You’ve got your amazing idea down for a story but how do you begin? You want to make your first chapter amazing! En medias res means opening in the midst of the plot. This way, exposition is bypassed, allowing you to fill it in more gradually, either through dialogue ...

En media res
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, Jan. 8, 2021The Significance of Names (Part 1)
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Nov. 27, 2020
Picking a name for your character is a pivotal moment. Almost like breathing life into them, the name you pick for them will give their identity a hue, a flavor that wouldn't be the same with any other name. Yes, a Rose by any other name would smell as ...
QUACKCAST 505 - Character Trajectory!
Ozoneocean at 12:00AM, Nov. 17, 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/
Character trajectories are really interesting- in terms of character alignment, like a good guy that slowly turns into a bad guy through a whole bunch of bad ...
The Highway to Hell
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Nov. 14, 2020
Unless they are an old-timey Disney villain or similarly classic cartoon villain, nobody wants to be evil or bad starting off. Nobody's ambition is to be the villain in their own story. (note I say ‘villain’ and not ‘antagonist’)
Everyone is out to be the hero.
So why aren ...
When characters don't follow the plan
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, Nov. 13, 2020
I’ve been revisiting a fantasy novel that I had fallen in love with as a teenager, The Axis Trilogy. As I was reading it I remembered what the author had said about the character Faraday and her intentions for her fate. She commented in an interview, “She was never ...
QUACKCAST 502 - Definitive character moments!
Ozoneocean at 12:00AM, Oct. 27, 2020 LISTEN on our new player!
Listen on Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/adarunkduck-quackcast
Or TuneinRadio - https://tunein.com/podcasts/Books–Literature/Drunkduck-Quackcast-p1150194/
What is the most definitive version of your character? Where does it pop up in your comic? What part of your work most defines your main character ...
Upgrading the Machine
kawaiidaigakusei at 12:00AM, Oct. 12, 2020
There are a lot of discussions pertaining to the idea that artificial intelligence and brain implants will be a huge part of the future. Cyborgs are a topic demonstrated in science fiction, such as when the Borg assimilated Captain Picard and seduced Data in Star Trek. It is argued that ...
Horror in Pieces
Banes at 12:00AM, Oct. 1, 2020
Now that's a little TOO scary!
Horror is perfect for metaphor and allegory. In fact, a horror story is often allegorical by default, what with its bizarre landscapes and freaky beasties.
Here are some categories of horror and some thoughts on what they symbolize:
Reality Bites
psycho killer! Qu ...