How can I write a story about fighting racism? I want to write a character who’s faced prejudice and hatred from everyone around them and never found a place to live. How can the character learn to combat racism and bigotry and oppression in a … read more »
First there’s a problem, then there’s a turning point, and then… darn it, what comes after the turning point? If everything’s working properly, that’s when it’s time for the resolution, but this is trickier than some writers think. You have to show things resolving, not … read more »
Redemption arcs are an incredibly popular trope in storytelling. From classics like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings to more recent hits like The Legend of Korra and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, we love to watch or read about a bad guy … read more »
You’ve got your basic cast figured out, but the characters are missing something. A little pop, a little sizzle, a certain indefinable quality. Fortunately, it turns out that quality is perfectly definable, and that’s what we’re discussing today. We talk about strategies for making your … read more »
Deciding which character will be the focus of your story is tricky business, and plenty of authors have trouble with it. In the early stages, it’s not always clear which character has the most central position in the plot or who will be most compelling … read more »
A universal rule of storytelling is that the main character’s choices need to matter; that’s agency. However, a main character doesn’t always have to be working on their own goals; that’s proactivity. How do these aspects interact? Can you have a character with agency but … read more »
You thought this was going to be a short blurb explaining the podcast, but actually it’s a meta reference to the episode’s subject. Are your expectations subverted? Probably not, because despite what you might have been told, subversions are hard work. You still need to … read more »
Turning points are essential to crafting conflicts that feel emotionally rewarding to audiences. Unfortunately, they are a “secret” pretty literally, because while they are used in stories everywhere, Mythcreants seems to be the only source giving them more than a cursory mention. That’s probably why … 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 »
You have an idea. It is beautiful and amazing and awesome. Now what? How do you take this idea and turn it into a story? That’s our topic for this week, and hopefully we can shed some light on this tricky situation. We talk about … read more »
