You may have heard the saying that a hero is only as good as their villain. Fortunately, this isn’t true, or a lot of very famous stories would be way worse than they are.* However, a good villain can make a story much better, while … read more »
In many stories a captain, boss, or other leader will have a romance w/ a subordinate, employee, or other follower. In real life, most militaries, businesses, and other organizations prohibit this sort of behavior, w/ good reason: A captain might refuse to put a beloved … read more »
It is time to discuss… THE VAMPYRE. Vampires are a staple of fantasy fiction, from toothy Nosferatu to wise-cracking Spike. This week, we talk about how vampires have changed over time, how to keep them interesting in a saturated market, and why they’ve always been … read more »
While it might be fun to imagine a world where magic has no limits, it won’t work for your story. Without some sort of limit, magic will destroy all conflict and make a mockery of your setting. This week, we discuss how best to put … read more »
It’s a basic rule of storytelling: the stakes get higher as the story goes forward. But how do you do that? How do you know what’s good escalation and what’s just skipping all the necessary build up? What should you do when you’ve escalated as far as … read more »
These stories could take place on a volcanic iceberg and still be popular. But having devoted fans doesn’t mean their worlds couldn’t be better. Even when the premise relies on an unrealistic setting, unbelievable aspects can be cured with forethought. Just look at these popular … read more »
Mike brings Chris and Oren back for a deeper dive into the depths of deep worldbuilding. Did we mention this topic was deep? Tune in for further discussions of what aspects of worldbuilding are successful for long running stories and what stories are best suited … read more »
Mike, Chris, and Oren discuss what makes an antagonistic organization shine in fiction. They examine their favorites and describe villainous groups that failed to feel plausible or threatening. Listen in to find out how to make an evil organization a fan favorite. Read more »
Morality is weird and complex. If two people have an equal chance of dying, is it moral to save the one you like better? Philosophers are having drag-out fights about that question as I type this. However, despite morality’s frustrating ambiguity, we generally agree on … read more »
Sometimes technology is too good to be true. It might be so powerful that problems become trivial. Get into a jam? Just pull out that deus ex machina, it’ll clear it right up for you. Or the tech’s power level is fine, but taken to … read more »
