This year we had another social justice post go viral: my Six Rape Tropes and How to Replace Them. Roleplaying articles came back with a vengeance thanks to a new guest blogger, Ari Ashkenazi, and our youngest team member, Bunny, demonstrated she could deliver top-notch sass. Oren doubled down on explaining why storytellers shouldn’t be depicting oppressed mages, and we’ve seen his take catch on around the internet.
Our Top Ten Articles
Six Rape Tropes and How to Replace Them
Fictional depictions of rape normalize sexual assault and are often hurtful to survivors.
Four Fun D&D Character Builds for Power Gaming
Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition (5E) is one of my favorite RPGs out there.
Five Signs Your Narration Is Sexist
Be warned; many breasts will be mentioned.
Making Sympathetic Antagonists (And Why Thanos Wasn’t One)
Do you want a story where the villain isn’t a mustache-twirling baddie who does terrible things just “for the evulz”?
Six Common Villain Mistakes, and How to Avoid Them
A good villain is critical for most stories.
Lessons From the Writing of The Name of the Wind
You asked me to critique The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, so here we are.
The Problem With Oppressed Mages
How do you oppress someone who can shoot fire out of their hands?
A Field Guide to Six Infectious YA Clichés
An infestation spreads through the ranks of our beloved genre.
Six Mistakes That Can Kill a Great Plot
Crafting a great plot is no easy feat.
Top Three Podcasts
Transcripts are posted for all three episodes.
Episode 205: Oppressed Mages
They're just so strong and tall and smart. Yeugh!
Episode 234: Harmful Disability Tropes
More than one in ten Americans is disabled, making it one of the largest marginalized groups in the country.
Top Three Q&As
Keep Us Going
Mythcreants is an ad-free publication run by cash-strapped, overworked volunteers. If you enjoyed our content this year, please help us stay afloat by becoming our patron. We’re also happy to receive one-time gifts.
Happy New Year to all of our wonderful readers and listeners!
Chris
Cay Reet