The NoBody

In the beginning there was squabbling over land, or an insult or even a kingdom who was a scaredy cat and decided to lash out at everyone about them for no good reason. What ever has happened, your characters are at war. Soon they will face the enemy in battle, where they will fight for freedom, eternal glory and- *record scratch* But we are getting ahead of ourselves. What does happen before that thunderous charge? How does everything start?

Finding Ground

Before a battle, the armies would try their best to find the best ground. Scouts would be sent out in search of the best terrain they can do battle on. Boggy ground can be used to derail calvary such as at Bannockburn. Flat hard terrain can be used to aid chariots like Gaugulmela. Finding the perfect ground does not mean a battle will be won. Many a good army was lost on the most meticulously picked battlefields because of forces beyond their control. An example of this would be at the Battle of Pharsalus, where Pompey had every advantage but lost the battle anyway.

Negotiations

As the armies line up and ready themselves for battle, commanders on both sides might meet to discuss terms (but only if they had their monarchs go ahead). Commanders might attend themselves or they might send their lieutenants. What would follow after would be a back and forth, with one side offering terms and the other countering with their own. There were rules surrounding these meetings. Generally both sides were sworn safe conduct and placed in a sort of neutral bubble. Nobody was allowed to draw weapons or try kill one another as that went against the code. During the talks between the English nobility and the commons during the Peasants' Revolt, a knight slashed open the rebel command Wat Tyler's face. This was a no no and probably would have ended in a riot only tween Richard II had other ideas. Perhaps one negotiation I would have loved to have been involved in was the chat between Hannibal and Scipio before the Battle of Zama. The shade that must have been thrown. The drama. The sexual tension. Maybe not the last one but still...

Battle plans

When negotiations for surrender or peace do not work, either side must begin to plan their strategies. Most war councils would have included the most important commanders in the army. These plans would be exclusively attended by the most senior commanders (all of noble rank, commonly before the 20th Century).

Field Marshall/General/Lord High Admiral: The highest rank upon the field. They are given their orders from the monarch to represent their interests upon the field of battle. It was an honour almost exclusively given to nobility.

Brigadier: The Brigadier commands a unit of the recruits, serving under the above rank. They are similar to a Roman centurion though their unit might surpass the traditional 100.

Colonel: The Colonel could often be given temporary control of the army if the Marshal was unable to do so or elsewhere. They were also in command of a regiment (major division of an army) as well as their own unit (smaller division).

There would also be a speckling of other lower ranks, who would likely pull their rank of nobility to attend.

Lieutenant Colonel: The Lieutenant Colonel served as assistant to the Colonel in his regiment, serving as de facto leader if the Colonel falls or is occupied elsewhere.

Major: was third in line in command of a regiment, in command of their own unit and allowed take control when their superiors where unable to command.

Captain: The captain serves as the leader of a company of men. In mediaeval France, the captain was often a lord or a knight commanding his tenants on the field of battle, of course taking orders from the above ranks.

Lieutenant: the captain's assistant with the company to keep the soldiers in good order and command if needed.

I WILL FINISH WRITING MY DAMN BOOK THIS YEAR

We only have two choices in life: go on or give up. The many questions we face in between have obvious answers but we look for the answers we want instead of what we need.

The National Novel Writing Month blog provides inspirational posts for when you’re stuck with writer’s block and offers guidelines for everything from the publishing process to finding feedback.

2. Write It Sideways

The articles for writers on Write It Sideways outline real-life advice, like writing grants, author branding, and gift buying, as well as writing tips and tricks, like dialogue mistakes and how to build tension.

3. Helping Writers Become Authors

K.M. Weiland, the writer of Helping Writers Become Authors, is an award-winning author who shares creative writing advice on story structure, character arcs, common writing mistakes, and much more!

4. Inklyo.com

This website offers great advice for authors, bloggers, businesspeople, and students. Not only will you find writing advice and inspiration, but the site also offers a wealth of practical tips for honing your writing skills, finding work, and staying productive. If you’re looking for in-depth instruction, Inklyo.com also provides a range of courses and ebooks aimed at helping you learn how to write anything well.

5. Warrior Writers

Warrior Writers is run by best-selling author Kristen Lamb, who guides writers with comprehensive and detailed posts that have a humorous and easy-to-read tone.

