Some characters are the heroes.
Some characters are the villains.
And some characters are just punchable. But not actually bad, or even antagonists- though sometimes they can be towards specific characters rather than the general plot goals.
Every time this type of character opens their mouth to say something, our ...

The Unlikable Good Guy
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Jan. 23, 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 506 - The fightcast
Ozoneocean at 12:00AM, Nov. 24, 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/
Today we chat about fight scenes! This was spurred by a post in our forums about how bad fight choreography can spoil a film. Our Patron vid ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Character Design Brainstorming: The Witch
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Sept. 19, 2020
The witch is different than a sorceress, though their affinity with magic and their powers often can overlap: the sorceress carries status; the witch carries fear.
It's not that the sorceress is not potentially feared or the witch is not potentially respected- it's that the core of their ...
Character Design Brainstorming: The Holy Man (or Woman)
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Sept. 12, 2020
The Holy Man or Woman may be within the clergy, but that isn't necessarily the case.
They are simply the person that has found enlightenment, or self actualization, depending on how secular your story (and your approach) is.
They are the character that doesn't have all the answers ...
Character Design Brainstorming: The Sorceress
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Sept. 5, 2020
The Sorceress is a powerful figure in fiction, just like the Priest/Priestess/Clergy.
In works where magic or God are present and in direct communion with the characters, both can perform miracles, or otherwise astounding feats beyond normal mortal limits.
In works where there is no magic or God ...