CATHARSIS
from the Best of Banes Collection


A writing instructor once gave me brief advice on how to write a story, structurally speaking. It was 1/4 Act One setup, 1/2 Act Two complications and rising stakes (I think), and about 1/4 An Act Three “cathartic ending”.

I ...

Lotos and Cybil, both young women in their early twenties, leave the tavern they both work late one evening when they encounter the May Queen, a dryad that lives in the woods. At first, it was a good idea that the two ladies stayed close together after they left work ...

Savannah cat is a little cutie. She's perfectly comfortable in her house with all the other cats around her, getting fat and fluffy, but the big wide world outside her window beckons! So she waddles her way out the cat door and begins her adventures… It's not a ...

A story can be strengthened by coordinating the first and final images in some way.

It's not a hard and fast rule; it's not a rule at all. But it can be worth trying out in your writing!

The movie Halloween (there it is! I had to start ...

Welcome to a stream of consciousness.

There are times, more than we might like to admit, when we encounter the chasm of blank thought that is writer’s block. So often in fact, that there are countless books, articles and videos on how to get around it; to spark your ...

Today we'll talk sequel and series character arcs

Last Week we talked about character arcs. They're an important element of fiction writing…although a lot of the time, there is no arc! But a strong, unpredictable character arc can be a great help in driving a story from ...

Last week I decided to be indulgent and explain where I came from as a webcomic creator and this week I am finishing that story, at least up to where I am now. It was so lovely reading all your comments about your origins. It is very easy to look ...

Toni Kino befriends a happy little dog, rescuing it from a grumpy old bearded guy who claims it's getting into his dreams. Of course Toni isn't having any of that nonsense and brings home the dog to his daughter. But pretty soon he starts to have strange encounters ...

We had a big snowfall two weeks ago, and I was out driving the city in it (I have a part time delivery job).

My car and I held up pretty well in it, and that was satisfying. As the news warned people to stay off the roads, I was ...

A pet is wonderful to have in your life- they will usually love you unconditionally and give you moments of solace with their antics. They become a member of the family, they have personalities that make them unique across all other pets you will ever have and across species. You ...