Characters want something - this is a basic building block of storytelling. Identifying what a main character wants is a big step in defining that character. Figure out how they go about trying to get it - that's the beginning of a story. Figure out what's stopping them from getting ...

In the animal kingdom there are many different groups, but the Ninepoint empire, run exclusively by cats is one of the most powerful. They don't like calicos though… Our story is about Marble, an orphaned Calico who was left for dead as a kitten and yet against all odds ...

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Benevolent racism, sexism, ableism, and whatever other “isim” is an interesting aspect of those otherwise negative things. It's not as obvious in its negativity, it's well-meaning and yet quite misguided. So what is it? The ...

Last time I wrote about villains making amends, after they decide to change their ways, flip sides, or generally become support to the protagonist, rather than the antagonist.

But for them to get there, there has to first come the realization that they are the villain of their story. And ...

I've started a few webcomics at this point, and all of them are ongoing…well, at least in theory.

There's always the question of where to start. What's page one gonna be?

With my first comic, Typical Strange, I LABORED over that decision for years.

Kind of ...

Hello there fellow Quackateers! I’ve been trying to get back into the swing of comic making but life has been hectic! As I was sitting down to work on some panels I found myself becoming frustrated at how long it was taking which got me thinking. So I thought ...

A tried and true story trope is the “forced together”.

I think it was the director Sidney Lumet who said that he really enjoyed the tension that came from
this kind of situation. Taking two people who would never choose to be together are stuck in
a bad situation. It ...

Photo: “Design A”. 2024 Drunk Duck Award Trophy Contest Entry. (May 2024)

Community contributions for this year’s Drunk Duck Awards Trophy Contest have already been pouring in the forums.

Get your original trophy design in the running for this year’s contest for the community to vote by sending ...

So your villain has just made a heel-face turn and is now one of the good guys. Yay!



…not so fast!

The moment where an antagonist turns on their own side and joins that of the protagonists is extremely powerful. But unless it is part of the overall story's ...

badum-tsss

I thought the first time I appreciated comedy that was “bad on purpose”, it was Fred Willard in Best in Show.
It's possible that some of his quips and comments were funny, or funny to some people…but the point of that character (a clueless commentator at a ...