Sep 23, 2020 | Fun Historical Facts, Quora, Writing
I came across an interesting question on Quora the other day: What was the approximate travel time between London and Rome in the 13th century? As Frank Melling, author of “A Sixpence in the Settee,” points out, this is not a simple question to answer, as...
Sep 15, 2020 | Fun Historical Facts, Quora
Everyone’s heard of swords and spears. But how about the Goedendag, the Ahlspiess, or the Hussite flail? If you write historical fiction, you may appreciate this opportunity to spice up your weapons, courtesy of Quora. The Goedendag Essentially, the Goedendag...
Aug 11, 2020 | Quora, Writing
Fantasy often sports unusual weapons like the flame-bladed sword: But how historically accurate are they? Were these actually ever used in battle? And if so, why? Murphy Barrett has the answer in Quora! Why a Flamberge? A flame-bladed sword – aka flamberge...
Jul 29, 2020 | Quora, Writing
Many of my readers enjoy science fiction as much as I do. Jacob Baumgardner recently shared an answer about which emerging technologies may have the greatest impact in the near future. He identified three: fusion power, rail/coilguns, and pre-coolers. I imagine that...
Jul 25, 2020 | Fun Historical Facts, Quora
If you watch any fantasy movies or any fiction taking place in the Middle Ages, you will probably think that travelers camped outside in the open with nobody around for miles. As Joanna Arman explains in Quora, this is not the case. So, if you’re a fantasy or...
Jun 28, 2020 | Fun Historical Facts, Quora, Writing
When writing fantasy, we often have to describe fight scenes. Swordfights, in particular, make for great descriptions. But we often forget one crucial aspect of fighting: when it comes to life or death, everyone cheats. Even the good guys, as Martin Lloyd points out...
Jun 17, 2020 | Fun Historical Facts, Quora
In my last post, I explained how a Medieval army could assault a castle. But who built the castle in the first place, and how expensive were they, anyway? Luckily, Helena Schrader and Quora have the answer. Before we move on, though, let’s answer a different...
Jun 15, 2020 | Fun Historical Facts, Quora
I came across some great answers by Jon Bourgetti, Patrick Ashby, Alexander Taylor, and Steve Blanchard on Quora on the subject of assaults on Medieval castles. Whether you write fantasy, historical fiction, or just love history as much as I do, I think you will enjoy...
Jun 5, 2020 | Quora, Writing
One of the trickiest things about freelance copywriting work is confirming to each blog’s or publication’s standards. For example, how to capitalize your titles. I’m sharing here what I’ve learned so far in the hopes that some of you may find...
May 25, 2020 | Fun Historical Facts, Quora
We all know of the Wild West. Or do we? There are so many misconceptions and myths surrounding it, and so many of these are repeated in cowboy fiction and Western movies alike. So, here are some common misconceptions about the cowboys, Native Americans, and the Wild...