• Homepage
  • About
    • Noblebright Fantasy
  • Blog
  • Stories of Fire and Stone
    • And The Wolves Danced
    • Calling On Fire
    • Fire Within
  • Burdens Of Magic
    • Claws Of The Curse

Stephanie Beavers

~ Always be yourself. Unless you can be a dragon. Then always be a dragon.

Tag Archives: fandoms

Noblebright Fantasy

23 Thursday Mar 2017

Posted by Stephanie Beavers in Writing

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

adventure, amwriting, author, books, Calling On Fire, fandom, fandoms, fantasy, fantasy adventure, Fire Within, fun, grimdark, Harry Potter, heroic fantasy, lol, Lord of the Rings, lovebooks, magic, magical, meme, noblebright, noblebright fantasy, read, reader, reading, Stephanie Beavers, writer, writing

One of the first thing people ask me when I tell them I’m a writer is, “What do you write?”

I, of course, tell them that I write fantasy, but unfortunately, that doesn’t really narrow it down much. You see, there are many different kinds of fantasy. So after I say, “fantasy,” I get responses like these:

“Oh, like Lord of the Rings/Game of Thrones?”

Well, kind of, because there are races of magical creatures and it’s a medieval setting and whatnot, but I don’t write epic fantasy, with the massive cast of characters (many of whom die) and all that. Also, in my fantasy, I like to have more magic than those.
lord of the rings you shall not pass meme
Or, “Oh, like Harry Potter?”

Well, kind of, because I like to think I have a similar spirit of adventure and create a fun sense of awe for magic, but mine aren’t really intended to be children’s books, and the setting is not in modern times.
Harry Potter what house are you from
Or, “Oh, like [insert some author I’ve never heard of]”

Er…maybe?

And the thing is, I couldn’t think of a term to describe my kind of fantasy. “Heroic fantasy” is close, as is “fantasy-adventure,” but neither quite nailed it.
Then I heard about noblebright fantasy. It’s something of a new concept, and not a widely-known term (yet?), but I like it. A lot.

Noblebright fantasy centers around good characters who try to do good things for good reasons. Not everything is peachy and happy, but in the end, they’re able to make some kind of difference. There’s hope. There’s magic. It doesn’t have to be a children’s book; in fact, sometimes even a noblebright novel can be quite dark.

I feel like we need this label. If I know a story is noblebright, I know I don’t have to worry about reading yet another story where a good character can’t get ahead and just makes things worse until everything is awful and the characters are all so corrupt you can’t tell the good guys from the bad guys.
noblebright sunlight hope
I like it better when fiction inspires us and brings hope. Life needs a little more noblebright.

If you’re curious to know more about noblebright, I set up a page about it here.

So what do you think, readers? Do you like the concept of noblebright? I know some people love the “gritty” and “grimdark” stories that are so popular today. Are you one of them? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Game of Rabbit Thrones

20 Monday Apr 2015

Posted by Stephanie Beavers in Fun

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

adorable, animal, animals, author, entertainment, fandom, fandoms, fantasy, fun, Game of Thrones, GoT, King's Landing, lol, pet, pets, rabbit, rabbits, Stephanie Beavers, writer

The first 20 seconds are like, “is this just gonna be dumb? It looks like it might be dumb.” But seriously, watch to the end.

Rabbit = 1, King’s Land = 0 (This rabbit is dynamite! …And eats a castle.)

Thanks to icanhascheezburger.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

3 Inch Characters

09 Monday Feb 2015

Posted by Stephanie Beavers in Fun

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

author, crafts, custom minatures, D&D, Dungeons and Dragons, entertainment, fandom, fandoms, fantasy, fun, Hero Forge, HeroForge, inspiration, Stephanie Beavers, writer

If you’re anything like me, the website I’m going to link will suck up a large chunk of your time. You won’t meant to. You’ll “just try it.” And then you will lose track of time. You will spent far, far too long on the site, picking and choosing and tweaking. Even if you don’t end up spending any money (you may or may not), you will never get that time back.

This link is to HeroForge.com. Here, you can make models of your characters. Or someone else’s characters. Or really, any little person that you please.

Hero Forge custom miniatures

It’s really quite addicting.

(For those of you who have read my book, yes, I have made miniatures of Toman, Esset, and even Sergeant Warthog. I tried making Erizen, but I ran out of time and didn’t save my progress. And by “ran out of time” I mean looked at the clock and realized I should have gone to bed an hour… or two ago.)

