Our Top Ten Posts
Five Signs Your Story Is Sexist – Against Men
You’d think patriarchy would be good for men, but it isn’t. Patriarchy enforces strict standards of masculinity that are impossible to meet. But because masculine traits are glorified, it’s easy to lose sight of how toxic they are to men. As storytellers, we may think we’ve created strong central characters when … read more »
Five Signs Your Story Is Sexist
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if making a story sexism-free was as easy as not being a misogynist jerk? Unfortunately, living in a patriarchal society means that sexism feels normal to most of us. If you want to prevent sexist tropes from getting into your work, you have to learn about them. Read more »
Six Bad Arguments Against Social Justice in Speculative Fiction
Watching the diverse casting of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the amazing intersectionality of Zootopia, it feels like we’re finally making progress on the front of social justice in storytelling. People are realizing that stories and the lessons they teach mean something. But no … read more »
Five Signs Your Story Is Racist
These days, most of us know not to use racial slurs* or say anything that starts with “some of my best friends are…” We can all go on about how important it is not to judge someone by the color of their skin, which is … read more »
Five Underplayed Commodities for Kingdoms to Fight Over
When building a fantasy setting, it’s important to consider the distribution of resources across the world. This is true no matter what technology level you go with, but it’s especially important in lower-tech settings, because people will have a much harder time synthesizing any resources … read more »
Seven Great Sources of Conflict for Romances
If the two lovebirds are meant for each other, why don’t they just hook up? This question has vexed countless storytellers and lead to a plethora of bad romance tropes. But as the romance genre shows, this question has many wonderful answers. Get your imagination going with these seven. Read more »
Six Ways Guns Change a Fantasy Setting
We’re all looking for ways to make our fantasy setting stand out. One great way to do that is with an iron tube packed with explosives and a round ball of lead. I’m talking about guns, of course. Despite being a major force in human … read more »
Five Questions to Ask About Your Villain’s Master Plan
“No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die. But first, let me tell you all about my master plan!” Ah, the villain’s master plan, a tried and true technique that most writers will need at some point in their careers. A master plan gets the … read more »
Creating Your Villain’s Journey
Most character arcs are intended for protagonists, and viewpoint characters in particular. But a story can be greatly enhanced by giving arcs to other major characters – including the main villain. Unfortunately, villain arcs can be tricky. The audience rarely sympathizes with the big bad, … read more »
Five Ways to Make People Hate a Hero
Making people hate a character who kicks puppies or steals from the downtrodden is simple. But what if you want your audience to dislike someone woven from stronger moral fiber? Perhaps your story has a villain protagonist and a heroic antagonist, much like Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. Or maybe you’d … read more »