The 7 Secrets to Naming Characters, Races, and Places for Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror Fiction Writers

The Problem
It’s common for writers of speculative fiction to find themselves stalled in their writing or editing while they try to find the perfect name for a new race, place, dimension, species, currency, or object or for a humanoid or non-humanoid character. When a baby name book or website just won’t do, what do you do?

Muse Crafting for Writers: How do you define your muse?

When writers speak of their muse, they often mean different things. The term ‘muse’ has several common definitions in the context of the creative arts. The most traditional meaning of ‘muse’ refers to the mythical goddesses of ancient Greece who inspire the arts and sciences in mortals. Another common use of the term is in reference to a person, place, or thing that inspires an artist’s creativity.

“You are my muse,” is a rather infamous and clichéd pick up line that uses the latter definition of muse.

My Definition of 'Muse'
When I speak of a muse on this blog, I am referring to the internal force of creativity that exists in all people and that should be cultivated by writers to improve their craft. It is the creativity that we use in daydreaming, envisioning, and crafting the worlds, characters, and plots for our writing. It is the internal voice of our self and the internal and external voices of our characters. It is our internal storyteller: the narrator of our lives and of the lives of our characters.