Peevish Penman is dedicated to everything about writing a book, self-publishing, and marketing. Crafted by an author obsessed with alchemy and coffee, the science fiction and fantasy works of OA Allen delve into plasmoids, human cloning, colonization, mentalism, and genetically engineered megafauna. This blog aims to be a resource for aspiring writers and sci-fi/fantasy enthusiasts alike.
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10 Modern Books for Fans of Isaac Asimov
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The Magician - The Archetype that Deals in Power and Transformation
As writers, the most important considered for crafting this archetype is establishing the cost for the magician’s power. They must sacrifice someth...
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The Ruler Archetype: Without Trust This Archetype Flips the Narrative
Rulers wield power and shape communities, but leadership is complex, driven by trust, vision, and integrity. Whether a leader is virtuous or flawed...
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The Sage Archetype: How to Write a Sage Before You are One
The Sage archetype offers clarity, insight, and wisdom, guiding characters through intellectual and spiritual growth. Whether a mystical elder or a...
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The Creator: We Love This Archetype But We Misunderstand Them
The Creator archetype transforms chaos into order, using vision and creativity to bring new ideas into the world. From architects to artists, creat...
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The Caregiver: The Archetype We Take For Granted
Society's undervaluing of caregivers stems from a historical shift in family dynamics, gender roles, and labor. With fewer babies and exhausted wom...
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The Villain: Confront This Before You Write Your Archetype
An author's journey from writing shallow villains to crafting complex antagonists by confronting personal victimhood, acknowledging shared fears, a...
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The Cadillac of Typewriters
The Hermes 3000, known for its unique design and rich history, is a beloved typewriter among writers. With its sleek metal frame and iconic green c...
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The Trickster: A Character Archetype The World Needs Now
You may be familiar with Loki or Coyote, a plethora of different versions of the trickster, but they all serve as a catalyst for change, upending t...
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The Nine Parts of Speech and the F-Word
Explore the nine parts of speech in a playful way with "fork" as the versatile word that fits every role—from nouns to interjections. This fun g...
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First Robots in Fiction
Explore the origins of science fiction and its early portrayal of robots, from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein to Čapek’s R.U.R. and beyond. Discover h...
Delcath - Galactic Corporate Colonization Series
Asteroid miners produced and raised by the corporate colony, Delcath.
Available as book, ebook, or audiobook.
Sci-fi Galactic Colonization
The Delcath series by OA Allen adeptly blends sci-fi, dystopian fiction, and cyberpunk, exploring humanity's future in deep space colonies where corporate control threatens free will. The asteroid miners seek hope amid high-tech cityscapes awash with human cloning and virtual realities that recondition workers.
First contact takes the series off-roading into dynamic character arcs. For these new adults, crisis forms the crucible of their transformation.
This dystopian mining culture reminds many readers of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, but the similarities diverge as the miner's learn the truth about Alexandria, their ever-present artificial intelligence guide.
Independent Author Since 2010
To learn to write is an ongoing process where authors develop their voice. It starts with the fundamentals, like constructing compelling character archetypes and mastering the flow and pace of dialogue.
Peevish Penman began as an outlet to discuss everything that followed from self-publishing to marketing books as an independent author. Aspiring wordsmiths experiment with different techniques, the good ones study the greats. And the ones that want to be read, study the authors who have succeeded commercially.
Though the indie author may recoil at first, it supports our creative freedom and ensures our autonomy in writing.
Fearless Pursuit of the Unknown
Independent writers are free to dabble in unconventional storytelling and being indie is the best way to embrace experimental fiction.
OA Allen's current works explores where metaphysical themes from ancient civilizations intersect with quantum physics. In one, a truck driver rerouted by soul-snatching artificial intelligence, gets rerouted into a parallel dimension to join the indentured workforce. In another, plasmoids invade New Zealand after copious consumption of a genetically modified strain of coffee causes them to shift dimensions. And in another, the Annunaki keep human pets as they endure the druggery of exoplanet colonization.