by
Chris Winkle
Mysteries are great fun, but even a murder case doesn’t create much tension by default. If someone’s dead, the worst has already happened to them, and getting justice isn’t typically urgent. Plus, whatever the villain wants to accomplish by the murder is usually unknown in … read more »
by
Oren Ashkenazi
Sadly, the structures in place to teach storytelling are woefully inadequate. Books on writing are dubious at best, and classes are either unhelpful, expensive, or both. We do our best to educate new writers here at Mythcreants, but one blog can only reach so many … read more »
by
Oren Ashkenazi
Speculative fiction loves to give its heroes signature weapons, some of which become as memorable as the heroes themselves. This is most common in high fantasy, but it also crops up in urban fantasy, superhero stories, space opera, and cyberpunk. From swords and axes to … read more »
by
Oren Ashkenazi
Everyone is always asking me questions about fantasy battles, like I’m some kind of spec fic blogger. So, to answer every question in perpetuity, I’ve put together the only list that you’ll ever need on the subject. It tells you exactly what to do, whether … read more »
by
Oren Ashkenazi
I’ve got nothing against a good war – in fiction anyway. War provides immediate, large-scale conflict for our stories and as such will always be a valuable tool. But just like no one wants to eat the same thing every day, it’s boring if every … read more »
by
Oren Ashkenazi
Novelty is one of the four critical elements that make stories popular, and in speculative fiction, settings are a great place to harvest a novelty crop. I’ve got nothing against castles, forests, and space battleships, but mixing things up creates opportunities for new kinds of … read more »
by
Bunny
Most authors listen to music while they write. But, as anyone who’s assembled a playlist knows, picking the right pieces can be tricky. There’s a whole world of songs to choose from, but when writing a particular scene, a composition with a particular mood or … read more »
by
Oren Ashkenazi
Writer’s block is an unpleasant experience, to say the least. You’ve set aside time to write, gotten plenty of sleep, and had a decent meal, but you still can’t put words on paper. The blinking cursor just sits there, taunting you. On the bright side, … read more »
by
Aigner Loren Wilson
In many horror movies, the black woman is a mere friend – cannon fodder, to put it bluntly. She’s there to throw in a splash of diversity before killing her off. Luckily, people in the real world are beginning to acknowledge black women and their … read more »
by
Chris Winkle
Grasping victory from the jaws of defeat makes a delicious ending. But after you establish your heroes can’t survive the millions of zombies swarming their cabin or overpower the villain who explodes cities with their mind, how can you create a satisfying victory? Well, you … read more »
Mysteries are great fun, but even a murder case doesn’t create much tension by default. If someone’s dead, the worst has already happened to them, and getting justice isn’t typically urgent. Plus, whatever the villain wants to accomplish by the murder is usually unknown in … read more » 
Sadly, the structures in place to teach storytelling are woefully inadequate. Books on writing are dubious at best, and classes are either unhelpful, expensive, or both. We do our best to educate new writers here at Mythcreants, but one blog can only reach so many … read more » 
Speculative fiction loves to give its heroes signature weapons, some of which become as memorable as the heroes themselves. This is most common in high fantasy, but it also crops up in urban fantasy, superhero stories, space opera, and cyberpunk. From swords and axes to … read more » 
Everyone is always asking me questions about fantasy battles, like I’m some kind of spec fic blogger. So, to answer every question in perpetuity, I’ve put together the only list that you’ll ever need on the subject. It tells you exactly what to do, whether … read more » 
I’ve got nothing against a good war – in fiction anyway. War provides immediate, large-scale conflict for our stories and as such will always be a valuable tool. But just like no one wants to eat the same thing every day, it’s boring if every … read more » 
Novelty is one of the four critical elements that make stories popular, and in speculative fiction, settings are a great place to harvest a novelty crop. I’ve got nothing against castles, forests, and space battleships, but mixing things up creates opportunities for new kinds of … read more » 
Most authors listen to music while they write. But, as anyone who’s assembled a playlist knows, picking the right pieces can be tricky. There’s a whole world of songs to choose from, but when writing a particular scene, a composition with a particular mood or … read more » 
Writer’s block is an unpleasant experience, to say the least. You’ve set aside time to write, gotten plenty of sleep, and had a decent meal, but you still can’t put words on paper. The blinking cursor just sits there, taunting you. On the bright side, … read more » 
In many horror movies, the black woman is a mere friend – cannon fodder, to put it bluntly. She’s there to throw in a splash of diversity before killing her off. Luckily, people in the real world are beginning to acknowledge black women and their … read more » 
Grasping victory from the jaws of defeat makes a delicious ending. But after you establish your heroes can’t survive the millions of zombies swarming their cabin or overpower the villain who explodes cities with their mind, how can you create a satisfying victory? Well, you … read more » 
