Welcome to my new series of posts on archery tactics. We are going to go over some general information and also get into the weeds of some historic battles. It should be fun, so hang on to your hats. The bow and the arrow had certain advantages over the atlatl and dart technology that preceded it. It developed primarily as a weapon of ambush (Mercer, “The Origins of Warfare,” 159-160). An archer can shoot from…

I believe writing needs to be honest. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t create imaginary worlds with magical creatures—far from it. There are several levels of honesty in writing. First, authors should be honest with themselves. We should write what we know and feel to be true. Readers can always tell when we try to cheat in this regard. In historical writing, with which I am very familiar, honesty to one’s sources, to historical accuracy…

Archer of the Heathland: Book IV Chronicles is available for pre-order. Launches on April 15th. The heathland is in turmoil. This volume contains three original short stories and one novella from the heathland. You’ll meet new characters in the ongoing chronicles of the heathland and discover their personal sagas of loss and failure, of loyalty and triumph, born in the struggle for the heart and soul of the heathland. Blood on the Reeds His king is…

Given the horrific violence that populates our news channels, I thought we might take a moment to consider our use of violence in literature. When I was young, I loved war movies and I played war games any chance I could get. I devoured Tolkien and Burroughs. I used to shoot little plastic army men with my BB gun and I even tried my hand at a few live BB gun battles, which never turned…

In the 2010 Disney movie Tangled, the hero Flynn Rider repeatedly jabs arrows into the mortar between stones and uses them to climb a stone tower. Granted, this is a cartoon for kids—but really? I defy anyone to try this. First, all the arrows wouldn’t penetrate the mortar enough to support any weight at all. Second, a normal-weight man who tries to pull himself up by a 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick stick is likely…