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Chris is the founder and editor-in-chief of Mythcreants. On the side she also designs, codes, and writes stories. When she manages to escape from chronic workaholism, she likes to drink tea, wear funny hats, pet kitties, and crush her enemies at the game table.
I recently read your article on writing a character-driven story (I really enjoyed it, and it helped clarify my ideas quite a bit!) and realized that the fantasy YA series I am writing–especially the first book–is mostly character driven. From my browsing of bookstores, it … read more »
Whether we call it the underworld, Hades, Hell, or some other name, fiction is full of the idea that there are other dimensions out there, and that they’re bad. At the very least, they’re the sort of places we avoid for as long as we … read more »
We’re not saying this podcast is about aliens, but it’s about aliens. Specifically, what makes aliens cool and how that is different when you’re talking about alien characters vs alien monsters. We go over options for making aliens feel unique and cool while also keeping … read more »
Travel is the bane of many speculative fiction works. The hero must get somewhere to achieve their destiny, and all too often, the time spent tromping around feels like an annoying delay. But some stories are about travel. In these fictional travelogues, where the hero … read more »
Queer representation is a critical issue in storytelling, so today we’re giving the floor to guest host Kristin for a discussion of asexual and aromantic characters on TV. As a pleasant surprise, there are more of them than you might expect! Not nearly enough of … read more »
Most storytellers know they shouldn’t add slapstick to a tragic death scene or stuff explicit violence in a romantic comedy. That’s why I have only one article with tone guidelines. But recently I’ve noticed a spate of popular stories hindered by a bad tone choices. … read more »
Sometimes a character is so nice you use them twice. Or three times even. Sure, they might have a different name and be in a different story, but you still recognize them. They have the same sense of humor, the same signature swagger, or maybe … read more »
Many writers hope to create the immersive experiences they watch on a screen. Ironically, delivering the most immersive experience in writing depends on learning techniques that don’t exist in film. The narrative style writers need for this is close perspective. Read more »
I’m working on a plot about two soldiers on the run trying to expose the corruption of a military organization. And to make it more realistic and get deeper into worldbuilding, I want to add a subplot about a journalist working on the same case … read more »
Sometimes your hero is stuck between two choices, neither of which have a good outcome. Will they allow the villain to escape or shoot said villain in the back? Will they destroy one city to save another? Will they eat less at dinner so they … read more »