here, he covers such basics as Phreakers, Warez d00dz, and hacktivists as well as showing us where hackers have taken society as they explore the limits of technology.
For more on this subject, see:
- Superluminal: A Scientific Look at Science Fiction Stardrives, by Paul Lucas
- The Zetar Hypothesis, by David Bartell
Diversity in Fiction
Sarah Monette’s Still Seeking Chloe and Olivia breaks down gender issues in fiction, including some fascinating history. Considering the staff and publishing history of RE, the editors sometimes wished they could make it required reading prior to submissions. And, in our most uniquely titled article, Romie Stott’s Aliens at the Office Christmas Party shows authors how even in speculative fiction, simple generalizations and preconceptions can result in volatile situations with a panoply of unique examples.
For more on this subject, see:
- Utilizing the Unexpected, by Elizabeth Bear
- How Not to be Turned Into a Frog, by AJ Grant
- Doing Tolkien Wrong: Why Fantasy Shouldn’t Follow in Tolkien’s Footsteps, by Sarah Monette
- Achieving Freshness in Fantasy, by Elizabeth Bear
Writing Sex
When a Man Loves Another Man, by AJ Grant, got us more click-throughs on a regular basis than possibly any other story; it’s a powerful comment both on the selling power of sex and the fact that there are so few articles about how to write it (especially male-male sex). The article is impressive both for its honesty and its explicitness, and a fascinating read even if you aren’t writing erotica.
For more on this subject, see:
- How to Write Sex, by James Lyn
- Chains of Words: Writing Sadomasochism, by Meredith Schwartz
For even more Reflection’s Edge nonfiction, go here.
For Reflection’s Edge interviews, go here.
For external articles, see our Resources section here.