Five Ways to Make Sure Your Ending Has No Payoff
How to make your story stumble to the finish line—because of course that's what you want it to do.
Plot: Page 10
Four Ways to Jump-Start a Slow Beginning
How to kick your story into high gear from page one.
The Seven Storytelling Sins of Worldbuilders
These fictional planes got their stories lost in the shuffle.
Episode 45: Crafting a Climax
Chris, Mike, and Oren discuss what goes into a strong climax.
Nine Questions to Ask About Your Draft
How to spot the biggest potential pitfalls for your story.
How to Maintain Your Campaign’s Momentum
How to get your campaign up to full speed—and keep it there without crashing.
Establishing and Satisfying Plot Threads
How to keep your story on track from beginning to end.
Establishing Important Characters
How to establish who's the star of the show—and stick to that promise.
Kicking Off Your Campaign Right
How to get your RPG story sticking the landing from right out of the gate.
Six Plot Excuses No One Wants to Hear
Everyone's tired of these nonsensical storytelling justifications.
Weaving Great Campaign Plotlines
How to work out the story outline for your RPG masterstroke.
Five Tricks to Invigorate Your Ending
How your story's climax can pack the biggest dramatic punch possible.
Five Villains Who Follow the Heroine’s Journey
These baddies transformed themselves throughout their stories—and made it believable.
Using the Heroine’s Journey
How to employ this feminist story arc in your own tales.
Should You Outline?
Whether or not to plan your story's big points from the outset—and what you can do instead.
Is It Plot?
How to turn your story elements into dramatic blasts.
Four Steps for Making Campaigns Into Written Stories
How your RPG story can make the leap from kitchen table to page.
Ten Movies With Strong Character Arcs
These on-screen protagonists go through big changes by the time the credits roll.
Episode 15: The Hero’s Journey
Chris, Oren and Mike discuss mythic structure and the wide variety of works that use it.
Balancing Character Agency
How your characters can drive the story even with their backs to the wall.
Oren Ashkenazi