It is a typical evening in the study office for James Darius Deckard when a large earthquake interrupts the news. The culprits behind the cataclysmic event were a group of ordinary humans who have acquired super powers, and now go by names like Osiris, Morning Star, and Storm Drake. The ...
One is a Tragedy, A Thousand's A Statistic
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Jan. 30, 2021
The original quote from which the title is derived is attributed to Joseph Stalin. And while it can sound cynical and harsh, it is unfortunately true: the human mind boggles beyond a cut off point when it comes to grasping numbers tangibly, not theoretically. When the numbers become too high ...
Cartooning With Banes - Focal Points, Characters and some such stuff like that
Banes at 12:00AM, Jan. 28, 2021
An advantage of comics as a medium is to be able to use still images to tell the story, and create an impression or feeling in the reader that runs deeper than words can do. Or at least, the images can strengthen the experience and make something people hopefully get ...
The Unlikable Good Guy
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Jan. 23, 2021
Some characters are the heroes.
Some characters are the villains.
And some characters are just punchable. But not actually bad, or even antagonists- though sometimes they can be towards specific characters rather than the general plot goals.
Every time this type of character opens their mouth to say something, our ...
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 ...
QUACKCAST 509 - Saltcast
Ozoneocean at 12:00AM, Dec. 15, 2020 LISTEN on our new player!
Listen on Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/drunkduck-quackcast
Or TuneinRadio - https://tunein.com/podcasts/Books–Literature/Drunkduck-Quackcast-p1150194/
Escapist fiction Vs Gritty and real style fiction… Furwerk-Studio made an interesting post about this subject. They were annoyed at people who dismiss escapism as something lessor ...
Danko's Flaming Heart
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Dec. 5, 2020
I couldn't have been older than 11 when I read The Flaming Heart of Danko by Maxim Gorky. And boy, did it cut me with the finest of fine glass. Even now thinking about the short story hurts somewhere deep in my soul.
And yet, I love it so ...
The Significance of Names (Part 2)
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Nov. 28, 2020
When constructing your world, be it in fantasy or within a realistic/historical/existing place, the names you pick are very important.
They are important for suspension of disbelief and immersion: how consistent the names are, how congruent with what reality the audience reasonably comes to expect within the framework ...
Nostalgia for a Time Never Experienced
kawaiidaigakusei at 12:00AM, Nov. 9, 2020
Anemoia describes the feeling of missing a time never experienced personally. Movies know how to inspire this feeling whenever a particular orchestra song from the previous century is played during a period piece of a Miami nightclub from the 1950s or whenever synthesizer pop and electric guitar solos transports people ...
The building blocks of world building
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, Nov. 6, 2020
World building is a cornerstone of any story. From your neighbourhood slice-of-life to an out-of-this world space opera the world in which the characters inhabit draws the reader and keeps them invested in the character’s struggles. Here are some questions to consider when constructing your new universe.
What is ...