Latest News & Blogs
Why do you write?
Over a decade ago, I found a book called ‘The Plot Thickens’ by Noah Lukeman. It had so many amazing ideas to help authors develop and thicken their plots. Literally.
Amazing new merch for LegendHaven 2023: Mugs, Tees, Banners, & More!
With LegendHaven 2023 landing on October 14, check out this lineup of stunning merch for this event! Every purchase makes you look incredible, turns heads when you walk down the street, and makes your writing environment more imaginative and epic. Plus, it helps us...
LegendHaven Short Story Contest 2023 for Catholic & Orthodox Authors
Join the LegendHaven Short Story Contest and create an epic world! Deadline: Oct 1.
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Chalimancers: The Royals & Artisans
Chalimancers are attuned to how characters react and interact with each other. They explore the intricacies of everyday life, how characters face real challenges and deal with complex emotions.
Visioneers: The Lovers & Learners
Visioneers are often highly intuitive and intelligent, fascinated by the depths of human nature, and intrigued by the human psyche in their characters.
Discover the Core of Your Novel: A March online workshop with Katelin Cummins
In this hour-long workshop, you will go deep into why you are writing this book, define the point of your story, and then write a short and simple summary of your novel.
Announcing: The LegendMakers Academy for Helping Authors become Legends
If the LegendFiction community is Hogsmeade, then the LegendMakers Academy is Hogwarts. Our team of mentors have been hard at work collaborating on building a years worth of classes for aspiring and veteran writers everywhere. Anyone can join. Pick and choose your...
Why Christians respect horror as a genre
Horror as a genre can contribute something positive – depending on how it’s handled. But it’s not a pleasant positivity. These kinds of stories are cautionary tales.
Tolkien’s dream of a world beyond war, the evolution of virtue, & our call as storytellers
Summary: The World Wars seemed to birth an unlikely legend, the saga of Middle Earth. Tolkien wove a new mythology for humanity, to help us move beyond a nostalgia for violence. Our world needs new stories, rooted in the goodness of the world, in the merriment of...
Worlds is Closing. Stories are Expanding.
A bittersweet announcement today: our Worlds website will be closing down. Please make sure you have all your stories saved, or posted on your own blog (which you should do anyway!) Keep reading for backstory, our reasoning, and a bonus at the end!
Writing Children’s Stories with Tammy Fernando | LegendFiction
Sometimes stories are unexpected, and storytelling appears in unusual times in life. This is Tammy’s tale, where she draws from her experiences as a nursery teacher, midwife, and nurse, to create a series of children’s books. Enjoy her lovely British accent, her love of Sinhalese cooking, and her adventures into creating, illustrating, and self-publishing children’s books.
MEET TAMMY
Sri Lankan born, Tammy Fernando is the debut author of ‘A Prayer from the Heart’: a Christian, fiction story for young children which helps them process their desires in the light of God. For a long time, Tammy has wanted to speak to children about God, to show them how loving He is and how He ultimately wants them to share in the never ending, Heavenly party. Though Tammy was trying hard to make this happen by offering schools ‘The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd’, God had other plans. Tammy’s career as a children’s author took her by surprise when, in 2015, the Lord nudged her to write! With insights from her experience as a nursery teacher, midwife, nurse and family story teller, Tammy wrote her first story about a child’s deepest desire.
Chris wants a forever-friend to play with. And his persevering prayers are eventually answered in his new friend, Shani.In her story, it’s easy to see that God overarches its entirety, as the Holy Trinity turns up in every illustration. With this unique offering, what Tammy wants to tell all children is this: “that with God, everything will be alright.”
Website: https://tammyfernando.co.uk
ABOUT THIS SHOW: Legendmakers
Interviews with authors, brought to you by LegendFiction, the creative community for Catholic & Orthodox fiction writers! Hosted by Dominic, the founder, we talk creed, craft, and co-creation, rooted in grit, grace, gods, and dragons. Let’s inspire your faith and your fiction.
