Mythcreants Posts for September

See what Mythcreants has been up to lately.

View this email in your browser   September 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! Roleplaying, Game Mechanics D&D's Next Edition: Core Rules By Ari Ashkenazi on 09/01/22 Whatever you do, remember it's One D&D not 5.5E Read in browser » Dramatic Dilemma By Bunny and Chris Winkle on 08/31/22 This comic is very deep and meaningful. Read in browser » Writing, Dialogue How Do I Keep Dialogue Scenes Dynamic? By Chris Winkle on 08/29/22 Hello, I have in my story a couple of scenes with verbal confrontations, where the protagonist accuses people who have been lying to her and they try to explain their side and reveal some shocking information. I’m worried of making these scenes too static by concentrating only on the dialog. At the same time, I’m […] Read in browser » Analysis, Characters 394 – Death Personified By Oren Ashkenazi, Chris Winkle, Wes Matlock and Avery on 08/28/22 Don't Fear the Reaper-Cast Read in browser » Analysis, Characters Five Stories With Too Many Characters By Oren Ashkenazi on 08/27/22 How many characters is too many? We're glad you asked. Read in browser » Worldbuilding, Theming Why You Should Theme Your World By Chris Winkle on 08/26/22 To make an impression, a world must be more than the sum of its parts. Read in browser » Weapons Check By Bunny and Chris Winkle on 08/24/22 A good hero always has more up their sleeve. Read in browser » Roleplaying, Game Mechanics How Should I Handle RPG Gear? By Oren Ashkenazi on 08/22/22 So I was recently reading through some of my RPGs, specifically Cyberpunk Red, Star Wars, and the like, and I began to wonder about futuristic gear and equipment in RPGs. Specifically, how should I decide how advanced it should be, what it should do, and what future equipment would be like? For example, how should […] Read in browser » Worldbuilding, History 393 – Airships By Oren Ashkenazi, Chris Winkle, Wes Matlock and Steven on 08/21/22 Zeppelin or Flying Tallship? Read in browser » Analysis, Characters, Recommended Stories Five Stories With Well-Written Families By Oren Ashkenazi on 08/20/22 What if the hero wasn't an orphaned only child? Read in browser » Inspiration, Characters, Plot Ten Reasons Characters Might Stop Communicating By Chris Winkle on 08/19/22 What to do when one conversation could ruin your plot. Read in browser » Lost Continent By Bunny and Chris Winkle on 08/17/22 It's always in the last place you look. Read in browser » Storytelling, Worldbuilding, The Writing Process How Should I Respond to Beta Reader Feedback? By Oren Ashkenazi on 08/15/22 Hi Mythcreants, Big fan here with a somewhat big problem. I'm currently stuck in the revision stage of my story. I'm a sucker for portal fantasy, so my story is set on a magical world populated by shapeshifters (for brevity, think of DS9's Founders). My protagonist is basically a kind of gamekeeper, charged with protecting […] Read in browser » Analysis, Star Wars 392 – Obi-Wan Kenobi By Oren Ashkenazi, Chris Winkle, Wes Matlock and Emma Riley on 08/14/22 But does he say "hello there," as the prophesy foretold? Read in browser » Analysis, Star Trek Strange New Worlds Reveals the Danger of a Theme-Breaking Plot By Oren Ashkenazi on 08/13/22 In space, no one can hear you copying Alien. Read in browser » Storytelling, Conflict, Plot, Tension, Tone Your Story Needs Tension, Not Violence By Chris Winkle on 08/12/22 Create excitement on your own terms. Read in browser » Meta Episode By Bunny and Chris Winkle on 08/10/22 A tale of marketing wish fulfillment. Read in browser » Worldbuilding, Characters How Can I Give Aliens Strange Values? By Oren Ashkenazi on 08/08/22 Is "Blue and Orange Morality" a working trope at all? Hi, I love your work and I try my best to use your tips in my own worldbuilding. I'd like to create alien sapients with weird values, and I look for inspiration from the TV Tropes page about "Blue and Orange Morality". Most ideally, my […] Read in browser » Analysis, Characters, Plot 391 – Murderbot By Oren Ashkenazi, Chris Winkle, Wes Matlock and Alexa Johnson on 08/07/22 Hacking governor modules across the corporate rim! Read in browser » Storytelling, Plot, The Writing Process The Five Reasons Prequel Stories Are So Difficult By Oren Ashkenazi on 08/06/22 Prequels are usually bad, even when authors try their best. Read in browser » Social Justice, Editing, Feedback How to Give Social Justice Feedback By Chris Winkle on 08/05/22 In most cases, you can tell writers their content is problematic without making them angry. Read in browser » Star-Crossed Romance By Bunny and Chris Winkle on 08/03/22 A tragic tale of forbidden love. 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 August

See what Mythcreants has been up to lately.

