We've all seen the cringy dialogue. The weirdly stereotypical and awkward situations. The sheer effort of the script writer, the novelist, or the comic book writer to write someone they don't know: a woman, or a man.
Too often the problem is very stark when comparing character designs ...
Writing Women, Writing Men
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, July 31, 2021FOMO and comic creation
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, July 30, 2021
Creating a webcomic can become akin to a second job. Although you set your own hours, it can lead to an underlying sense that you’re not “doing enough”. Balancing this anxiety can be challenging. Here are some tips to help you manage the feeling of “not doing enough”.
Recognise ...
Storytelling, Once Removed
Banes at 12:00AM, July 29, 2021
I was fishing for smelts the other day and scooped up an old bottle, with a rolled-up paper inside. It contained the following:
In older literature I think it was common to have a story told by a narrator who was never a part of the action. Someone who may ...
QUACKCAST 541 - Masks
Ozoneocean at 12:00AM, July 27, 2021 LISTEN on our new player!
Listen on Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/drunkduck-quackcast
Or TuneinRadio - https://tunein.com/podcasts/Books–Literature/Drunkduck-Quackcast-p1150194/
No, not surgical masks, this is about the kind superheros wear, also gimps, masquerades, villains and robbers! Inspired by Pitface and her deep and abiding love of ...
Mind Games
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, July 24, 2021
Sometimes the arch villain of the story is the one pulling all the strings in the background, and the protagonists don't know about them until the endgame.
And other times, the arch villain gets to clash with a protagonist (or an opposing character) that is also a mastermind pulling ...
Speaking in tongues - Character voice
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, July 23, 2021
Designing memorable characters doesn’t just stop at their appearance. The manner in which they speak and use body language is integral to building a full picture of who they are as a character as well as how others react to them. Here are some tips on how to make ...
Struggling Together
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, July 17, 2021
So this is a trope that unfortunately is very true in life as well. TV tropes calls it “We ARE Struggling Together” and I call it ‘the divided front’.
When the Big Bad is so bad that everyone agrees to set aside their differences to fight it off, then usually ...
Why you should edit at every step
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, July 16, 2021
There are many steps involved in creating comics. From planning to plotting, writing, scripting, sketching, pencils, inks or colour, not to mention everything in between! With so many balls in the air, it’s important to take a step back and make time to review. At each stage, where possible ...
QUACKCAST 539 - Schemers!
Ozoneocean at 12:00AM, July 13, 2021 LISTEN on our new player!
Listen on Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/drunkduck-quackcast
Or TuneinRadio - https://tunein.com/podcasts/Books–Literature/Drunkduck-Quackcast-p1150194/
Schemers can be part of some great stories when they're done well! When they're done badly though they're very annoying! Schemers, plotters and planers ...
The Test of Character
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, July 10, 2021
If you are in a fairy tale and encounter an Old Woman… never take that meeting lightly. It's usually a test of character: the manner in which you respond to her will be a measure of how kind, decisive, clever, obliging, evil, rude, crass, abusive, or idiotic you are ...