Mythcreants Posts for March

See what Mythcreants has been up to lately.

View this email in your browser   March Newsletter You can give us feedback via the contact form on our website. (If you reply to this email, we might not see it.) Have a wonderful month! Storytelling, Plot Why Are Disingenuous Reveals So Common? By Oren Ashkenazi on 02/28/22 Hi Mythcreants! Following a recent post by Oren, I started to wonder why elements that generate reader confusion/frustration are so often used for reveals (characters not questioning seemingly obvious problems or holes in the world, characters conveniently not thinking about “the thing”, etc). Whenever I read a story with a giant worldbuilding or plot hole […] Read in browser » Writing, The Writing Process 368 – Romanticism By Oren Ashkenazi, Chris Winkle and Wes Matlock on 02/27/22 A 19th century artistic movement, in MY writing? It's more likely than you think! Read in browser » Analysis, Fight Scenes, Weapons Five Common Weapon Mistakes in Speculative Fiction By Oren Ashkenazi on 02/26/22 Most writers aren't weapons experts, but we can still get better at depicting fights. Read in browser » Storytelling, Characters How to Write Three Types of Friendship Arcs By Chris Winkle on 02/25/22 A great friendship can add meaning and emotional depth to your story. Read in browser » Roleplaying, Roleplaying Systems Why You Should Try Roll for Shoes By Faith Okamoto on 02/24/22 A rules-light system to delight your group! Read in browser » Social Justice, Worldbuilding, Characters How Do I Craft Assistive Devices for a Blind Character? By Fay Onyx on 02/21/22 Hi there! I’ve been working on a science fantasy story idea, with one of my main/POV characters being visually impaired. While the level of the technology is pretty high (think magitek androids that are advanced enough to pass as human), I don’t want to just go with him getting cybernetic eyes. Instead, I wanted him […] Read in browser » Storytelling, Plot, Tension 367 – Raising the Stakes By Oren Ashkenazi, Chris Winkle and Wes Matlock on 02/20/22 The story is tense, but could it be... *more* tense? Read in browser » Commentary, Writing, The Writing Process, Wordcraft How Useful Are Jonathan Franzen's Ten Rules for Novelists? By Oren Ashkenazi on 02/19/22 Genre critic vs. literary author! Read in browser » Storytelling, Jokes How to Write Jokes By Chris Winkle on 02/18/22 The secret to humor is surprisingly simple. Read in browser » Roleplaying, 5E Level Brackets Five Powerful Subclasses for Levels 17–20 By Ari Ashkenazi on 02/17/22 The options that shine in the endgame. Read in browser » Awkward Exposition By Bunny and Chris Winkle on 02/16/22 A cautionary tale of dialogue gone wrong. Read in browser » Storytelling, Beginnings, Characters How Should My Hero Recruit a Crew? By Oren Ashkenazi on 02/14/22 Hi Mythcreants, The core of my story revolves around my protagonist forming a pirate crew in order to rescue her sister from the villain. My main concern is that I don’t want to fall ​into a pattern of “protagonist meets character A” then “protagonist meets character B” and so forth until the crew is complete. […] Read in browser » Storytelling, Characters 366 – Large Casts By Oren Ashkenazi, Chris Winkle, Wes Matlock and Tank on 02/13/22 How many is too many? Read in browser » Analysis, Mystery, Plot Five Stories That Spoil Their Own Mystery By Oren Ashkenazi on 02/12/22 No need to speculate on the mystery if the story just tells you! Read in browser » Writing, Point of View, Wordcraft How to Include Thoughts From Multiple Characters Without Head-Hopping By Chris Winkle on 02/11/22 Trying to fit two heads in one scene can come with consequences. Read in browser » Roleplaying, 5E Level Brackets, D&D, Game Mechanics Five Powerful Subclasses for Levels 13–16 By Ari Ashkenazi on 02/10/22 At last, the