Now, the options aren’t endless, so you might not be able to get the miniature to look exactly like your character, but that’s almost part of the challenge. How close can you get it with the tools provided?

And just as tantalizing is random character creation. The site is designed (I think) to make Dungeons and Dragons characters, so the items etc. are themed accordingly. But for someone like me who just loves fantasy stuff, I can go all out however I like. I have a random Druid that I created. She has horns. Because.

Now, I find it addicting enough just seeing my characters come to visual life (close enough) on the screen, but it is a little tantalizing knowing that you can also have these miniatures created and shipped to you. I will admit that I am tempted. Very. You can even paint them! (Which, of course, would allow you to add details that the designer does not include.)

So what about you, dear readers? Am I responsible for a giant new waste of time for you? Did you get to create something cool? Or is this just all very silly? Share your thoughts!

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

What’s Your Superpower?

26 Monday Jan 2015

Posted by Stephanie Beavers in Fun, Thoughts

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

author, entertainment, fandom, fandoms, fantasy, fun, humor, inspiration, life, lol, Stephanie Beavers, superhero, superpower, superpowers, writer

This post is not intended to be inspirational (just in case someone thought it would be). This is about those stupid little things that you are “good” at. So I ask, what’s your superpower?

Mine? Probably being cold. That’s right, my superpower is being cold. I can be cold when no one else in the room is cold. I can be cold when everyone else in the room is hot. I’m really good at being cold. Ergo, superpower. I never said it was a good superpower.

icicles cold

My fingers and these icicles are approximately the same temperature 90% of the time.

And at least I don’t have one of the awful “super powers” from the TV show Haven (a good show, btw).

Haven TV series

Haven: Home of the Worst. Superpowers. Ever.

My boyfriend has a cool superpower though; he can move with uncanny silence. He isn’t trying to sneak up on people, but for some reason, we never see or hear him coming. He must have a ninja superpower (he denies this).

How if I had a choice in my superpower, I would choose teleportation. Just saying. In case anyone out there is handing out legit superpowers.

What about you, readers? What’s your superpower? What superpower do you wish you had?

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Fandom Humor

15 Thursday May 2014

Posted by Stephanie Beavers in Fun

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

entertainment, fandom, fandoms, Firefly, fun, Game of Thrones, humor, lol, Stephanie Beavers, tv

Game of Thrones dog

He’s a little dyslexic…

Firefly

Hey, I’m captaining over here!

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Hobbit Sacrilege

16 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by Stephanie Beavers in Fun

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

An Unexpected Journey, books, entertainment, fandom, fandoms, fun, Hobbit, Honest Trailers, humor, Lord of the Rings, LOTR, Misty Mountains, movies, Stephanie Beavers, The Desolation of Smaug

Now I enjoy fantasy quite a bit (thus why I write it), but Tolkien has never been a favorite of mine. I found his books more palatable as movies (I finished the first one. Barely. You can’t pay me to read the other two LOTR books.) I found them alright. Mildly enjoyable. But the The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was extraordinarily boring. The following humorous Honest Trailer does a delicious job of illustrating it though:
Honest Trailer: better than the movie itself.

Fortunately, the second Hobbit movie, The Desolation of Smaug, was thoroughly enjoyable.

And for your (again, humorous) listening pleasure:
Misty Mountains Rap

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Mindless Nerdly Amusement

12 Thursday Dec 2013

Posted by Stephanie Beavers in Fun

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Batman, Captain America, Darth Vader, DC, entertainment, fandom, fandoms, fantasy, fun, Game of Thrones, Marvel, Spock, Star Trek, Star Wars, Stephanie Beavers, Supernatural

And for your amusement:

Spock shadow puppets

Live Long And Look At This Little Dog

 

Darth Vader Batman Captain America lightsabers nerd fandom

Superhero Lightsaber Duels

You know nothing, John Snow

 

That is all.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Land of the Giant Mushrooms

09 Monday Dec 2013

Posted by Stephanie Beavers in News

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Elder Scrolls, fandoms, fantasy, giant mushrooms, News, Oblivion, prehistory, Science, science fiction, Shivering Isles, Stephanie Beavers

According to science news, Long Before Trees Overtook the Land, Earth Was Covered by Giant Mushrooms.

So like the Shivering Isles?

mushroom, oblivion

Elder Scrolls IV’s Shivering Isles. Giant mushrooms and crazy starscapes ftw.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Honestly, after reading the article, I had a hilarious mental picture of a bunch of bespectacled men in labcoats hucking grocery-store mushrooms at each other while they argued whether a fungus, lichen, or other similar organism could grow to 8 meters.  It’s a valid question, but imagining a reasoned debate around a microscope was too tame.  (Although I suppose if the thing’s 8 meters the microscope wouldn’t always be necessary.  Stereotypes ftw!)

