Articles written by Brandon Daubs

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About me - Brandon Daubs

I am an English major at the University of California Davis. My unyielding ambition is to become a successful fantasy fiction author, and learn everything I need to know to achieve this goal. I have already published a book entitled "An Unlikely Alliance,"

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Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: Fantasy: 9 of 583
Sir Charles stood poised in the doorway, watching the bandits before him with unease. One hand gripped the hilt of his gleaming sword, crafted by his best friend Rogir the blacksmith, and the other tightened into a fist. He had come a long way through the forest to face these men at the behest of the king, and he would not ba... More..
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Fear: 5 of 44
Yesterday, as I was desperately landscaping to make enough money for my rent (I've heard my landlord attacks tenants who don't pay with rabid dogs), I came across a huge pile of rocks. These rocks were piled just so, that they were filled with nooks and crannies perfect for all kinds of vile things. I counted one snake (fortu... More..
Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: For children: 29 of 223
Novel Exceprt: From "The Illustrious Adventures of Bandaid"Bandaid packed the last of his carrots into his knapsack and slung it contentedly over one shoulder. He donned his tiny coat and lifted up his knapsack, feeling ready to hit the road. "Well, that's everything!" he spoke aloud, rooting through the cedar at the bottom o... More..
Health & Fitness > Exercise Tips Fat-burning, muscle-toning and heart-healthy workout: 2 of 14
It happens to everyone- that sluggish, lethargic, fall-asleep-in-class slowness that strikes right when we think we're at the peak of our productivity. You get plenty of sleep, but no matter how early you think you're going to bed, you still wake up exhausted. You eat right, being careful to include plenty of vegetables with ... More..
Creative Writing > Novel Excerpts Novel excerpts: Fantasy: 69 of 387
1 A frigid wind, originating in the high mountains of the north, swept through the tundra of the Life Realm on an unstoppable path to the ice mountains in the furthest reaches of the world. It howled over miles of barren wasteland, picking up strength as it met lesser winds along the way, gathering snow and sleet and hail fro... More..
Arts & Humanities > Writing Tips How to get started writing a book once you have a great idea: 3 of 15
Obviously, the most important part of writing is actually doing it, and it doesn't matter if you have the best idea in the world it will never amount to much if you don't sit yourself down and write it out. Every writer understands how difficult it can be to force yourself to work on a project that seems endless, especially i... More..
Arts & Humanities > Thoughts on Writing Deciding between more or fewer characters in your story: 3 of 13
If you're fifty pages into your novel and find that your story is floundering, or that your interest in it is failing fast, do not by any means attempt to inject it with a lethal dose of unnecessary and shallow characters. If you find yourself at a stop and feel you have nothing more to write about your current character, or ... More..
Jobs & Careers > Starting Out The no-win situation of needing experience to get a job, and a job to get experience: 5 of 20
The other day, I was getting ready to enjoy my meager feast of peanut butter and jelly when my roommate walked through the door. As he's making himself an identical sandwich in the kitchen, he mentions that he got a job creating advertising and various video-related projects for a company on the other side of town. Getting a ... More..
Society & Lifestyle > Economic Values Evaluating the real importance of money: 4 of 16
Sure, these may not be the most financially secure days of my life. Sure, it may seem like the bills coming in far outweigh the checks I receive for short stories or articles sent out to various magazines. But you know, making the rent isn't everything in life. Sure, getting enough rent to afford your own place to live is imp... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Self-Healing Critical of critics: 3 of 10
Imagine that after hours of sitting at your desk, chewing the eraser of your pencil, and stressing over what the ending to your epic masterpiece should be. You type the final sentences and spend hours revising until you feel you have finally concluded a work the world would want to read. To prove your suspicions, you take the... More..