There's a weird hermit living at the edge of a street. Rumours fly about him and what he does all day, whether he's a criminal or a psychopath. People don't go near him or his property and any interaction is minimal. Until a young vagrant kid stumbles ...

Found Family
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Dec. 17, 2022Tension and Release and appreciation for Watcher
Banes at 12:00AM, Sept. 29, 2022
Watcher (2022) is a fairly unknown new movie, I think, and I recommend it. Simple, well-made, and scary.
Might as well get an early start on the October celebration, here - the fall is my favorite season, for so many reasons, including the time to celebrate our love for the scary ...
The Lull
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Nov. 27, 2021
So you've just written a kick-ass, exciting sequence, and you are already looking forward to the next awesome, kick-ass exciting sequence that is coming right up…
…after the dreaded lull: the scenes in a story that have to take place between the exciting sequences. The scenes where technically plot-wise ...
The Horror Group Shot
Banes at 12:00AM, Oct. 28, 2021
There are a handful of cinematic “group shots” that showcase an ensemble of characters in a memorable way.
The Avengers in their first movie have one where they're finally all together, back to back in a circle to face the invading alien army.
There's the Usual Suspects in ...
Scribbling for fun - The benefits of making art for yourself
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, Oct. 22, 2021
I have a script to write for one of our comics. We’re transitioning from one scene to another. It’s written in the outline, I can see the location in my mind, however I couldn’t think of how to put it into words. How would it open? What ...
The Duo
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Feb. 6, 2021
We've all been told how in story telling, showing is a lot better than telling.
Showing gets hard if your main character is a loner that interacts with nobody. Even harder if he/she is a stoic that emotes very little. The audience will have no way of knowing ...
Keeping to a schedule
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, Jan. 29, 2021
Maintaining an update schedule is beneficial to your readers and to yourself. Sticking to an update schedule encourages readers to come back. It becomes part of their routine and is often something they look forward to that day. They’ll remain invested in both you and your comic. That is ...
getting on track with subplots
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, Dec. 11, 2020
A subplot is a co-current narrative that runs alongside the main plot, often providing context, character development or further world building. They can be used to build further tension, explore other perspectives or themes.
The theme is what the overall story means. A subplot allows you to lend more emotional ...
The Characters Bring The Tension
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Nov. 7, 2020
When building tension, it's imperative to have high stakes within your story. It doesn't matter what kind of story it is. It could be a story about huge risks, like the end of the world or even the universe, or it could be a story about a girl ...
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 ...