Seriously though, I love it when scientific data leads people to painting pictures of what the planet looked like before we started writing things down.  Barring time travel, we have no way of knowing – and that’s awesome.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Redeeming the Doctah

25 Monday Nov 2013

Posted by Stephanie Beavers in Fun

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Doctor Who, DrWho, entertainment, fandoms, fantasy, fun, science fiction, Stephanie Beavers, The Day of the Doctor

I must say, after having just watched the latest episode of Doctor Who, I am SUPER excited for the next season (and the Christmas episode, of course).

******

******

******

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Stop reading if you don’t want any spoilers as of the 50th Anniversary episode, Day of the Doctor.

******

******

******

I LOVED the redemption of the Doctor.  I love the darkness in the show, but what I love most in the light – the joy, the awe, and the hope that the show inspires.  Redeeming the “lost” Doctor – and thus the following ones – really spoke to me.

But onto the guts of it…

So we’re pretty sure that Gallifrey is returning – it’s just a matter of when.  I, for one, love this.  I’m hoping they don’t go super political with it, but I don’t think they will.  I’m just stoked for the massive number of possibilities that absolutely proliferated with that plot twist.  The new characters and new challenges – there’s so much awesome stuff that can happen!  Sometimes it seems like the Doctor is a little overpowered for his universe – bringing the TimeLords back is an excellent check and balance to that.  I’m hoping to see both new allies and enemies of the TimeLord variety though – what kinds of things could we learn about the TimeLords with a new TimeLord ally?

I just hope that they don’t take TOO long to bring Gallifrey back.  The way they set it up in The Day of the Doctor, they could draw it out and not have The Doctor find Home and bring it back for awhile – I don’t think they’d stretch it past a season, but I’m hoping it’ll be within a few episodes.  But we’ll see, I guess, and this impatient fangirl will have to wait (and not just for that plot development, but for any Doctor Who at all… Christmas seems so far away…)

Anyways, I seem to have gotten a little long-winded, so I’ll leave ‘er there.

How about you guys?  Are you stoked for more Doctor Who?  What in particular are you hoping to see?

P.S. I’m excited for the new Doctor too!

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

If I had a TARDIS, I wouldn’t have to wait.

21 Monday Oct 2013

Posted by Stephanie Beavers in Fun

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Doctor Who, fandoms, fun, Stephanie Beavers, tv

Waiting for Doctor Who
(Image courtesy of ICanHasCheezburger Network.)

BBC seems to like torturing its fans.  Just saying.  First, the interminable wait for the next season of Sherlock.  But currently, the wait for the next episode of Doctor Who.

Now, I’m a Doctor Who fan.  I wouldn’t call myself a die-hard, or even a “true” fangirl (whatever that is), but I do own a sonic screwdriver.  Two actually, but that’s besides the point.  I also own Series 1-4 + the specials and seen them WAY too many times.  And even though I’m not as big of a fan of Matt Smith as I am of Tennant and even Eccleston, I’m really, really looking forward to the next episode.  That being said, I’m actually trying to avoid the hype. (I’m never totally successful though.) I hate spoilers (so no spoilers, please), and I find that BBC is bad for revealing too much of their episodes (in my opinion, anyways).  Then again, I like total surprises for what’s in the next episode when it comes to Doctor Who, so anything is a spoiler for me.  I just want the new episode to be here.  I can’t wait to see Tennant again!

So what about you?  Looking forward to the next episode.  Who is YOUR favorite Doctor?

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...
← Older posts

Mailing List

Sign up for book release notifications HERE!

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Calling - Ebook Calling On Fire by Stephanie Beavers!
Two brothers with magical abilities seek to stop an evil mage only to find the fate of an entire race in their hands.
Buy now!

Recent Posts

  • Happy Easter 2017!
  • The pufferfish is more romantic than you.
  • Enjoying Music Again: Home Free
  • Noblebright Fantasy
  • Skittle Addiction

Categories

  • Fun
  • Life
  • News
  • Recommendations
  • Thoughts
  • Writing

St_Beavers on Twitter

My Tweets

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.com
Philosophy, kittens, and candy.
Disclaimer: The "be a dragon" quote is not mine. If you know who originally said it, please let me know so I can give due credit!

Blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
%d bloggers like this: