Do Characters Need to Be Likable?
It's complicated, but yes.
Chris Winkle
Comic: Robotic Creation
When inventing new technology, don't forget what's important.
Episode 338: Mysterious Magic
Keep it secret, keep it safe.
Lessons From the Edgy Writing of Blindsight
Author Peter Watts has an engaging voice and a reckless disregard for accuracy.
Episode 337: Tone, Mood, and Atmosphere
Some character deaths are gruesome while others are slapstick comedy.
How to Make Large Conflicts Exciting
If you're not careful, your climatic conflict could become a boring mess.
Comic: Dungeon Dwellers
Did you forget to make your villains do bad things? Try this one weird trick.
Episode 336: Star Trek Optimism
No spec fic story is more iconic for optimism than Star Trek.
How Romanticism Harms Novelists
Your struggle with writing today may have an origin that's over 200 years old.
Episode 335: Training in Fiction
Sometimes you just need to up your power level.
Five Simple Ways to Make Your Prose Easier to Read
What to do when your wordcraft is dooming your story's chances.
Episode 334: Monarchy in Spec Fic
All hail the one true podcaster!
Planning Character Arcs
How to develop the emotional side of your plot.
Episode 333: Movement and Pacing
Sometimes you can just tell that the story you’re reading has come to a screeching halt.
What Redemption Arcs Tell Us About Forgiveness
A storyteller's take on #metoo and cancel culture.
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