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How can I have a male character and a female character work together and NOT imply they’re romantically destined for each other? -Dave L Hi Dave, I wish the answer to this was just “Don’t give them any chemistry or make them seem interested in … read more »
Likability is a critical aspect of storytelling.* If the audience doesn’t like a character, they won’t become invested in what happens. This investment is especially important for the protagonist. If the story has an unlikable protagonist, many people won’t finish it. Let’s look at some blatant offenders. A “likable” character … read more »
While the fantasy genre is rapidly growing beyond the limitations of medieval Europe, it is still historical almost by definition. Sometimes fantasy stories are literally set in our own world’s history, and sometimes they use history as inspiration. Either way, authors spend a lot of … read more »
Are you cooking up a world for your story or game, and Earth-standard is just a little too bland? Want to give your setting a subtly different flavor without overwhelming your story, or adding a bad fridge-logic aftertaste? Well then, we have the perfect blog … read more »
Your characters have to face death at some point. Why not let chemistry help? Ah, but not all poisons are created equal, and not all poisons will be available in all settings for your murderous plot devices. Read more »
Any good fantasy setting should be true to its name: fantastic. A dash of dragons, a sprinkling of flying castles, and a few sentient forests can really improve a world’s flavor. But some stories just aren’t compatible with obvious, physics-violating quirks. You may need to … read more »
Set a science fiction story far enough into the future, and you’re bound to see characters with bizarre and fantastic powers. But humans are capable of some pretty crazy things already, and some oddities don’t require breaking any rules – only bending them. Read more »