kelton davis

BIO

Kelton Davis is an American author originally from Texas who now resides in New Hampshire. He writes adult fantasy, usually second-world or epic, though he’s been known to enjoy a good crossover fantasy—his most recently completed project, BLOOD FROM STONE, is a gothic-western fantasy about vampires as a metaphor for oil barons in the Old American West. His most recent interest is in modernizing epic fantasy and balancing the traditional pillars of the genre with the updated demands of the modern reader. Kelton specializes in character-forward storytelling and strong story structure, and has taught seven-point-outline to probably too many people at this point. He is represented by Caitlin Blasdell of Liza Dawson Associates.

He is eager to receive projects that are filled with unforgettable characters, deep mysteries entwined with worldbuilding, strong emotional throughlines, and stakes that refuse to let him put a book down. Give him epics, give him drama, give him big stories and ripping twists across unbelievable worlds. He enjoys monsters and their hunters, knights of all stripes and creeds, heroes and heroines both broken and freshly forged anew, and messy family dynamics. Strong characters are a must, and he’s never afraid of a good cry—rip his heart out, please!

As a mentor, Kelton believes feedback should help you tell the story you want to tell. At the same time, he specializes in writing geared toward traditional publishing; as such, his feedback balances maintaining authenticity to creative vision with marketability and commercial viability. He believes honesty is the best policy, and that willingness to face the difficult struggles of preparing one’s writing for publishing is the best way to overcome them. He also believes that mentorship is a two-way street, and the more a mentee is willing to put in and push themselves to reach their goals, the further he can walk alongside them.

MSWL

I am a massive fan of almost all kinds of fantasy; high, low, dark, bright, you name it. I lean most often toward traditional second-world fantasy, though I can be gripped by the right historical fantasy as well. I don’t read or write much contemporary fantasy, so I can’t offer as tailored advice, but I won’t say no to a particularly gripping project. I rarely read horror on its own, but I have before and most of my own projects incorporate it in some form or another, so I am happy to take on dark fantasy or horror with speculative elements. I’m also happy to critique epic fantasy so long as the author is aware of the difficulties facing the genre in debut traditional publication and is willing to make the adjustments necessary to make such a project commercial.

What I’d love to see:

  • Stories with unique, driven characters that I love right from the concept. Give me a character concept that I can feel a good story behind and I will follow blindly.

  • Mysteries and twists! I love a good puzzle and I relish the feeling of waiting for the last piece to fall into place. I’ve recently devoured the Ana and Din series by Robert Jackson Bennett. I would die for a fantasy Benoit Blanc.

  • Fresh and inventive magic systems with limits and bounds but that don’t feel like a video game tutorial or science textbook. Worldbuilding built around and with magic in mind!

  • Stories that are interested in modern/developing interpretations of masculinity. My best example for this is the new Masters of the Universe movie, but like, more.

  • Really deftly executed political fantasy!

  • Fantasy legal dramas. I very nearly went to law school and like to live vicariously.

  • Stories with high stakes. Bonus points if things tend to go from bad to worse. 

  • I adore stories about faith that are both personal and critical. I particularly love stories where an institution is an antagonist but the faith/object-of-worship behind it isn’t.

  • Stories that say something! I really love when a story makes me sit down and think about its ideas after, especially if there is no clear answer one way or another.

  • Original worldbuilding and setting design! Wow me with the world as a character, and make it fresh!

  • Strong emotional throughlines that are mature and honest. If you can come anywhere near how the end of The Last Unicorn made me feel, I want to read your story.

  • On the same note, honesty is probably the most important trait I value in a story. I want to read a story that is authentic, coming from a writer who loves it, its inspirations, and its informing media. I want something fresh and real. Super-bonus points if I can tell it’s something you love that you’re viewing with both a loving and critical eye.

  • I am forever a sucker for the following ideas, including but not limited to:

    • Magic swords, knights, or wizards

    • Stories about laws or morals

    • Gothic settings of all kinds—spires! Stained glass! Vaulted ceilings! Buttresses!!

    • Fantasy with magic or worldbuilding that intersects with natural sciences

    • Relentless optimism

This list is not exhaustive, and I genuinely love being surprised. If you think you have something that’s close but not a one-to-one, please send it to me. I’m happy to take a look at it, and I will never respond harshly to someone putting themselves out there, even if a project isn’t a good fit.

Books and media I like, both for comps and vibes! (favorites italicized):

  • The Last Unicorn (the movie and the book!) by Peter S. Beagle

  • Godkiller by Hannah Kaner

  • Black Sun series by Rebecca Roanhorse

  • The Justice of Kings series by Richard Swan (Probably my favorite fantasy series)

  • The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan

  • The Devils by Joe Abercrombie

  • The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman

  • Knives Out (#1 for mystery/vibes, #2 for comedy, #3 for substance!)

  • Princess Mononoke

  • Groundhog Day (I rewatch it every year)

  • Ana and Din Mysteries (The Tainted Cup series) by Robert Jackson Bennett

  • Castlevania/Castlevania: Nocturne

  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

  • Metaphor: ReFantazio

  • Final Fantasy (particularly 4 and 7)

  • The Good Place

  • Whiplash

  • The character and worldbuilding of Valve’s Deadlock

What I’m not as good a fit for:

  • Incomplete manuscripts, though I’m fine with a project in most stages of revision.

  • Portal fantasy—not a complete no, but a harder sell. 

  • Cozy fantasy

  • Heavy focus on romance. A B-Plot is fine, but I’m not able to offer confident feedback on fantasy where romance is the main plot. 

  • Myth/folklore retellings or fairytale-esque stories. Stories with ideas or worldbuilding rooted in folklore are totally fine! I’m just less likely to connect with an actual retelling. Fairytale-likes aren’t a hard no, but they have to really stand out.

  • Stories on a soapbox. I love a book that says something, but it has to have some kind of pushback on its own ideas within the narrative. I don’t like being sold to as much.

  • Overly campy or comedic books. Comedy is fine, but it can’t take me out of the story. I don’t like to see the author’s hand with comedy.

  • Particularly tropey worldbuilding or setting design. If your story has elves, orcs, etc., it’s probably not the best fit unless you’re doing something very fresh with it. I’m not the best fit for books that could double read as a D&D campaign.

  • Super-voicey/overly lyrical/purple writing. I love it when executed well, but less tends to be more for me with this, especially when it comes to descriptions of love interests.

  • Traditional macho/overly brooding male leads. Wounded and grumpy is fine. Cloud from FF7 is a good barometer; any further than that and I have trouble investing. That isn’t to say no long-haired, muscular Fabio types—I’m only human, after all—but it’d be nice if they were emotionally intelligent!

  • Vampires—I absolutely adore them, but my current on-sub project is about them. Sorry!

  • Time travel—I love it, but I don’t think I can critique it well enough to help it succeed.

  • Stories glorifying autocracy or authoritarianism.

  • Stories about literal biological plagues/pandemics. Magical illnesses are all good.

  • Stories centered around or prominently featuring sexual violence