I couldn't have been older than 11 when I read The Flaming Heart of Danko by Maxim Gorky. And boy, did it cut me with the finest of fine glass. Even now thinking about the short story hurts somewhere deep in my soul.
And yet, I love it so ...
Danko's Flaming Heart
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Dec. 5, 2020The building blocks of world building
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, Nov. 6, 2020
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 ...
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 ...
Horror - Immersion and the Slow Burn
Banes at 12:00AM, Oct. 15, 2020
I just started the Netflix series called “The Hanting of Bly Manor”.
It's hard to say how it's going to turn out in the end, since I'm just at the beginning. But overall so far, I'm enjoying the thing. There are many unanswered questions already, and ...
Insert title here (tips for titling your comic)
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, Sept. 11, 2020
You have your story, your characters, your outline is looking schmick and you have a good buffer under your belt. Now what do you call all of it? Today I have some tips on how you can come up with the perfect name!
Know your genre
If you’re mentioning ...
On the Purging of the Past in Art
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, July 4, 2020
First off, Happy 4th of July to all USA Duckers!
Recently I listened to Lindsey Ellis' excellently made video essay on so-called ‘woke Disney’: the company's attempt to remake or edit or outright hide past works because they are now judged to be problematic in some way or other ...
A Character's Free Will
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, June 20, 2020
Whether we have free will or not is a philosophical, existential and psychological conundrum that will forever tease and challenge us. While I can't speak for philosophers, I can for psychologists:
Behaviorists will tell you it doesn't exist (look up Skinner); Cognitive behaviorists will tell you it's ...
Second Guessing Yourself
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, June 6, 2020
Constructing a story is a work of high creativity and love. Enthusiasm and personal interest in it are required if the story is to have quality and engagement, be unique and full of personality. While writing we look forward to certain scenes or sequences that we expect to have special ...
Defining Events
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, May 16, 2020
What made a character be who he/she is? What is it that drives them, and why?
That's the allure of any origin story: we get to see how characters we look up to or love or love to hate came to be who they are.
Most, if not ...
The Genre Defines the Lines
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, May 9, 2020
We grin and support John Wick as he ploughs through dozens of people per minute in his revenge quest over his murdered dog and ruined car, but we gasp with shock when the Wicked Witch of the East pursues a single person to take revenge for killing her sister with ...