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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 »
Hi! Very general question on plotting, but… is there anything in particular one should think of when alternating between calmer parts of a novel and more action-filled parts? I’ve really tried to take all the advice on how every chapter should have conflict etc., and … read more »
A good villain is critical for most stories. The villain is usually the second most important character, behind only the protagonist themself. If a villain goes wrong, they often drag the entire story down with them, and there are many ways for villains to go … 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 »
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 »
A hand with all of the fingers the same length. Eye whites that aren’t white. Seeing a stranger in the mirror. A subtler cousin of horror, the uncanny is more about discomfort than fear. Sigmund Freud* described it as, in greatly paraphrased form here, making … read more »
Today our podcast is about stories that only do what you expect – PSYCHE, it’s really about fake outs! We bet you were really surprised by that sudden reveal, but was it a good thing? Did it add to this paragraph, or was it just … read more »
For years now, studios and publishers have produced grimdark story after grimdark story. The backlash to this is already building, but the rain of violent, soul-sucking, haunted, gritty, ebony realism keeps pouring down. So if you’re looking for a trend that might still be relevant … read more »
Everyone loves a good romance, yet storytellers aren’t that great at depicting them. There are a whole host of technical mistakes that can make a romance boring or annoying, and that’s before you even get into all the ways a romance can be creepy or … read more »
Crafting a great plot is no easy feat. You need compelling stakes, a likable main character, an urgent problem, and so much more. Fortunately, we have a lot of advice on Mythcreants about how to build just such a plot. But once you have your … read more »