View this email in your browser   August 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, Characters How Do I Make a Sidekick Feel Like Their Own Person? By Chris Winkle on 08/01/22 A lot of my story ideas are about one character’s thoughts and goals. How do I make supporting characters help the main character without them either a) being nothing more than the main character’s extensions and b) overtaking the main character’s personal story? AlgaeNymph Hi AlgaeNymph, The role of a supporting character is to, well, […] Read in browser » Storytelling, Characters 390 – Annoying Characters By Oren Ashkenazi, Chris Winkle, Wes Matlock and R. Christian Haining on 07/31/22 When a writer tries for cute and gets something else entirely. Read in browser » Commentary, Storytelling, Bad Advice Six More Ways to Make Your Writing Cinematic By Oren Ashkenazi on 07/30/22 Does your novel properly imitate a movie-going experience? Read in browser » Storytelling, Plot, Tension A Character Goal Isn't a Story – But It's Close By Chris Winkle on 07/29/22 This common model for stories can be helpful, but it can also hold writers back. Read in browser » Cultural Innovation By Bunny and Chris Winkle on 07/27/22 A surefire method of making your hero stand out. Read in browser » Social Justice, Villains How Do I Show That the Threat Is a Systemic Problem? By Chris Winkle on 07/25/22 Hi Mythcreants, I’m writing a political drama that’s meant to be protagonist vs society. However, the story opens with a king that wants to punish the protagonist because of a personal grudge against their family. The king dies less than a third of the way in. I want to subvert the idea that simply killing […] Read in browser » Storytelling, Characters 389 – Non-Romantic Relationships By Oren Ashkenazi, Chris Winkle, Wes Matlock and Avery on 07/24/22 Now don't kiss. Stop it! Read in browser » Analysis, Star Wars Who Wins: The Mandalorian, Boba Fett, or Obi-Wan?  By Oren Ashkenazi on 07/23/22 Which show is the Force strong with? Read in browser » Analysis, Social Justice, Writing, Characters, Lessons From Bad Writing, Race Lessons From the Appropriative Writing of Gemma Doyle By Chris Winkle on 07/22/22 An opening set in occupied India. What could go wrong? Read in browser » Proper Behavior By Bunny and Chris Winkle on 07/20/22 She's not like those other princesses. Read in browser » Social Justice, Disability & Neurodiversity, The Writing Process How Do I Find a Sensitivity Consultant for Disability? By Fay Onyx on 07/18/22 My main character has a physical disability I do not have. While the story is not specifically about this condition, it is a major part of the character. I want a sensitivity reader to ensure that my portrayal is accurate, respectful, and enjoyable to people who have this condition as well as those of us […] Read in browser » Storytelling, Characters, Plot 388 – Clashing Choices By Oren Ashkenazi, Chris Winkle, Wes Matlock and Svend Phillips on 07/17/22 When the heart wants two different things. Read in browser » Analysis, Plot, Tone Five Stories With Clashing Choices By Oren Ashkenazi on 07/16/22 Like a tug of war in the plot. Read in browser » Analysis, Social Justice, Disability & Neurodiversity How You Can Tell Kamala Khan Has ADHD By Chris Winkle on 07/15/22 A tale of coding so blatant that calling it coding is questionable. Read in browser » Last-Minute Character By Bunny and Chris Winkle on 07/13/22 Just dump some backstory; it'll be fine. Read in browser » Commentary, The Writing Process Is "Read a Lot" Actually Bad Advice? By Chris Winkle on 07/11/22 I have always heard that a writer should "Read everything [they] can lay hands on," and otherwise consume media, TV, movies, etc., as much as possible. This was Michael Moorcock’s First Rule of Writing, and I’ve seen it plenty of other places. Even Stephen King advises this. Lately though, I’ve been seeing advice saying this […] Read in browser » Storytelling, The Writing Process 387 – Story Structures By Oren Ashkenazi, Chris Winkle, Wes Matlock and Alexa Johnson on 07/10/22 What even are story structures? Read in browser » Analysis, Character Arcs, Plot Six Sloppy Character Arcs in Popular Stories By Oren Ashkenazi on 07/09/22 What lessons are we supposed to learn here? Read in browser » Storytelling, Agency, Conflict, Turning Points Understanding Character Karma By Chris Winkle on 07/08/22 Every story we tell sends a message. Read in browser » Arbitrary Magic By Bunny and Chris Winkle on 07/06/22 Both the cause and the solution to plot holes. Read in browser » Storytelling, Characters How Should I Handle Pacifist Characters? By Oren Ashkenazi on 07/04/22 Hello, Mythcreants. I’m currently working on a series with a pretty violent setting, centered around a nation oppressed by a brutal regime and on the verge of civil war. Some of my main characters are just as violent as their environment made them to be. Others are more diplomatic and peaceful but still competent fighters. […] Read in browser » Worldbuilding, Characters, History 386 – Fantasy Weapons By Oren Ashkenazi, Chris Winkle, Wes Matlock and Steven on 07/03/22 Which is the waviest? Read in browser » Commentary, Storytelling, Plot, The Writing Process The Myth of Conflict-Free Story Structures By Oren Ashkenazi on 07/02/22 One weird trick vs. storytelling reality. 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.