On plot armor

Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, July 8, 2023



Ok yes. Plot armor in general is considered a mistake. With good reason. Enough plot armor and there are no stakes left in your plot, and the audience isn't worried your plot-armored characters may not make it. And if there's no suspense, there's no engagement or the ...

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Character Upbringing

Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, June 17, 2023



In the whole “show don't tell” thing that is the holy grail of ‘good storytelling’ (yes but not always, this is for a newspost of another time) what they usually don't tell you is that behavioral patterns are your friend.

To show rather than tell, you need to ...



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Character Analysis: Levana from Vampire Girl

Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, May 27, 2023



It’s been quite a bit since I last made a character deep dive, but since I got a bit more time on my hands, here we are! Today’s Character Analysis is about Levana from Vampire Girl by Marie Kerns and J_Scarbrough!

So, first things first! Vampire Girl is ...



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The Prattler

Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, May 20, 2023



This character can be insufferably annoying.

No, this character is insufferably annoying, but it's up to you whether that's to the other characters or the audience. When written correctly, the prattler can be comedy gold or a swift ticket to the most delicious kind of schadenfreude: watching the ...



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The Slippery Slope (Or How to Make a Great Villain Origin Arc)

Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, May 6, 2023



Villains are tremendously important for a story. They set the framework and standard for a lot of things in an unsaid but definite manner: how far your villain is willing to go sets up audience expectations for how big and how dire the stakes will be in the story.

If ...



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Writing Overpowered Characters

Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, April 22, 2023




One of the most frequent ways to make characters stand out in fiction or myth is to give them a staggering, amazingly powerful ability. Something that mere talent doesn't give you. Something miraculous, larger than the largest life, unique and insurmountable:

Like a dude that can part an entire ...




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On Cruelty

Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, April 15, 2023



So for us Orthodox Christians it's Good Friday today and it'll be Resurrection Day (Good Saturday) by the time you're reading this. In the neighborhood where I live, a new (boisterous and with many members) family has moved in, who brought a live rooster a few days ...

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A Sense of Entitlement

Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, April 8, 2023



Entitlement. Privilege. Obnoxiousness.

We all deal with these things every day, whether we want to or not. It comes in all shapes and sizes. From the kid that throws a tantrum if they can't take some other random kid's toy to the adult that is pissed they stole ...



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Planning for the 2023 Drunk Duck Awards is Underway

kawaiidaigakusei at 12:00AM, April 3, 2023


Photo: “Casual Group Photo (Right Side)”. 2022 Drunk Duck Awards Community Project. (2022)

Niccea has spoken—The planning for the 2023 Drunk Duck Awards began last Friday, March 31, 2023. The two categories currently accepting volunteer sign-ups and art submissions in April 2023: Planning Committee and For Your Consideration (FYC ...


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Character Analysis: TK from Typical Strange

Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, March 25, 2023




Ok so here we are! Let’s get down into the weeds with Typical Strange’s TK!

…did that come out wrong? I’m sure TK would have a thing or two to say.

So, first things first. Typical Strange is the lovely creation of Banes. It’s a comedy ...






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