Before your hero can clock in for a space 9 to 5, they first have to commute to work. To do that, they’ll need a rocket, space elevator, steam train, or maybe just a horse. That’s right, this episode is all about moving people, but … read more »
You might be tired of dark stories, I might be tired of dark stories, but, nonetheless, the dark stories just keep coming. Since that’s apparently the state of things, we might as well try to get dark stories right. Oversaturation aside, there isn’t anything inherently … read more »
We’ve discussed creating tension at a big-picture level many times. However, it’s not enough to have a big-picture plan; tension must also be brought out in the narration. While the bestselling books I critique almost always have tense narration covered, manuscripts often don’t. Let’s help … read more »
Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition‘s ranger has been a sore spot for the community since the game came out. Like the paladin, the ranger is a half caster, mixing martial abilities and spells to the theoretical benefit of the class. Unfortunately, the ranger has never … read more »
If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. Read more »
So, I want to write villains and want them to really play the part. But I read on this site that villains can still send harmful messages or be hurtful to the audience if you’re not careful. How can I make my villains really evil … read more »
Sometimes you want a story to do one thing, but you also want it to do another thing. Can it do both things? Should it do both things? That’s our topic for today: multitasking! This critical skill will help make your stories more efficient, allowing … read more »
As much as I love 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons, it’s not the most balanced of games. Some mechanics are numerically stronger than others. This doesn’t just hold true for items and spells, but for entire classes as well. I’ve written a lot here on … read more »
No matter the medium, every storyteller has to be selective about which events the audience will experience and which will be summarized or simply left out. This is particularly true for stories that take place over long time periods. Leaving out important events will frustrate … read more »
Ingredients: 2 cups flour, 3 eggs, and 1 maiden. Read more »
