Q&As are published every Monday. Ask a question.
In the real world Paralympic sports are underfunded compared to traditional athletic sports. In a more optimistic setting with better accessibility for athletes & racers what kind of people might we have being team representatives & competitors? — Bryan Read more »
Hello again, I was thinking about how some stories focus only on one type of being, like how Steven Universe has the Gems, whereas other stories, like Tolkien’s work, have many different types of beings. What I’m interested in finding out is, what are some … read more »
I’m having trouble creating a magic system that is balanced. I am attempting to make a system in which magic comes from energy within and is directed through will. It has an elements style theme (fire, water, earth, air, shadow, light, etc). However, I find … read more »
Hello, long-time reader third-time caller. I’m currently writing a fantasy series, and I’m struggling with the big bad of it. The basic gist of it is that in the backstory the big bad, a group of people on the moon, puts the plot in motion, … read more »
On the last podcast, Fay brought up the problematic trope of the killing of disabled people, especially if they’re disabled during the story. This made me think. If you’re writing historical or historically inspired fiction where this is something that did happen ([Malcolm provided several … read more »
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 »
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 »
I read time and time again that the best way to exploit your characters is to take them out of their comfort zones. So I decided to write a story about a rule-obsessed official, riddled with OCD and fanatically devoted to her government, who ends … read more »
How can I seamlessly incorporate my fantasy world into the real world we experience today, especially without info dumping? For example, adding cities/towns to an already well-known city? A country to the globe? Even more specifically, I’m thinking of making Washington DC a state in … read more »
Your site and podcast have made me a more considerate person, so I thank you! I’m writing a story in third-person limited and my protagonist has been completely deaf since the age of nine. The setting is Renaissance England, so technological help isn’t an option … read more »
