In a series I’m currently plotting out, I have a handful of characters who claim goals, allegiances, or identities that aren’t genuine. Examples include a minor antagonist who initially presents himself as an ally of Team Good, and a member of Team Good who tries to hide his past as a minion to the villain. My question is about how to make their reveals “click” rather than appearing random. Do you have any advice about how to hint that a character isn’t what they seem, without resorting to them making obviously revealing mistakes? I don’t want them to look incompetent, nor do I want their teammates to look incompetent for not catching on to them sooner.
Sometimes, characters die. In some stories, characters die a lot. But is this good for the story? Does it add gravitas and realism, or is it just a cheap way to ruin everyone’s day? We discussed this topic way back in the day, but we’ve … read more »
We’ve all had the experience of reading a book or watching a show only for our favorite storyline to disappear without any resolution. Crafting a compelling plot requires an intriguing hook, strong stakes, and exciting conflict, so it’s weird when storytellers throw all that work in … read more »
Great description evokes the imagination and establishes the atmosphere you want for your story. However, it takes practice to figure out how to create a strong impression and make every word count. To help you look at your writing critically, I’ve reworked three excerpts of … read more »
Hello Mythcreants, I’ve been trying to toy with a scheming protagonist with a master plan rather than a villain with a master plan. However, I want to keep his plan largely secret, but I don’t know how to do this without irritating readers by making … read more »
Long-running story tropes become long-running for a reason, but what if more was possible? What if we could reach outside the familiar and tell different kinds of stories? Not only would we get to experience something cool and different, but we might even make stories … read more »
It’s been over six years since I first wrote about sexism in Robert Jordan’s epic fantasy series The Wheel of Time. At the time, I didn’t expect to touch on the subject again, but that post’s comment section remains active to this day, so I … read more »
Very few people set out to write a bad story. That’s a large reason why high-profile story bumbles by renowned storytellers draw so much attention from both fans and critics. These usually elicit an understandable combination of public anger, amusement, and disbelief. Traditionally, bad stories … read more »