ABOUT LEGENDFICTION
The creative community for modern Catholic & Orthodox authors. Share your works in progress, give and get feedback, and double your writing output! Join our private community: https://legendfiction.com
About: https://legendfiction.com/about/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/legendfictions/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legendfiction/
FREE COURSE: How to be a Faith-Inspired Fiction Author
Helping authors write exciting novels, connect faith with fiction, and be a better Catholic! https://legendfiction.com/free-course
Let’s stop it with the ‘Catholic Version’ of things
"We need a Catholic version of genre fiction," she was telling me. "It's important that our teens have Catholic versions of things to grow up with." At first I agreed. But then, a moment later, something sounded off. I couldn't figure out what, so I nodded and moved...
Why maps are the beginning, not the end of discovery
2 books called to me like grimoires throughout my childhood. An illustrated Bible, and the Usborne Book of Facts for Kids. Both were thick tomes dense with details and stories. My favorite part was the maps. A great big poster of the continents hung over a dresser in...
Find your tribe: my 4 top fiction writing communities I follow to inspire my writing journey
Most writers are part of plenty of writing groups, either forums, Facebook groups, or writing communities. If you're uber creative and love giving and getting feedback, and you're on tight budget, where do you go? Plus, where do you go that honors your love of your...
Live Workshop: How Creatives Can Kill Competition Culture and Help Each Other Thrive
I am super excited to announce my very first LegendFiction workshop! Win Together! How creatives can kill competition culture and help each other thrive! Do you feel like you are always competing with other writers, artists, and filmmakers? Do you want to collaborate...
Fiat Self-Publishing Academy is Live! Promoting courses and events for Catholic authors
The Academy will teach authors how to self-publish good, true, and beautiful books through the lens of the Catholic faith.
A Writing Community for Teens | ‘The Shepherd’s Pie’ Interview with Antony Kolenc and Dominic de Souza
Antony Barone Kolenc interviews Dominic de Souza, the founder of Legend Fiction, about the importance for teens to have a writing community for self-expression and mentorship, and we review his site, Legend Fiction.
Catholic Writers Conference Online (CWCO) 2023 — February 24-26, 2023
Our friends at the Catholic Writers Guild are hosting an online event. Check it out! Register HERE! This Year's Amazing Speaker Line-up: Roseanna M. White, Rhonda Ortiz, Rebecca Martin, Michelle Buckman, Matthew P. Schmidt, Maria Gallagher, Lisa Mladinich, Kate...
LegendHaven: After Action Review, plus the theme for LegendHaven 2023!
Since we plan to make this an annual event, and perhaps even a landmark event for Catholic and Orthodox writers everywhere, we took careful notes from the generous feedback sent to us.
Legends… Assemble! What LegendFiction is and why writers love it!
The creative community for modern Catholic & Orthodox authors. Share your works in progress, give and get feedback, and double your writing output! Join our private community: https://legendfiction.com
About: https://legendfiction.com/about/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/legendfictions/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legendfiction/
FREE COURSE: How to be a Faith-Inspired Fiction Author
Helping authors write exciting novels, connect faith with fiction, and be a better Catholic! https://legendfiction.com/free-course
There be Dragons: Dragons 101 with Dominic de Souza & Katy Campbell | The LegendFiction Show
This talk will premiere on November 26, during our LegendHaven convention. Join us for the watch party and live Q&A afterward! http://legendhaven.com
Most people are terrified of the idea of dragons. And yes, we should be, because the idea of a dragon is meant to be frightening. But not everything we fear is evil. Dominic and Katy go back to basics with dragons in storytelling, the purpose of a symbol, and why context is critical to understand its meaning. Then they talk about the 3 kinds of dragons present in western tradition, and how modern day has gifted us a new kind of dragon that we must learn to honor and respect. Most importantly, we hope this panel and these opinions help parents, authors, and readers discuss dragons with greater nuance.