6. Fantasy Author’s Handbook

Although this is technically a genre-specific writing blog, New York Times best-selling author Philip Athans has great advice for writers of all types, guaranteed.

7. Abidemi.tv

Abidemi is an accomplished author who has decided to share her insight and knowledge of the writing and publishing world to help others become better writers. In addition to offering free resources in her blog, she also creates and sells writing courses. 

Writer’s Lifestyle

The following writing websites are great for writers who have some extra time or need to take a quick break and want to spend it productively.

8. Write to Done

Write to Done clearly outlines useful topics for writers, like imposter syndrome, recovering from destructive criticism, and finding a pen name.

9. Brain PickingsMaria Popova’s writings on culture, books, and other eclectic subjects are always extremely interesting reading for any writer with some spare time.

10. Novelicious

While this might be more of a book website than a writing website, Novelicious also has advice for writers on retreats and for writing serialized novels—not to mention post about which books are being turned into movies this year (and reading that is time well spent for any writer, really).

11. Opinionator

The exclusive online commentary from the Draft section of Opinionator covers essays by journalists, novelists, linguists, and grammarians on the art of writing.

12. The Authors’ Nook

The Authors’ Nook houses relatable posts for writers along with advice on being a writer, allowing for a blend of good fun and useful advice for writing breaks.

Marketing/Blogging

These blogs help writers market their books and create blogging personas to engage an audience more effectively.

13. The Write Life

This writing website offers solid ideas for blogging, including working from home, pitching ideas, guest posting, and much more.

14. Goins, Writer

National best-selling author Jeff Goins shares real-life experiences and reflections about building an audience, shortcuts to success, and engaging a community in the age of Internet fame.

15. The Book Designer

As stated in its tagline, The Book Designer gives “practical advice to help build better books,” which includes writing creative disclaimers, choosing the right platforms, and using social media efficiently.16. Angela BoothAngela Booth, a copywriter, ghostwriter, author, marketer, and writing coach, write ample posts to help authors improve book sales and ensure a book will be a financial success.

17. Carly Watters

Carly Watters is a literary agent who provides advice on getting published in the 21st century. Her useful “Things I Wish I Knew” posts provide true accounts and tell how other writers can learn from them.

Publishing

The writing blogs below aid writers in the publishing process, from behind-the-scenes intel to publishing tips and tricks.

18. Jane Friedman

Jane Friedman has more than 20 years of experience in the book publishing industry. She provides informative articles on both the writing process and the publishing process.

19. The Creative Penn

Run by New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Joanna Penn, this site offers articles and other resources related to writing, publishing, and marketing books.

20. Alan Rinzler

The articles of Alan Rinzler, a consulting editor, help writers understand what goes on behind the scenes of the publishing process.

21. Publetariat

Publetariat gives practical information on networking, author websites, and the publishing process. It also shares links to big news stories in the world of publishing.

22. The Independent Publishing Magazine

The Independent Publishing Magazine hosts posts about many different parts of the publishing process, such as growing a following, avoiding authorship problems, and finding the right editor.

Writing Inspiration/Prompts

These sites are excellent for writers who are stuck in a rut and need some inspiration or even concrete prompts to get them writing again.

23. WritingPrompts.com

Writing prompts are posted here daily, offering inspiration for writers in all genres. Some of the prompts focus on breaking through writer’s block, while others focus on building characters or refining your dialogue-writing skills. If you’re feeling as though you’re in a writing rut, the site also posts inspirational quotes from famous authors.

24. Positive Writer

Positive Writer was created for writers with doubt—like the website’s author, Bryan Hutchinson—and to provide inspirational posts that help writers keep writing.

25. Blots and Plots

The Blots and Plots blog instructs writers to stay in the habit of writing, targeting specific problems and demonstrating how it’s possible to write a novel even with a full-time job.

26. Writer’s Digest

This well-known and comprehensive site offers all manner of advice and resources for authors. Of particular interest are the site’s many creative writing prompts. New prompts are published weekly, and writers post their results in the comments section.

27. Qwiklit

Qwiklit offers fun and accessible articles about reading and writing. It also has a bunch of writing prompts for writers who might feel stuck.

28. Writing Prompts That Don’t Suck

This one’s pretty self-explanatory, but Writing Prompts That Don’t Suck tries to avoid boring and familiar writing prompts to provide fun and interesting ones instead.

 Have at it!