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Bowed but Not Broken
167 – When to Look Past Problematic Elements
No story is perfect, and no one can consume entirely unproblematic media. The question is, how much is too much? At what point do we draw the line? That’s our topic for this week, as we’re joined once again by one of our favorite guest … read more »
Six Novels That Struggle With Multiple POVs
We authors love putting multiple points of view in our stories. It’s just so tempting! Why struggle to show what this character is thinking on the outside when you could give them a POV? Why work so hard to construct a plausible way for the … read more »
Recognizing Bad and Good Storytelling Advice
Writing advice comes at all levels of quality, from enlightening, to helpful in some circumstances, to story-ruining. For an example of all of these, just look at our breakdown of Kurt Vonnegut’s Eight Rules of Writing. Yes, Kurt Vonnegut, a famous writer, had advice that ran … read more »
Should I Use a “Throwaway” POV to Add Tension?
I’m struggling a little bit when I want to add tension without drawing the character into it right then and there – for instance if my POV character was being stalked. I was wondering is there such a thing as adding “throwaway” POV’s. Read more »
166 – The Importance of Character Likability
If you’ve ever put down a story because you didn’t care what happened, there’s a good chance it was suffering from poor character likability. That’s our topic for this week, and we are joined once again by our excellent guest host Sarah. What is likability? … read more »
Seven Common Problems in Character Creation
Character creation prepares players for the game. It is their first encounter with the rules and sets expectations for what is to come. Not only does character creation decide a PC’s mechanical abilities, but it’s also vital for building player excitement. If players don’t come … read more »
Why Storytelling Advice Is Such a Mess
Learning most crafts is a fairly straightforward process. Not so with storytelling. While a simple search will give you a plethora of tips and tricks, the fiction industry has no time-tested method of teaching the craft to newcomers. Based on the methods of those who are … read more »
Riddle Me This
165 – Stories That Needed Sequels
We’ve all seen stories get sequels, even when they really weren’t necessary, but what about the reverse? What happens when a story really would have benefited from a sequel that never materialized? That’s what we’re talking about this week, joined for a third time by … read more »