Chris Winkle

Chris is the founder and editor-in-chief of Mythcreants. On the side she also designs, codes, and writes stories. When she manages to escape from chronic workaholism, she likes to drink tea, wear funny hats, pet kitties, and crush her enemies at the game table.

Podcast

337 – Tone, Mood, and Atmosphere

The Mythcreant Podcast What happens in a story is one thing, but what does the story feel like? Some character deaths are gruesome, while some are slapstick comedy. That’s weird, right? This week we’re exploring how and why stories create their overall feeling, made up of things like … read more »
Storytelling

How to Make Large Conflicts Exciting

A woman in armor holds a sword up as she rushes toward a lava giant with two axes It’s hard enough to make simple conflicts exciting, and not all conflicts should be simple. You might have lots of protagonists who need important roles, or you may simply want your conflict to be longer and meatier. Either way, once you add too many elements, … read more »
Podcast

336 – Star Trek Optimism

The Mythcreant Podcast No spec fic story is more iconic for optimism than Star Trek, with its post scarcity economies and its powerful message of equality. But how does that optimism actually manifest across a franchise that continues to grow by the day? It won’t surprise you that … read more »
Commentary

How Romanticism Harms Novelists

An old white man in a dark robe huddles over a book while half naked glowing women reach for him Novelists are famous for their struggles. We must face the crisis of writer’s block, the crushing disillusionment of learning that our work needs improvement, and the emotional turmoil of revision. Many novelists must weather rejection after rejection while struggling to find instructional materials that actually … read more »
Podcast

335 – Training in Fiction

The Mythcreant Podcast Sometimes, you just need to up your power level so you can master the ultimate technique and open yourself to the universe, which means it’s training time. Training is a common feature of spec fic, and it can be a lot of fun. It can … read more »
Writing

Five Simple Ways to Make Your Prose Easier to Read

Glasses sit on an open book next to an open notebook with a pen on it Some stories have succeeded despite their purple prose or clichéd descriptions. But if your narration is hard to read, you’ll have trouble just finding beta readers, much less agents, publishers, or happy customers. However, we all start somewhere, and naturally, some of us are more … read more »
Podcast

334 – Monarchy in Spec Fic

The Mythcreant Podcast All hail the once and future podcaster, hidden away among the common folk until their true audio greatness could one day be revealed! That’s right, we’re talking about monarchies in speculative fiction: why writers use them so often, how they can be a problem, and … read more »

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