Troy Buzby, Author

Troy Buzby, Author

Science fiction & fantasy author. Former soldier, former technologist, current skeptic of complicated solutions. I write about humans meeting the impossible. Civilization player. Grace-guided. Less, but better.

Period of Divergence

Alternate history needs more than one change. Learn why a 'period of divergence' creates more believable timelines than the traditional single-point approach.

Author Nation 2025 Recap

Five years at Author Nation: navigating AI in publishing, the fellowship that matters, audiobook strategies, and learning new ways to build a community with readers.

White Waters and Using Artificial Intelligence.

Learn how to assess AI use in writing with a whitewater rapids framework. This rubric helps authors evaluate risk levels from grammar tools to full AI generation, including production uses like translation, narration and book covers. Understand when AI helps vs. harms your creative work.

Why the Revolution Was Coming (With or Without Pontiac)

What if Pontiac's War never happened? Exploring how one leader's choice to unite tribes changed history's timeline but not its outcome. Why the American Revolution was inevitable and what that means for writing historical fiction with compelling character decisions.

Pontiac's War and Why

Pontiac's Rebellion (1763-1766) changed British colonial policy and set the stage for the Revolutionary War, yet most Americans have never heard of it. Complex characters, moral ambiguity and political consequences make this forgotten conflict perfect for historical fiction.

How much is too much world-building?

World-building debate: Sanderson critics miss the point. How much lore do SF/F authors need? My rule: match your novel's word count in setting development.

Getting History Wrong (On Purpose)

How I research colonial America for alternative history fiction: starting with Wikipedia, reading five books per topic, using the Venn overlap method, and why narrative momentum beats historical accuracy. Research serves the story, not the other way around.

The Shot that Changed Everything.

Exploring the fragile moment at Lexington Green 250 years ago. What if that shot had never been fired? A writer's perspective on crafting believable alternative history by understanding the tension between inevitable historical forces and contingent human decisions. Individual choices at turning points create authentic counterfactual narratives.