So maybe the verb ‘hate’ is excessive, but there are some tropes that can really throw me off a story. Or perhaps, what throws me is the way they are used. I firmly believe that any trope can be part of a solid, enjoyable story, even the ones I hate ...

Tropes I Hate
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Oct. 2, 2021Children's Stories
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Sept. 18, 2021
When I was growing up in the 80s, stories that were marketed as ‘children’s' were occasionally brutal.
Characters got maimed or killed, tortured or traumatized, met with horrid ends in worlds that were anything but rosy. And this was a pattern that wasn't limited to, say, English literature ...
When your readers guess correctly
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Aug. 28, 2021
So you have uploaded your latest page, and it's one of your best.
The story is at a point where the suspense is cranking up to eleven. The plot thickens. Everyone wonders what is going to happen next…
…and then that one fan GETS IT RIGHT. Right there in ...
Making mistakes in your writing
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, Aug. 27, 2021
Last week I wrote about what you can do when you make mistakes in the artwork of your webcomic. A mistake in the writing is oftentimes harder to fix than the artwork. Foreshadowing and building of the world’s foundations is baked into what you write, so when you finally ...
Mundane Activities
Banes at 12:00AM, Aug. 26, 2021
A conceit or gimmick on the series ‘24’ was that it took place in real time. One hour on the show was one hour of activities, and the 24-episode season covered the events of a single day.
As entertainment, I loved that show, and appreciated the gimmick of it with ...
CtW: Normalize the Strange
damehelsing at 12:00AM, Aug. 22, 2021
pst… CtW stands for Changing the World and has to do with my article here - also I really liked everyone's comments in that article, great stuff!
Before the last Sunday I discussed about how tough it is (for me personally) to combine the regular human world as we know ...
Staying Organized
damehelsing at 12:00AM, Aug. 15, 2021
It’s no secret that having a healthy work life revolving around your webcomic could be because of organization.
Staying organized can help you understand where your characters are, the path they’re taking and their part to play in the story, and that could eventually help you figure out ...
Reanimating creativity with a one-shot
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, Aug. 13, 2021
The beauty of writing a one-shot or short story is that it is self contained. It is a stand alone creative piece that gives you license to play with a new writing style, drawing aesthetic or explore a level of detail you may not be able to sustain over a ...
Changing the World
damehelsing at 12:00AM, Aug. 8, 2021
I think a lot of us have dreams of growing up and changing the world. Impacting it in some great way. Or if you’re villain type, maybe in a bad way.
Anyway, now that I got your attention with changing the world.
I’m not talking about changing “our ...
The Torture of Watching
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Aug. 7, 2021
Greece is burning, as I'm writing these lines.
There is fire everywhere, and it's only getting worse. It's probably going to extinguish itself in the sea, when it gets there, in all areas, from central Greece to Attica to Euboia. The ecological disaster is enormous. The consequences ...