Author: Ethan Kincaid

Ethan Kincaid was born in 1985 in Ontario, Canada. He graduated from Carleton University in Ottawa with a degree in Linguistics and a minor in Japanese Language. After finishing his education, he settled down there with his wife Kaitlyn and became a full-time writer. In 2011, he moved to Montreal and discovered its vibrant writing culture. In 2015, Ethan moved to Helsinki, Finland with his wife; he works as a creative craftsman and part time author. The greatest joy in his life lies in helping others find venues for their own personal expression.

Createspace VS Lulu – Why I’m Switching

I have big news guys! I’m switching publishers for my novel, Blood of Midnight: The Broken Prophecy. Up until now, I’ve been with Lulu and as of now I will be changing over to Createspace.

There are several reasons for this and I want to present them here for you so that readers will know what they’re getting and anyone interested in self-publishing as I have will get a good idea as to which company’s services they might like to use.

First, let’s talk about the quality of the product. Here is a side-by-side comparison.

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On the left is Lulu’s version of my book. On the right is Createspace’s. Continue reading “Createspace VS Lulu – Why I’m Switching”

Busy Season

Just a quick note to let you all know that I’ve just finished chapter 10 of Hollow Vengeance and starting work on 11. This season is really busy for me because of all the camping trips and festivals and all sorts of activities that we’ve got to do while we have warm weather. Ah, summers are all too brief here!

But although progress is slow, it continues. Perhaps a new short story is in order? Hmm! It’s been awhile since we’ve seen Casey and Staruff.

Strong Female Character or Trinity Syndrome?

Strong Female Character or Trinity Syndrome?

I heartily enjoyed this article. It explains very succinctly what I am striving so hard to do with Phoenix and why it’s important to me that I don’t fail her as a female main character.

Clicky and read.

How to Write Fight Scenes

How to Write Fight Scenes

A gripping, movie-worthy fight scene is a joy to read but sometimes difficult to write. If you run into trouble when it’s time for your characters to throw down, I have some pointers that may help you get into the proper headspace and articulate what’s going on.

First thing’s first: Location.

Where does the fight take place? Familiarize yourself with the area. Even if you don’t go into painstaking detail in the actual scene, you—the writer—need to know this place inside out, including the area surrounding it.

Get some graph paper and sketch the layout of the location as best you can. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Treat it like you’re trying to describe a rough blueprint of your apartment to someone who’s never been there before. What is this space usually used for? Where is everything? Think about the place from a tactical perspective. Are there any features or objects that someone could take cover behind/under/inside? Is there anything that can be used as an improvised weapon? Are there features that present hazards? (Subway tracks, flights of stairs, a cliff edge…)

 

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  Continue reading “How to Write Fight Scenes”

More Map-Making Goodness

I’ve had to pause in writing a scene due to the necessity of more research on what I intend to do. I know it sounds vague but I don’t want to spoil it for you! Let’s just say it has a lot to do with explosions and physics.

In the meantime, here’s some more research I’m doing on map-making. I intend for Hollow Vengeance to have a map in it. I may even release a second edition of Broken Prophecy with a map. It really does add something special to the book! Not sure as to whether I’ll do the book-worthy map myself or have someone else pretty-up my work. We’ll see how good I can get it. I’ll post up progress shots … probably. Hehehehe.

World Building Exercise – Maps!

Hi guys! I’m currently trucking away on chapter 8 of Hollow Vengeance but in the meantime, to give you something shiny to look at, I stumbled on this neat world-creation website.

Check it out!

It explains nicely and clearly how to go about creating a map, what considerations to take, and why geography works the way it does to create all those neat little features we have like the Grand Canyon, or the volcanoes of Hawaii.

Hollow Vengeance – Update

Just a quick note to let y’all know that Chapter 6 of Blood of Midnight: A Hollow Vengeance is finished. That leaves me with seventeen more to go. Not bad!

I’m enjoying having a look over my notes and plans for what I want to happen in each chapter and happily flouting it if I don’t like it. This has not been my habit in the past. I tend to like to make plans and stick to them but I’ve been much more liberal with my writing lately. Yay! It’s less taxing this way.

A New Life – Short Story

Author’s Note: This is a short story that follows When Casey Met Staruff. Both are set in the Blood of Midnight universe. Hope you enjoy!

A New Life

 

Freden Baysmuth glowered at Casey but the young giant was not intimidated. Having just stared death in the face and won the wounds to prove it, an angry father was nothing by comparison. Bram didn’t look up from his tending to the ugly hole where the arrow had been ripped from Casey’s chest. Perhaps he was just intent on doing a proper job of it, but Casey suspected his elder brother was avoiding looking at Freden.

Continue reading “A New Life – Short Story”

The Rabbit – Short Story

Author’s note: This is an exercise that we did in our writers’ circle a week ago and I’ve just gotten around to tidying it up. It is a fanfiction piece, the first I’ve ever done. It is from an anime called Shiki. Hope you enjoy!

Fandom: Shiki (anime)

Focus: Seishin Muroi

Time Period: Takes place just after the end of the anime and ignores the manga.

The Rabbit

From the diary of Seishin Muroi.

This is not how the story is supposed to end.

I had always known that death was my path. I could not help but hear its whispers in the forest growing its grave-marker trees all around me. All my life has been lived in its noose.

When I was younger and more foolish, I courted it, sought to marry it with a knife to my wrist. But it would not have me yet, and I felt shame for trying to force my mortal body upon a grave yet to shallow to receive me.

  Continue reading “The Rabbit – Short Story”