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 ...

Horror - Immersion and the Slow Burn
Banes at 12:00AM, Oct. 15, 2020Happy Endings
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Oct. 3, 2020
Who doesn't love a happy ending?
Eh, there are a good few people I've met that just turn their noses up at happy endings, because apparently according to their opinion, happy endings are for the weak.
But for all other normal people, a happy ending is a good ...
Pixar's Rules of Storytelling
Banes at 12:00AM, Aug. 13, 2020Pixar has had one of the most dedicated story teams in the business. Here are the Pixar rules of storytelling. I find them to be powerful and sensible! If you haven't seen this list before (I hadn't), here they are!
1. You admire a character for trying more ...
QUACKCAST 470 - What stirred your creative juices?
Ozoneocean at 12:00AM, March 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/
For this cast I'd thought we'd go through with our promise of last week and talk about things that have made us have a reaction ...
Planning Ahead vs The Thrill of Discovery
Banes at 12:00AM, Jan. 30, 2020A few Newsposts from our contributors have mentioned plotting or planning vs the pantsing or ‘discovery’ approach to writing.
Plotting, which is obviously building some kind of plan or outline, is an approach many writers swear by, at least to some degree. It might be a vague plan, with a ...
Not What They Seem
Banes at 12:00AM, Nov. 14, 2019
edward norton in “primal fear”
One of the things I like in fiction is characters who are not what they seem.
Like all things, this sort of thing can be done well, or badly, or somewhere in between. It can be fascinating and surprising, or cliche and predictable. It can ...
QUACKCAST 444 - 3point landing
Ozoneocean at 12:00AM, Sept. 17, 2019 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/
Endings… getting them right is SO very hard. We've chatted about this before but this time Tantz has a number of good methods to make them ...
Sticking the Landing
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Sept. 14, 2019
As it has been seen very painfully lately in TV, the best story, with the most excellent buildup and most powerful cast of characters will just collapse if the ending isn't good enough.
A technically happy ending that isn't good enough is not going to cut it- again ...
Bailing
Banes at 12:00AM, June 6, 2019
When do you bail on a series, movie or story?
We had a pretty fine conversation on the Quackcast last week that wandered into the category of “endings” and when they're set up well vs badly and such. I had a similar convo today with someone about various series ...
QUACKCAST 429 - Bad ends, not bad fans
Ozoneocean at 12:00AM, June 4, 2019 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/
This Quackcast was inspired by the fan reaction to Game of Thrones, a series that I haven't watched but Tantz and Banes have! Specifically it's ...