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 ...
Danko's Flaming Heart
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Dec. 5, 2020Living with mistakes
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, Dec. 4, 2020
We create two comics.
One story has been methodically planned out, step by step. There’s a master plan. The chapters are written in their entirety over 40 pages. They are sketched, edited, inked and coloured all at once. When the chapter is over, we review the plan, make adjustments ...
The Struggle for Reality
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Nov. 21, 2020
What is real, really?
Can we trust our senses that what information they are giving us is objective? There are many thinkers and philosophers that posit we cannot. That as long as the messages get to our brains, it feels real even if it isn't.
If we can't ...
The Highway to Hell
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Nov. 14, 2020
Unless they are an old-timey Disney villain or similarly classic cartoon villain, nobody wants to be evil or bad starting off. Nobody's ambition is to be the villain in their own story. (note I say ‘villain’ and not ‘antagonist’)
Everyone is out to be the hero.
So why aren ...
When characters don't follow the plan
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, Nov. 13, 2020
I’ve been revisiting a fantasy novel that I had fallen in love with as a teenager, The Axis Trilogy. As I was reading it I remembered what the author had said about the character Faraday and her intentions for her fate. She commented in an interview, “She was never ...
QUACKCAST 504 - Decompression
Ozoneocean at 12:00AM, Nov. 10, 2020 LISTEN on our new player!
Listen on Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/adarunkduck-quackcast
Or TuneinRadio - https://tunein.com/podcasts/Books–Literature/Drunkduck-Quackcast-p1150194/
For our Patreon video I decided to dress as the WW2 Captain America (from the movie, Captain American the First Avenger). That and the very de-compressed nature ...
The Characters Bring The Tension
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Nov. 7, 2020
When building tension, it's imperative to have high stakes within your story. It doesn't matter what kind of story it is. It could be a story about huge risks, like the end of the world or even the universe, or it could be a story about a girl ...
Uncompressed Storytelling
Banes at 12:00AM, Nov. 5, 2020
stretchin' out them stories!
I think I first heard the phrase “uncompressed storytelling” via the great John Byrne, comic artist and writer, and man of very strong opinions. He was criticizing some other writer or comic series (I don't remember which one) about hinting at stories that wouldn't ...
Shuffling a character off this mortal coil
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, Oct. 30, 2020
Whether it be planned from the beginning, or a sudden decision, some characters just have to go. As a creator, one should endeavour to do it for the right reasons. Shuffling off this mortal coil may be a catalysing event for the plot, a much needed kick for the protagonist ...
Happy Endings
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Oct. 3, 2020
Who doesn't love a happy ending?
Eh, there are a good few people I've met that just turn their noses up at happy endings, because apparently according to their opinion, happy endings are for the weak.
But for all other normal people, a happy ending is a good ...