When skillfully done, jokes add a lot of novelty to both light and dark works. However, many storytellers have sacrificed their stories on the altar of comedy. If you’ve got a funny bone, watch out for these seven problems.
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Seven Ways Jokes Can Sabotage Your Story
Powerful Incantation
By the power of Latin, I command you! Read more »
Can My Protagonist Be Directionless Without Frustrating Readers?
How can I avoid frustrating my readers when I show main characters struggling without getting anywhere? I have been thinking about the camping scenes in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; they are super frustrating and unsatisfying to read, but maybe that’s the point? Maybe … read more »
292- Killing Your Darlings
We’ve all heard how important it is for writers to “kill their darlings,” but what does that actually mean? How and when should you do it? Are there any other options? Why is this advice so common? We talk about all those questions and more … read more »
The Terrible Movie Climaxes From Marvel’s Phase One
Gather round, ye olde Mythcreants fans, for we must once again discuss the climactic turning points of popular stories. Last time, I did all nine of the main Star Wars films, which made for a rather hefty article. This time, we’re looking at the MCU, … read more »
How Our Stories Abandon Morality for Gray-Colored Lenses
Many of us grew tired of conflicts between absolute good and evil a long time ago. These conflicts often reduce antagonists to caricatures, include dehumanizing stand-ins for real groups of people, and feel too simplistic to be interesting. So, instead, many storytellers have depicted conflicts … read more »
Cinematic Nemesis
When a hero must face the ultimate challenge. Read more »
How Do I Portray a Woman Who Invests in Her Appearance?
I’m interested in writing a female character who is “vain” (i.e. she knows she’s attractive and she spends a lot of effort and money maintaining that), but I want to portray it as a neutral trait or as only a mild flaw (e.g. maybe she’s … read more »
291 – Compelling Character Motivations
Why is your hero doing what they’re doing? Do you know? Do they know? If not, then you might have a problem with character motivation, but don’t worry, we’re here to help. This episode is all about figuring out what drives your character, what pushes … read more »
Umbrella Academy Shows Us Why It’s Important to Plan Your Powers
Season two of The Umbrella Academy is finally here, and it is definitely a TV show. Not a good TV show, mind you, but it does have a series of filmed episodes that are approximately the same length arranged in chronological order, and that’s gotta … read more »