The lands were riven by catastrophic war, but the forces of evil were eventually crushed with the help of the great guardian dragon, Lord Dogoran… though he was grievously poisoned. He survived but his time grows short now and his health fails daily, soon there will be no one left ...
Back From The Dead
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Jan. 2, 2021
So we've talked often about how letting a character die in a story is something that should be used very frugally, because once death occurs, it should be permanent. In most settings, death shouldn't be something that is reversible. If not, it will lose its impact, and the ...
Setting goals in 2021
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, Jan. 1, 2021
It’s 2021 everyone. Somehow we made it to the end of a strange and often heart wrenching year but we did it. We hit many milestones, particularly on Drunkduck. We now have the lowest amount of spam ever on the site, the anthology is coming along, the Quackchat is ...
Final Secret Santa 2020 Gift Art Submissions
kawaiidaigakusei at 12:00AM, Dec. 28, 2020
The Secret Santa Art Exchange Community Project has come to a close this year with ten total participants creating wonderful new pieces of gift art.
The requests were very innovative with gift suggestions ranging from a Ukrainian flowering bush all the way to depictions of the AI Battleground set to ...
Remember to Be Kind (to yourself)
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Dec. 26, 2020
So it's Christmas Day when I'm writing this- yesterday for you reader reading these lines.
Anyone who knows me, knows I've been running full speed for quite a bit of time, doing my best to meet every deadline, every obligation and responsibility I got, business, family, and ...
Merry Christmas
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, Dec. 25, 2020
It’s Christmas.
As we wind down from this exhausting year, take the time to relax and count all the rays of sunshine amongst the gloom. In spite of the upheaval in work structures, I have found more time for my hobbies and art. In spite of the lockdowns I ...
Exploiting Death
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Dec. 19, 2020
When a character the story's cast and audience identify and are familiar with dies, the effect is, or should be, monumental.
Not only because that effectively ends that character's journey (and arc), but also because as an event it has immediate ramifications for all the surviving characters.
First ...
Welcoming a new member to the cast
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, Dec. 18, 2020
I’ve been getting back into reading epic fantasy novels. Grand worlds, exotic locations and, of course, an ever increasing cast of characters. As I am one to never stop taking notes, even when I’m trying to chill, here are some things I noticed about introducing new characters that ...
The Crime Genre
Banes at 12:00AM, Dec. 17, 2020
Many of the conversations online that concern “genre fiction” generally mean sci/fi, fantasy and horror. This stuff is distinguished from “mainstream” genres like contemporary dramas and comedies, and period pieces that are…well, dramas and comedies. it also doesn't include big genres like romance and psychological thrillers.
The ...