ABOUT LEGENDHAVEN
LegendHaven is the free online convention to meet up with Catholic and Orthodox fiction authors and readers. Ignite your excitement to write fantastic fiction! https://legendfiction.com/legendhaven-2022/
ABOUT THIS SHOW: The LegendFiction Show
The show for faith-inspired fiction writers to delve deeper, write wilder, and have fun with storytelling. Join Joe, Katy, and Dominic, three creative writers and deliberate dorks, coming to you from the community at LegendFiction. Lets nerd out on the numinous, explore worlds of imagination, meddle with movies, and spellbind with storytelling. Got a story idea you want us to riff on in the next show? Drop a comment, or send us a message. Questions, fan mail, and Hogwarts invites are all welcome anytime!
ABOUT DOMINIC DE SOUZA
A young, Catholic dad and novelist passionate about worldbuilding and faith-inspired fiction. Dominic is a graduate from the Writer’s Institute for Children’s Literature, self-published a children’s novel, and works full time as a marketer and graphic designer. He is married, with a small girl and a smaller corgi. When not reading or watching shows in his downtime, he’s recording podcasts and procrastinating about writing more stories.
WEBSITE: https://dominicdesouza.com
ABOUT KATY CAMPBELL
Katy is a humor writer and lover of fairy tales. As a homeschool graduate from New Jersey, she published her first children’s novel, Martha and Chip, at the age of nineteen. She studied entertainment media at John Paul the Great University in San Diego. There she met her husband, and returned with him to his home state of Washington. She is the first LegendFiction mentor.
WEBSITE: https://katysfables.com
ABOUT LEGENDFICTION
The creative community for modern Catholic & Orthodox authors. Share your works in progress, give and get feedback, and double your writing output! Join our private community: https://legendfiction.com
About: https://legendfiction.com/about/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/legendfictions/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legendfiction/
FREE COURSE: How to be a Faith-Inspired Fiction Author
Helping authors write exciting novels, connect faith with fiction, and be a better Catholic! https://legendfiction.com/free-course
How to be a faith-inspired fiction author with Dominic de Souza
The world is starving for stories, and the sense of hope and adventuring they bring us. But many stories today aren’t helpful, or are even harmful to readers. That’s why we need faith-inspired fiction writers! Dominic, founder of LegendFiction, explores the idea that every generation’s job is translating the Gospel into the tropes and themes and language of their time. Most importantly, we need to accept our own adventures, because the best novels come from the depths of our love for reality, with all its darkness and light.
ABOUT DOMINIC DE SOUZA
A young, Catholic dad and novelist passionate about worldbuilding and Catholicism. Dominic is a graduate from the Writer’s Institute for Children’s Literature, self-published a children’s novel, and works full time as a marketer and graphic designer. He is married, with a small girl and a smaller corgi. When not reading or watching shows in his downtime, he’s recording podcasts and procrastinating about writing stories.
WEBSITE: https://dominicdesouza.com
ABOUT THIS SHOW: Legendmakers
Interviews with authors, brought to you by LegendFiction, the creative community for Catholic & Orthodox fiction writers! Hosted by Dominic, the founder, we talk creed, craft, and co-creation, rooted in grit, grace, gods, and dragons. Let’s inspire your faith and your fiction.
ABOUT LEGENDFICTION
The creative community for modern Catholic & Orthodox authors. Share your works in progress, give and get feedback, and double your writing output! Join our private community: https://legendfiction.com
About: https://legendfiction.com/about/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/legendfictions/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legendfiction/
FREE COURSE: How to be a Faith-Inspired Fiction Author
Helping authors write exciting novels, connect faith with fiction, and be a better Catholic! https://legendfiction.com/free-course
Crafting Deep Cultures for Fantastic Worlds with Mary Woods
This talk will premiere on November 26, during our LegendHaven convention. Join us for the watch party, Markmaker book launch, and live Q&A afterward! http://legendhaven.com
What makes for deep, believable worldbuilding? How can writers create unique fictional societies that deal with resonant moral questions and themes? Join sci-fi/fantasy author Mary Jessica Woods for a discussion on crafting vivid cultures for your stories and characters.
