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 ...

When I began working from home, it became clear very early on that my current work area needed a serious upgrade. My desk was surrounded by old letters, books and junk, I had piles of clothes on the floor, I kept knicking my partner’s chair because mine had begun ...

Last week we talked about “writing what you know” … but how about ‘knowing what you write’? I knew I wanted to do this one as soon as I posted the previous article…just for the title.

In a TV show, series of books, movie, printed comic series, or newspaper strip ...

An ancient old woman shambles up to a even older tree that stands alone and isolated on a bare green hill. She makes a request of it, undergoes an intense magical ritual and examines the the detritus and trinkets she's collected over the course of her life… What is ...

Melvin is visiting his best friend, Steve, in an unannounced and rather loud fashion one morning. The good thing about Melvin and Steve is that they can joke around constantly and throw in little jests while not getting upset with each other. The two are about to board a horse-drawn ...

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/

Today on this glorious date we chat about that part in stories where everything turns to crap for the protagonists, just before the run up to the ...

There are the mustache-twirling villains, that enjoy being evil. They're deliciously fun!

Then there are the nutjob villains. Those that are basket cases one way or the other, psychopaths or antisocial, unfettered madmen with a logic of their own that wreaks havoc upon the world. They're also very ...

A key aspect to creating a strong story is having believable characters. They are, after all, a key backbone to your narrative. So here are three tips that can help you put together a well rounded character.

1. Create a backstory
If you’re naming a character then you got ...

Usually in adventures, thrillers and other stories, when the main characters are romantically involved, the B plot (or even the A plot) is the ‘will they/won’t they' question: will they get together in the end, usually with a happy end scene of marriage, or some such thing. Romance ...

Creativity can be an elusive quality and to many, one they can never achieve. However, it is something everyone has, and in this article I’ll go through three ways you can maximise your creative juices.

Make it fun
As kids, we spend a lot of time playing, be with ...