World building is a cornerstone of any story. From your neighbourhood slice-of-life to an out-of-this world space opera the world in which the characters inhabit draws the reader and keeps them invested in the character’s struggles. Here are some questions to consider when constructing your new universe.
What is ...

The building blocks of world building
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, Nov. 6, 2020Happy Halloween! How's your Memento Mori?
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Oct. 31, 2020
Halloween, aka Eve of All Saints, is a Day of the Dead.
Days of the Dead exist in nearly every culture. There's the famous Dia de Muertos from Mexico, but there are also less known ones.
For example, in Greece we got “Soul Saturdays” which are basically two Saturdays ...
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 ...
Romanticising Something Terrible
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Oct. 24, 2020
Who doesn't love pirates?
Kids love to dress up as them in Halloween or during carnival season. There was whole a whole era of Hollywood where pirate movies were the blockbuster vein of gold. Pirates in fiction are charming, fun, dastardly, and the epitome of adventure.
Pirates in real ...
Monty Oum - "Keep moving forward"
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, Oct. 23, 2020
Recently I have been procrastinating on publishing a video. I have all the elements in there, it just needs the final touches, but when I look over it, I keep thinking, “Is this good enough?” “Will this be enough?” “Am I a fraud?” These questions plague me as I create ...
Telling Stories in Order to Close the Gap on Social Distance
kawaiidaigakusei at 12:00AM, Oct. 19, 2020
Inktober 2020 (October 18) Submission. “Trap” by Andreas_Helixfinger. Traditionally drawn with pencil and inked with fine liners and brush.
A freshly drawn picture for the “TRAP” Inktober theme on this corresponding day of Oktober 18th. A scene of my comic anti-heroine Molly Lusc at a museum, trying to steal a ...
The Work of the Mentor
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Oct. 17, 2020
Might as well get it out of the way: if you're a mentor in a story, chances are you're going on a boatride over the river Styx at some point.
When a mentor dies it's often the signal that the main character, the one being mentored, is ...
Musing with music
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, Oct. 16, 2020
When sitting down to write or sketch out a comic episode I reach for my 300+ song playlist, sit back and let the music take over my imagination. Whether it was through friends, Spotify or other online recommendations, I have a playlist set aside for each creative project I am ...
QUACKCAST 500 - Celebration!
Ozoneocean at 12:00AM, Oct. 13, 2020 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/
Finally we got to the five hundredth Quackcast! Wow! That's so many. We've been doing these for 10 years now. That's a long running ...
Character Design Brainstorming: The Monster Among Us
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Oct. 10, 2020
We live in a world of routine, predictability, and pedestrian problems. (2020 doesn't count. Much.)
Magic doesn't really seem to exist in our world.
Or does it?
Perhaps we live above a very thin surface, like floating on a tranquil lake, and just underneath it there are ghouls ...