ABOUT MARY WOODS
Mary Jessica Woods was raised and homeschooled in the Chicago suburbs, where she read as many adventure stories as she could get her hands on. At the age of ten, she realized she was doomed to be a writer and has been following the muse ever since. Still seeking adventure, she headed out west to Wyoming Catholic College, where she climbed mountains, rappelled off cliffs, and studied the Great Books.
After graduating summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in the Liberal Arts, she returned to the Midwest to work as an editor. Mary also volunteers as an editorial assistant for the literary magazine Dappled Things, and her nonfiction has appeared in America Magazine, Catholic World Report, and First Things. In her mind, she spends most of her time on distant planets or alien spaceships, but she actually lives in rural Michigan.
WEBSITE: https://maryjessicawoods.com/
MARKMAKER: https://chrismpress.com/books/markmaker/
ABOUT LEGENDHAVEN
LegendHaven is the free online convention to meet up with Catholic and Orthodox fiction authors and readers. Ignite your excitement to write fantastic fiction! https://legendfiction.com/legendhaven-2022/
ABOUT THIS SHOW: Legendmakers
Interviews with authors, brought to you by LegendFiction, the creative community for Catholic & Orthodox fiction writers! Hosted by Dominic, the founder, we talk creed, craft, and co-creation, rooted in grit, grace, gods, and dragons. Let’s inspire your faith and your fiction.
ABOUT LEGENDFICTION
The creative community for modern Catholic & Orthodox authors. Share your works in progress, give and get feedback, and double your writing output! Join our private community: https://legendfiction.com
About: https://legendfiction.com/about/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/legendfictions/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legendfiction/
FREE COURSE: How to be a Faith-Inspired Fiction Author
Helping authors write exciting novels, connect faith with fiction, and be a better Catholic! https://legendfiction.com/free-course
Why we need Strange & Epic Storytelling with Deacon Nicholas Kotar | LegendFiction
This talk will premiere on November 26, during our LegendHaven convention. Join us for the watch party and live Q&A afterward! http://legendhaven.com
Deacon Nicholas is passionate about storytelling as one of the most important calls we can have – especially today. Modern media doesn’t know what it’s doing with story, and doesn’t understand the power of shared human experience across time and culture. Deacon outlines a recent re-wilding experience, the surprising creativity that came from it, and how Camelot must live in tension with the Green Chapel.
ABOUT NICHOLAS KOTAR
Nicholas Kotar is a writer of epic fantasy inspired by Russian fairy tales, a freelance translator from Russian to English, the resident conductor of a men’s choir at a Russian monastery in the middle of cow country, and a Grammy-nominated vocalist. His only regret in life is that he wasn’t born in 19th century St. Petersburg, but he’s doing everything he possibly can to remedy that error. If anyone knows where he can find a blue police box that’s bigger on the inside, please let him know.
Website: https://nicholaskotar.com/
ABOUT LEGENDHAVEN
LegendHaven is the free online convention to meet up with Catholic and Orthodox fiction authors and readers. Ignite your excitement to write fantastic fiction! https://legendfiction.com/legendhaven-2022/
ABOUT THIS SHOW: Legendmakers
Interviews with authors, brought to you by LegendFiction, the creative community for Catholic & Orthodox fiction writers! Hosted by Dominic, the founder, we talk creed, craft, and co-creation, rooted in grit, grace, gods, and dragons. Let’s inspire your faith and your fiction.
ABOUT LEGENDFICTION
The creative community for modern Catholic & Orthodox authors. Share your works in progress, give and get feedback, and double your writing output! Join our private community: https://legendfiction.com
About: https://legendfiction.com/about/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/legendfictions/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legendfiction/
FREE COURSE: How to be a Faith-Inspired Fiction Author
Helping authors write exciting novels, connect faith with fiction, and be a better Catholic! https://legendfiction.com/free-course