Tag: writing inspiration

Gunsmoke & Glamour: The Next Case in Realms Unwritten

There’s something about the crack of a pistol in a black-and-white alleyway that still gets my pulse up.

That animation you see above? That’s the mood. That’s the heartbeat. That’s the kind of scene that used to pull me in when I was a boy flipping through dog-eared paperbacks and pulp magazines that smelled faintly of ink and adventure.

And that’s exactly the spirit behind the next installment of the Realms Unwritten series:

Gunsmoke & Glamour

This collection dives headfirst into vintage noir pulp — private eyes with tired souls, femme fatales with dangerous smiles, spies trading secrets in smoke-filled rooms, and cities that never quite sleep.

When I was young, I struggled to love reading the way some kids naturally do. It wasn’t the tidy schoolbook stories that hooked me. It was the bold covers. The dramatic shadows. The promise that something dangerous was waiting inside.

Detectives.
Espionage.
Double crosses.
Midnight confessions.

A woman in a retro style outfit climbing a ladder on a rooftop, against an orange sky with a full moon. She has short hair and is wearing a red top and a green skirt.

Those were the stories that taught me to love books.

And eventually… to write them.

Gunsmoke & Glamour is my homage to that era — to the fast-paced detective tales and spy thrillers that first sparked my imagination. This installment of Realms Unwritten invites writers and artists alike to step into the fog, ask hard questions, and create their own shadow-drenched worlds.

Because sometimes all it takes is a single image — a silhouette, a revolver, a glance over the shoulder — to ignite a story.

Pokémon Day Convention – March 1st

I’m also thrilled to share that I’ll be offering my books — and signing copies — at Pokémon Day this Sunday, March 1st, at Bradley Square Mall in Cleveland, TN.

Whether you’re a fan of art, storytelling, pulp adventure, or just love celebrating creativity in all its forms, I would truly love to see you there.

Events like this remind me why I write in the first place. Stories bring people together. Art sparks conversations. And somewhere in those conversations, inspiration strikes again.

If you have a love for writing…
If you sketch in the margins of your notebooks…
If you grew up captivated by bold covers and thrilling tales…

Come say hello.

Let’s talk about stories.
Let’s talk about art.
Let’s talk about the worlds we haven’t written yet.

I hope to see you Sunday.

— D.B. Hopson

Big Things Brewing in the Realms Unwritten (and You’re Invited to the Adventure)

Hello, friends—
D.B. Hopson here. 👋

If you’ve been wandering the edges of the Realms Unwritten lately and felt that familiar hum in the air, you’re not imagining things. A lot is happening behind the curtain.

The Realms Unwritten writing prompt book series is very much alive, caffeinated, and plotting its next moves. I’m happy (and a little giddy) to say that at least two more books are already outlined and headed toward publication in the near future. One of them? Well… take a good look at the featured image on this post. Consider it a clue, a whisper, a breadcrumb trail left deliberately on the path. The other book, however, is going to remain a surprise—because sometimes the best magic happens when you don’t see it coming.

What I can tell you is that these books continue to be built with writers in mind—all writers. Not just the neat ones, the confident ones, or the ones who color inside the margins.

Which brings me to something I’m particularly excited about.

While the Realms Unwritten books are currently formatted in the standard layout—image on the left page, journal space on the right—every single one of these prompt books can and will be reformatted for left-handed individuals. For my left-handed maestros, the layout will be flipped to make the experience smoother, less smudgy, and a whole lot more comfortable. That makes these books a solid choice for teachers, parents, and mentors looking to put creative tools into the hands of their favorite left-handed hoodlums and encourage them to explore their writing side without fighting the page.

And now for some very real-world magic.

🗓 The Realms Unwritten books will be available for purchase at the Pokémon Day Mini Con on March 1st at Bradley Square Mall in Cleveland, Tennessee.

The event is partially hosted by our good friend Roy from Plus Ultra Coffee Café, and if you’ve never crossed paths with Roy, you are genuinely missing out. He runs incredible programs, brews truly excellent drinks, and—this is important—the pastries his mum makes are to die for. (Please do not actually die. We’d miss you. And it would make things awkward.)

If you’re anywhere near Cleveland, TN, I’d love for you to come out, say hello, grab a book, and chat about writing, worlds, and whatever strange ideas you’ve been quietly nurturing. Supporting local creators, local cafés, and local events keeps the realms—written and unwritten—alive.

So yes. Big things are coming. More prompts. More worlds. More doors waiting to be opened.

I hope you’ll walk through a few of them with me.

— D.B. Hopson