Reposted: Of Heroes, Dark Heroes, Antiheroes, and the Next Generation of Readers

Take a look at this fantastic piece by Adam Lane Smith, readers: Heroes, Dark Heroes, Antiheroes, and the Next Generation of Readers Much has been made about the oft-lamented shift from Hero to Antihero and the modern obsession with romanticizing evil. Most frequently, I’ve heard this complaint directed at modern western media’s fixation on selecting …

Reposted: On Business and Politics

Take a look at this fantastic piece by Mr. Benjamin Cheah, readers: Where Politics and Business Collide April 20, 2020 In cyberpunk fiction, megacorps rule the world. But in our world, why would they? Old-school cyberpunk fiction was framed as a critique of hypercapitalism. Megacorporations have the same political clout as governments, if not more …

Reposted: Keeping Fantasy Fantastic

Check out this excellent post by Cheah Kit Sun, readers: Fantasy Without Fantasy Modernity has ruined fantasy. At one end of the scale, there is the slice-of-life tale, with ordinary people doing ordinary things, just with some counterfactual elements. At the other end, there is a setting that appears totally foreign to our reality–and yet …

A Review of the Heroine Archetype

It is almost impossible these days to avoid discussing the presentation of heroines in modern fiction. Many common misunderstandings of this archetype populate present stories, giving aspiring writers headaches as they try to figure out what they should do with the female characters in their tales. Should their heroine be better than the man in …

Reposted: What Makes A Story Dark?

Benjamin Cheah's latest piece has a lot of food for thought. Click the link to read the rest, future writers: What Makes A Story Dark? ‘Dark’ is an oft-seen descriptor for books, comics, movies, games and television shows these days. These media are usually packed with violence, swearing, sex scenes and the like. But does …

Is Subverting the Audience’s Expectations the Best Way to Go?

Writers today are often told that they absolutely have to subvert audience expectations in order to tell a compelling story. Notably, those who insist that authors do this never give a truly compelling case for why this has to be done with every single tale they tell. Most disturbingly, these advisers never say just where …

Reposted – Critique: 6 Tips for One Characters

​Check out this piece by K.M. Weiland: Critique: 6 Tips for Introducing Characters Most of the time, I hate real-life introductions. For one thing, I almost always forget the person’s name in the rush of shaking hands, smiling, and saying something charmingly banal. Then there’s the small talk, important but often tedious. Squirm. But that’s most of …