Analysis
Character death is a contentious issue, and there are many stories out there that killed characters when they shouldn’t have. Today, we’re narrowing our focus to stories where a character death was called for but the author chose the wrong character. Which character dies can have a huge impact on the story, both in the death itself and the repercussions later, so it’s important to get that right. Let’s dissect five examples from the wild and see where they went wrong.
Read more »
Writing
It’s been five years since I tore apart the prologue of Eragon. The critique clearly holds a special place in everyone’s hearts, whether it’s the Eragon fanragers who are still frothing at the mouth or the Mythcreants regulars who are still laughing. While I can’t … read more »
Comics: Once Upon a Trope
Your alien hosts are very serious about their rituals. Read more »
Q&A
Hello! I’m writing a fantasy story where large parts of the story are dedicated to the romance between the main characters, but the protagonist is averse to emotional closeness. So when feelings start to develop it’s the love interest that pursues the relationship, with him … read more »
Podcast
Pay your corporate citizenship fees and suit up for war against the evil Martian freedom fighters, because today we’re talking about the Light Brigade, our third Hugo nominee. This book is a time-travel story, but please don’t run away: we promise it’s good time travel. … read more »
Analysis
A character’s motivation is one of their most important aspects, right up there with agency and likability. Motivation is why a character does what they do. It’s what drives them to take difficult and costly actions. If a motivation is too weak, character behavior will … read more »
Storytelling
Many storytellers want their stories to say something meaningful, but fail to communicate that message successfully. This usually happens because the storyteller is futzing over the gift wrap while neglecting what’s in the box. Like anything else important, messaging has to be built right into … read more »
Comics: Once Upon a Trope
The wise oak knows all things! Read more »
Q&A
So, I have a few short stories happening in a magic school (two actually) and both of them are not very safe. They have leaky classrooms, dangerous, and sometimes cursed equipment, and unsafe lessons. Bullying from other students is common, but that’s the point. The … read more »
Podcast
What is a story, really? Is it just words, or is it a door to another world? In the second week of our Hugo series, we’re looking at The Ten Thousand Doors of January, a book that is very interested in those questions. We explore … read more »
