STAKES
In a story, a Protagonist wants something, and some kind of obstacle is in the way. When the Protagonist makes a choice, good or bad, to take them to that goal, we're off and running!
But what happens if they don't get what they want? What happens ...
Quackast 389 - Intimidating Baddies
Ozoneocean at 12:00AM, Aug. 28, 2018 LISTEN!
What makes bad guy intimidating? Tantz Aerine made a great newspost about the question, carefully outlining various key bad-guy properties like confidence, composure, efficiency, and amorality. Banes, Pitface, Tantz and I stomp ALL over that, traipsing about like drunken, muddy rugby players, as we blather on about our opinions ...
Enter stage left - Introducing new characters
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, Aug. 24, 2018
Last week, we looked at killing off characters. So it seems only fitting to follow it up by talking about introducing new characters into your story! This is your quick cheat sheet to helping ease your readers into getting to know the new players in your world.
Try to introduce ...
Taking a swim with the fishes - Offing your characters
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, Aug. 17, 2018
There comes a time in any webcomic creator’s career where they have to be mean to their characters. And there is nothing meaner than letting the proverbial Sword of Damocles fall on a beloved (or equally unloved) character and watching their head roll to the chorus a shrill cries ...
Getting Back on the Proverbial Horse
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, Aug. 3, 2018
I have fallen off the comic horse quite a few times now and, no doubt, I will be bucked off a few more times yet. I have tried six comics and so far only two are looking like they’ll ever get finished. I have one finished novel, (which no ...
Quackast 384 - Brandcast, PR
Ozoneocean at 12:00AM, July 24, 2018 LISTEN!
You may have read about how a conspiracy theorist dug up some 10 year old tweeted jokes by director James Gunn and got him fired from Disney… Well that incident inspired this Quackcast, which is a re-take on the whole personal brand idea that we discussed in Quackcast 289 ...
Quackcast 383 - Slow burn
Ozoneocean at 12:00AM, July 17, 2018 LISTEN!
The idea for this Quackcast came from a rant by the irascible PitFace. She was talking about how there's a trend in modern SciFi and horror movies to bash you over the head with constant action and it doesn't allow you time to relax and take in ...
Your Javert's Options
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, June 2, 2018
So last time we had talked about the Javert trope, a category of character that is very compelling and makes for excellent drama, immense suspense and often gets their own following in fandom. (Just check out Saito Hajime's hero's journey as a prime example.)
The Javert character is ...
How far can a Reboot go?
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, May 19, 2018
So I came across this new announcement of a reboot (?) due in 2019 of the nostalgic cartoon Thundercats that most of us grew up with (fine, ok, I'm only dating myself with this).
I have always been partial to Thundercats, but not overly possessive. I didn't mind the ...