barbarian's time to shine! Read in browser » Light Bringer By Bunny and Chris Winkle on 02/09/22 Where's my god now? Read in browser » Worldbuilding, Monsters How Much Can I Change Vampires? By Oren Ashkenazi on 02/07/22 Hello! I’m wondering how far it’s acceptable to stray from certain tropes associated with traditional monsters/races? For instance, I’m wanting to use vampires in my current project, but for it to work, vampires would need to be born this way rather than created. In addition, they wouldn't be immortal, but would live and die just […] Read in browser » Storytelling, Worldbuilding, Magic, Plot 365 – Time Travel Revisited By Oren Ashkenazi, Chris Winkle, Wes Matlock and Steven on 02/06/22 We have to go back! Read in browser » Storytelling, Conflict, Tension Why Tossing In Calamity Won't Make Your Story Exciting By Oren Ashkenazi on 02/05/22 A lesson in what tension isn't. Read in browser » Inspiration, Storytelling, Characters, Conflict, Romance Nine Personality Clashes for Character Conflicts By Chris Winkle on 02/04/22 How to put good people at odds without making them look mean or unreasonable. Read in browser » Stealthy Entrance By Bunny and Chris Winkle on 02/02/22 Every structure has a convenient set of secret tunnels. Read in browser » Copyright © 2022 Mythcreants LLC, All rights reserved. You are receiving emails from Mythcreants because you signed up on our blog. Our mailing address is: Mythcreants LLC · 19712 50th Ave W · Apt 3 · Lynnwood, WA 98036 · USA Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Mythcreants Posts for February

See what Mythcreants has been up to lately.

View this email in your browser   February Newsletter You can give us feedback via the contact form on our website. (If you reply to this email, we might not see it.) Have a wonderful month! Social Justice, Worldbuilding, Religion Can I Use Christianity In My Urban Fantasy? By Oren Ashkenazi on 01/31/22 Is it problematic to use Christian mythology as some of the basis for the vampire/demon lore in my urban fantasy series? I don’t mean in an “offensive to Christians” way, but more in the sense of is it affirming Christianity as “right” or “true” and being dismissive of other religions? Am I overthinking this? -Ze […] Read in browser » Analysis, Social Justice, Magic 364 – The Wheel of Time Show By Oren Ashkenazi, Chris Winkle, Wes Matlock and B.A. on 01/30/22 Is it better than the books? Yes, but better how, exactly? Read in browser » Analysis, Plot, Tension Who Wins on Engagement: Buffy, Supernatural, or Teen Wolf? By Oren Ashkenazi on 01/29/22 It's an urban fantasy showdown! Read in browser » Writing, Wordcraft Five Tips for Reviving Bland Prose By Chris Winkle on 01/28/22 Readers want entertaining narration, but how do you make it entertaining? Read in browser » Space Automation By Bunny and Chris Winkle on 01/26/22 How every space opera should go. Read in browser » Writing, Dialogue, Wordcraft Can I Use Script Format for Dialogue? By Oren Ashkenazi on 01/24/22 What do you think of switching to “script format” for dialogue for a few pages in a story that is otherwise standard prose? Jerry: This is script format. Akeem (angrily): We know that! (shakes their fist) I have a scene w/ a large group of characters who are discussing and arguing an important issue. While […] Read in browser » Writing, Wordcraft 363 – Verbs By Oren Ashkenazi, Chris Winkle and Wes Matlock on 01/23/22 We must all appreciate the hard working verb. Read in browser » Analysis, Worldbuilding, History, Social Justice Building Roshar: How Sanderson Bungled Culture By Oren Ashkenazi on 01/22/22 The world of The Way of Kings has intriguing storms and bizarre gender roles. Read in browser » Storytelling, Plot, Short Stories, Story Plotting 101 Outline a Short Story in Seven Steps By Chris Winkle on 01/21/22 The second