I recently read an article which reviewed a talk George R.R. Martin , author of the Game of Thrones books, gave in Australia.

As a fan of the television series and a writer aspiring to create worlds that readers can get lost in, it’s no surprise that I paid close attention to what he had to say.

Here are a few of the tips I took away from the article:

1. don’t let characters wallow in despair for too long;
2. avoid cliches;
3. show violence truthfully but also show its after-effects; and
4. use grey characters (i.e. not all good, not all bad).

He had a lot more to say but those four tips spoke loudly to me.

(I’m sorry that I don’t have a link to the original article. Please don’t shoot me.)

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