BFS Blog and Reviews

News and Articles

Shown is a graphic that has a background of a dusky forest scene. Coloured lights dot the green grass and there are silhouettes of two creatures: a dragon (top left) and a fairy (top right). On the bottom right and left is the BFS logo, a shimmering dragon design curling around the letters ‘BFS’. Photos: Shona Kinsella (left); R.S.A. Garcia (right).

BFS Online: Crafting Characters – Interview with R.S.A. Garcia

BFS Chair Shona Kinsella interviews Nebula and Sturgeon Award winning author R.S.A. Garcia

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Shown is a graphic that has a background of a dusky forest scene. Coloured lights dot the green grass and there are silhouettes of two creatures: a dragon (top left) and a fairy (top right). On the bottom right and left is the BFS logo, a shimmering dragon design curling around the letters ‘BFS’. Photos: Lauren McMenemy (top left); Cameron Johnston (top right); Anna Stephens (bottom left); Andrea Stewart (bottom right).

BFS Online: Crafting Characters – Heroes and Villains

Stories are driven by conflict, by the battle between good and evil, and fought in the morally

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Shown is a graphic that has a background of a dusky forest scene. Coloured lights dot the green grass and there are silhouettes of two creatures: a dragon (top left) and a fairy (top right). On the bottom right and left is the BFS logo, a shimmering dragon design curling around the letters ‘BFS’. Photos: Chris Hawton (top left); Lindsey Byrd (top right); Rob Cameron (bottom left); David Watkins (bottom right).

BFS Online: Crafting Characters – Supporting Cast

You know who your protagonist and antagonist are, but what about the rest? How do you create

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Shown is a graphic that has a background of a dusky forest scene. Coloured lights dot the green grass and there are silhouettes of two creatures: a dragon (top left) and a fairy (top right). On the bottom right and left is the BFS logo, a shimmering dragon design curling around the letters ‘BFS’. Photos: Dan Hanly (top left); A colourful sunset drawing by Mina Ikemoto Ghosh (top right); Dan Hanks (bottom left); Joao F. Silva (bottom right).

BFS Online: Crafting Characters – Animals & Environments as Characters

How do you build a character that isn’t human – or humanoid? What if they

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Shown is a graphic that has a background of a dusky forest scene. Coloured lights dot the green grass and there are silhouettes of two creatures: a dragon (top left) and a fairy (top right). On the bottom right and left is the BFS logo, a shimmering dragon design curling around the letters ‘BFS’. Photos: Wole Talabi (top left); Temitayo Olofinlua (top right); Rebecca Gault (middle left); Chrissey Harrison (middle right); Renee Edwards (bottom left); Juan Manuel Perez (bottom right).

BFS Online: Crafting Characters – Readings

We have six readings from a range of authors – fantasy, science fiction and horror –

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Sarah Elliott

Why I Love Buffy – Even Though She’s Not Black!

Connection. Disconnection. Reconnection. These are themes that run through all of us. Yes,

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BFS Reviews

THE FIRE WITHIN THEM by Matthew Ward

In the Kingdom of Khalad, Vallant’s rebellion is growing. After the battle stoked the fires,

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The Servants and Other Strange Stories By John O’Donoghue

Strange, certainly. Compelling, utterly. An excellently written set of short stories that draw you

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A Fire in the Sky by Sophie Jordan

Tamsyn is the royal whipping girl. An orphan, she was brought up with the princesses of Penterra,

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Tariq and the Drowning City by Sarwat Chadda

Absolutely cracking tale. Squarely aimed at pre-teens, this is enjoyable for all ages, especially

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THE WEAVERS OF ALAMAXA by Hadeer Elsbai

Giorgina Shukry is now a fugitive wanted for the use of magic and, as of two days ago, a prison

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PJ AND THE PARANORMAL PURSUERS: THE PHANTOMS OF PITTENWEEM By Jacqui Dempster

The second book in a young adult series sees PJ and his friends (the titular Paranormal Pursuers)

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