November Newsletter We've updated our newsletter so it will now run automatically, saving us a little time each much and delivering our content to you more regularly. That also means instead of getting the top articles, you'll see all of our articles and Q&As listed. In the future, we hope to add images and give you a weekly option so the list isn't quite so long. You can give us feedback via the contact form on our website. (If you reply to this email, we might not see it.) Thanks to all of you for staying tuned in. Have a wonderful month! | |
Analysis, Endings By Oren Ashkenazi on 10/31/20 The last time we looked at MCU climaxes, phase two had made significant improvements over phase one. The results still weren't great, but at least there were some bright spots. Now it's time to look at phase three, or at least the first half of […] Read in browser »
Roleplaying By Ari Ashkenazi on 10/30/20 For optimization goblins like me, multiclassing is one of the most important mechanics in 5th Edition D&D. Looking at the various builds I’ve discussed on Mythcreants, only one of them took 20 levels of the same class.1 However, for many players, multiclassing can be an […] Read in browser »
Commentary, Q&A, Social Justice By Oren Ashkenazi on 10/26/20 Hello, Mythcreants! I’m a subscriber and your site has been very helpful in honing my writing/storytelling abilities. Anyway, I have a question about how to critique something that’s commonly thought of as good in my culture. What can I do to simultaneously be polite and […] Read in browser »
Analysis, Worldbuilding, Social Justice By Oren Ashkenazi on 10/24/20 Red Rising by Pierce Brown imagines a far future where humanity has spread across the solar system. There's just one problem: a rigid, color-coded caste system ensures the constant oppression of those at the bottom for the benefit of those at the top. Ruling Golds […] Read in browser »
Worldbuilding, Magic By Chris Winkle on 10/23/20 Classic fantasy spellcasting wouldn’t be the same without incantations, but they’re challenging to work into a magic system. First, you have to create incantations that sound mysterious rather than silly. Second, language is so variable that it’s difficult to pin down how a specific phrase […] Read in browser »
Q&A, Worldbuilding, Social Justice By Fay Onyx on 10/19/20 In the real world Paralympic sports are underfunded compared to traditional athletic sports. In a more optimistic setting with better accessibility for athletes & racers what kind of people might we have being team representatives & competitors? — Bryan Bryan, Thanks for the question! I'm […] Read in browser »
Storytelling, Characters By Oren Ashkenazi on 10/17/20 Deciding which character will be the focus of your story is tricky business, and plenty of authors have trouble with it. In the early stages, it's not always clear which character has the most central position in the plot or who will be most compelling […] Read in browser »
Writing, Exposition, Wordcraft By Chris Winkle on 10/16/20 I went looking for something to critique that’s not YA, and I hit the jackpot with this #1 New York Times bestseller House of Earth and Blood by Sarah Maas. She’s had plenty of bestsellers previously, and this is the first of her new Crescent […] Read in browser »
Q&A, Worldbuilding By Oren Ashkenazi on 10/12/20 Hello again, I was thinking about how some stories focus only on one type of being, like how Steven Universe has the Gems, whereas other stories, like Tolkien’s work, have many different types of beings. What I’m interested in finding out is, what are some […] Read in browser »
Analysis, Endings, Star Trek By Oren Ashkenazi on 10/10/20 Endings are hard, especially endings for a long-running series. A lot of expectations get built up along the way, and how well you meet those expectations will determine whether audiences remember your story fondly or are just glad it's over. Classic Star Trek varies wildly […] Read in browser »
Commentary, Signs Your Story Is Bigoted, Social Justice By Chris Winkle on 10/09/20 Like any other form of bigotry, it’s easy for classism to seep into our stories. Some of the signs of classism are similar to other types of bigotry, such as spreading stereotypes about poor people. But unlike most other areas of marginalization, no one is […] Read in browser »
Q&A, Worldbuilding, Magic, Magic Systems By Chris Winkle on 10/05/20 I’m having trouble creating a magic system that is balanced. I am attempting to make a system in which magic comes from energy within and is directed through will. It has an elements style theme (fire, water, earth, air, shadow, light, etc). However, I find […] Read in browser »
Analysis, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Villains By Oren Ashkenazi on 10/03/20 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.1 However, a good villain can make a story much better, while […] Read in browser »
Storytelling, Conflict, Plot, Turning Point By Chris Winkle on 10/02/20 Turning points are essential to crafting conflicts that feel emotionally rewarding to audiences. Unfortunately, they are a “secret” pretty literally, because while they are used in stories everywhere, Mythcreants seems to be the only source giving them more than a cursory mention. That’s probably why […] Read in browser »
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