Category: The Cobalt Fist
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The 5 Year Plan
With 2025 drawing to a close, I thought I would share with you my five year writing career plan, and in doing so, commit it to the world so it’s no longer just something in my head I say I’m going to do. The Status Quo The current status quo…
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Where Did the Idea Come From?: Shallow Trenches/Open Skies
I often struggle with coming up with blog topics, so I’m constantly on the hunt for interesting ideas. This week’s comes from a suggestion I found on Goodreads: Where did you get the idea for your most recent book? The path to the idea that sparked Shallow Trenches/Open Skies is…
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My Favorite Thing to Write: Genre Mashups with a Historical Bent
Wow. Yeah. That’s a mouthful. But as I look over the original projects I’ve got coming out over the next few months, as well as the projects I’m currently working on, this is undeniably true. I really love writing genre mashups that have a certain (if varying) historical element. Here’s…
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Characters vs Plot: What Inspires Me First?
I’ve seen this question come up several times among writers: do you think of characters or plots first? I can’t speak for every writer, but for me, it’s both. Character First The story idea that inspired me to become a writer (and is still rattling around in my head waiting…
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Why I Chose What I’m Writing Next
So, a few weeks ago I wrote a little about the next novel I’m going to work on: a sci-fi set during World War I, inspired by the claim Manfred von Richthofen–better known as the Red Baron–shot down a flying saucer over Belgium. You can find that brief introduction here.…
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Research & World-Building in WWII
As I embark on a new project, I thought this week might be a good time to discuss research and world-building, which, for me at least, are intricately connected. This is especially true for the project I have just begun – the seven-part series I am temporarily calling The Cobalt…
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The Cobalt Fist
Well, I’m finally doing it. I’m going to write the Cobalt Fist books. Let me back up a bit. For around ten years, I’ve been thinking about a story. Before I wanted to be a writer I thought it would make a great comic book. But it was my wife…
E.S. Raye 