edition of this story formula has more tips, more options, and further reading. Read in browser » Modern Weaponry By Bunny and Chris Winkle on 01/19/22 It's no fair if you have sharp teeth AND guns. Read in browser » Meta Help Wanted: Content Editor By Chris Winkle on 01/18/22 Do you love pulling stories apart to see how they tick? Read in browser » Roleplaying, Roleplaying Systems Are There Any Good Steampunk RPGs? By Oren Ashkenazi on 01/17/22 It's time in the Sun seems to have passed, but I still have friends who are fond of steampunk. Out of the many steampunk RPGs that have been made, are there any that you have played and would recommend? Prince Infidel Hey Prince Infidel, great to hear from you again!  I also retain a soft […] Read in browser » Storytelling, Characters, Plot 362 – Meta Mysteries By Oren Ashkenazi, Chris Winkle, Wes Matlock and Jess Brownrigg on 01/16/22 Our main advice on meta mysteries is: don't. Read in browser » Analysis, Characters, Plot Five Ways Arcane Could Be Better By Oren Ashkenazi on 01/15/22 Even a show that blows us out of the water has room to improve. Read in browser » Storytelling, Candy and Spinach, Characters, Likability How to Keep Your Favorite Character From Ruining Your Story By Chris Winkle on 01/14/22 The first step to fixing a candied character is recognizing them. Read in browser » Roleplaying, Game Mechanics Four D&D Power Gaming Builds for the Inventor By Ari Ashkenazi on 01/13/22 Some of the best D&D content is entirely unofficial. Read in browser » Folk Instructions By Bunny and Chris Winkle on 01/12/22 Fairytales are required reading for monster hunters. Read in browser » Storytelling, Backstory How Do I Establish Backstory? By Oren Ashkenazi on 01/10/22 So, I’m drafting a fantasy novel, and it currently starts with the main character about to leave for magic school at seventeen. Around when she was twelve, she met this guy who’s already a mage and who agreed to train her before actually getting to said magic school. Right now this extra training is pretty […] Read in browser » Worldbuilding, Monsters 361 – Ghosts! By Oren Ashkenazi, Chris Winkle, Wes Matlock and Emma Riley on 01/09/22 Let's play Ghost or No Ghost. Read in browser » Analysis, Characters, Mystery Way of Kings Shows Us the Damage Meta Mysteries Can Do By Oren Ashkenazi on 01/08/22 Don't make readers puzzle out what the protagonist already knows. Read in browser » Commentary, Storytelling, Story Plotting 101, The Writing Process How Writing Instructors Forgo the Most Vital Fiction Lesson By Chris Winkle on 01/07/22 A gut feeling for stories isn't enough. Read in browser » Roleplaying, 5E Level Brackets, Game Mechanics Five Powerful Subclasses for Levels 9–12 By Ari Ashkenazi on 01/06/22 Finally, you can cast Otto's Irresistible Dance! Read in browser » Transporter Malfunction By Bunny and Chris Winkle on 01/05/22 It only breaks down on days that end with "Y." Read in browser » Storytelling, Beginnings, Plot, Throughline How Do I Start My Plot? By Oren Ashkenazi on 01/03/22 Hello again, Mythcreants, I hope you are well! Recently, I’ve been trying hard to formulate a good plot, and I’ve resorted to multiple writing websites and resources to look for tips from already successful authors. One tip I’ve encountered is that the best way to make a good story is to start from the ending, […] Read in browser » Storytelling, Backstory, Characters 360 – Backstory By Oren Ashkenazi, Chris Winkle, Wes Matlock and R. Christian Haining on 01/02/22 How much backstory should your story have? Read in browser » Copyright © 2022 Mythcreants LLC, All rights reserved. You are receiving emails from Mythcreants because you signed up on our blog. Our mailing address is: Mythcreants LLC · 19712 50th Ave W · Apt 3 · Lynnwood, WA 98036 · USA Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.