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Of Course of Course
141 – Adapting Stories Into Roleplaying Games
We’ve all had that moment when we finish reading or watching a story and think “that would make a great roleplaying game.” But how do you turn a story into a roleplaying game? What stories actually make good roleplaying games? That’s what we’re talking about … read more »
Six Novels With Weak Throughlines
A throughline is a story’s core, the problem that’s introduced at the beginning and resolved at the end. Sometimes throughlines are called “central plot threads” or a story’s “main arc.” But whatever we call it, it is the single most important element of a story. When … read more »
The Epidemic of Worlds That Don’t Move Forward
We all know these stories: “We don’t know how to destroy the ancient evil that arrived to our land! Thankfully, once upon a time there was a great nation with more powerful and efficient technomagic. They had flying cities and huge laser weapons, but somehow … read more »
140 – Too Many Characters
Everyone loves characters, so you should be able to simply add more and more of them with no consequences, right? Turns out that’s not quite true, and we talk about why today. We discuss how an overabundance of characters can clog down a narrative, when … read more »
Windermere’s Fan Is Fun, If a Little Clunky
By the Author of Lady Windermere’s Fan is a new story game being kickstarted by Ed Turner. There’s no GM and no dice, just a group of equals sitting down to create a story. The game is heavily inspired by the works of Oscar Wilde, … read more »
Crafting a Winning Title
Story titles are tough little nuts to crack. They have many of the requirements of a first sentence, but for titles, those requirements must be met in just a few words. While you may need a team of brainstormers to find the perfect title, understanding what your … read more »
Deer to the Hart
Sometimes you have to buck the trend. Read more »
139 – Game Master Inspiration
Before a game can even start, there must be a seed of inspiration, something that gets a GM’s creative energy flowing. Inspiration is just as important once the game has started, because something must motivate the GM to spend hours crafting a story for the … read more »
Five Tips for Telling Stories of Resistance
In a time when oppression is more visible than ever,* many authors wish to pen stories of resistance. They are inspired by films like Rogue One and novels like Marie Lu’s Legend, stories where the characters stand up to the evils of power. Such stories … read more »