Episode 228 - Conflicting conflicts conflict
Jul 19, 2015
This time we're talking about conflict in webcomic writing, and any writing in general really. Conflict is one of the main drivers of a story, so you pretty much have to have it in there somewhere! But how do you approach it? Do you set it up really carefully or just put a bunch of volatile characters together and see what happens? I think for a lot of us we don't think too much about the science of our conflicts, rather we approach it artistically and develop things by feel and instinct because conflict is such an intrinsic trait. But understanding how you use it can be very useful when you're writing satisfying resolutions and climaxes. A good understanding of the types of conflict in your story is also pretty essential when you're writing a good comedy (it's a great source of humour!), and also when you're explaining or selling your work to the public: It's all very well to chat about your clever setting and your funky characters, but conflict is the reason they're IN a story to begin with and that's really what will get people wanting to read out it. I hope you enjoy Gunwallace's great porn style music type theme for Tales of Two Tiny Titty bars!
Topics and Show Notes
Topics and shownotes
Featured comic:
Regarding Dandelions - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/Regarding_Dandelions/
/>
Based on Bane’s Newspost and forum post:
Thems fightin' words - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/news/2015/jul/08/thems-fightin-words-conflict/
/>Conflict - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/forum/topic/177030/
/>
Contributors:
Bravo - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/bravo1102
/>maskdt - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/maskdt/
/>Banes - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Banes/
/>Kimluster - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/KimLuster/
/>Gunwallace - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Gunwallace/
/>Ozoneocean - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/ozoneocean/
/>Ironscarf - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Ironscarf/
/>Usedbooks - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Usedbooks/
/>Irrevenant - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/irrevenant/
/>
The drunkduck awards - http://theduckwebcomics.com/Drunk_Duck_Awards_2015/5486338/
/>
Special thanks to:
Feature stripper Gunwallace for his lovely music - http://www.virtuallycomics.com
/>Banes, for his Quackcast hosting moxie - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Banes/
/>
The theme song by Gunwallace this week was for:
Tales from Two Tiny Tittybars - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/Tales_from_Two_Tiny_Tittybars/ by Moneko
Episode 225 - To Fan-service or not to fan-service
Jun 29, 2015
Today Banes and I talk about the subject of fan service in comics (and other pop-culture). This Quackcast was inspired by a newspost by HippieVan of that same title. We're helped in our discussion by the really interesting contributions of many smart people on DD... that we read out in High-larious voices! Is fan service a good thing? How do you think about it in stuff you read and see? Do you put it in your own work? Why? Why not? These were some of the things we talk about on the subject. Also, catch Gunwallace's great theme for Grueson!
Episode 211 - How Mary Sure Are You?
Mar 23, 2015
Hello hello hello! This week Ozoneocean and Banes pirate another of HippieVan's much discussed newsposts. When the test for Mary Sue was brought up in our recent writing tests Quackcast it generated some heated talk so HippieVan went a little deeper into it and people responded again. Banes and I discuss those responses and try to come up with some sort of consensus on how to more properly use the Mary Sue test and some of its pitfalls: i.e. it's highly context sensitive and can't be used easily on certain genres (Superhero etc), it's also something you as a writer typically don't have to worry about unless you're inexperienced- or so Banes and I believe.
Episode 209 - lurv triangles
Mar 9, 2015
Around about Valentine's day, HippieVan's mind turned to thoughts of love... and she conceived of a great newspost idea that was very popular with people! Love triangles are very good for generating drama in your writing without having to worry too much about forcing that through external events. And because they're primarily driven by you characters as well as affecting them it's a great way to build on your characterisation through the drama. In HippieVan's words we outline a few notable love triangles in fiction, both classic, and contemporary, then we include the contributions the DDers who were good enough to add their two cents to the subject.
Episode 206 - Turning An Idea Into A Comic
Feb 16, 2015
Back in January our own HippieVan was in a quandary as to how to turn a creative idea she had into a webcomic, so she decided to put it o the DD community and croudsource their wisdom via a newspost. Banes and I thought the topic would make a good Quackcast, especially since we could read out all the interesting and informative posts people made on the subject! Banes has also approached the idea previously for Quackcast 68 where he outlines a screen-writing method called "save the cat", also known as "The Banes' Method". That Quackcast was since deleted but as a special treat I will re-upload it!
Episode 204 - Talisman returns from exile
Feb 2, 2015
Way back in 2012 Ozone interviewed the marvellously talented and professional Barb Myers about her art and her fantastic comics. Well it's 2015 now and Barb has finally been able to put out the whole of her comic "Talisman: Return of the Exile" for sale on Amazon! So of course now was the perfect time to catch up for another chat. I first came across her lovely comic on Drunk Duck years and years ago when it was called "Return to Donelly", it was a beautiful looking piece of work and it rightly brought her to the attention of the pros. It was picked up for Keen spot and then a publisher wanted to sell it in bookshops everywhere. Well things went screwy after that and it never really reached its full potential unfortunately. It disappeared from radar totally. Well now it's BACK! You can buy this great 108 full colour fantasy comic book story for only $10 US dollars. Mine should get to me on about the 10th of February. ^_^
Episode 200 - DD community 2014 year in revue
Jan 5, 2015
OMG this is our 200th Quackcast! It's also the very first Quackcast of 2015! In this DD webcomics community podcast we invited people to tell us about some of the awesome, terrible and interesting things that happened to them in 2014, and tell us they did! Some of it realy amazingly trivially boring, like ozoneocean's contribution, some of it quite personal and honest, some of it just plain cool. Well, it's been a long year and an even longer time to reach 200 Quackcasts! Let's hope for many more. The glorious Pitface was our guest again, and she did some hilarious voices! It's great to have some more voice talent on show for once. And at the very end we have a precious little cameo by Tantz, the Greek sailorman! Happy Xmas and a merry New year!
Episode 197 - The sidekicks take over the QC
Dec 14, 2014
Carrying on from last weeks Quackcast inspired by Kawaiidaigakusei's Thoughtful newspost article "An Ode to Sidekicks", this time the DD community weighs in on the subject and they give us their wise, educated and highly considered expert opinions on the subject of the sidekick in stories! Again Kawaii joins Banes and I, but this time she practices her amazing talent for amusing voices, so for the first time since Skoolmunkee there's someone other than Banes and I doing a voice. Rachel Maddow drops in and even Matt Foley to tell us about his VAN down by the RIVER! All in all what people have to say about the different aspects of sidekicks in fiction is really quite interesting, have a listen and see! Oh, and Gunwallace's epic theme for Harkovast is fantastic, I can't wait for a Peter Jackson Movie adaptation!