Category Archives: Thoughts

The Moral of the Story

Posted on March 1, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

Funny thing about stories with morals is that we typically grew up with them.  Then, we get upset when entertainment has messages.  Sure, there’s a trend of the message overshadowing the fun, but I’ve seen people get upset at the … Continue reading →

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Various Cardinal Symbol Systems

Posted on February 21, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

I mentioned that there have been plenty of uses of the cardinal directions to create fantasy and mythological systems.  Sometimes, you even have a 5th direction of ‘center’, which is important when we get to Wu Xing.  I wanted to … Continue reading →

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Cardinal Symbols in Fiction

Posted on February 19, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

Come to think of it, do people still care about the cardinal directions?  I remember being taught by my dad how to find north, south, east, and west.  It never stuck since I was supposed to use the sun.  I … Continue reading →

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Does the Hippocratic Oath Exist in Fiction?

Posted on February 14, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

First, it’s difficult to even figure out what the Hippocratic oath really is.  We tend to think immediately of doctors swearing to do no harm to their patients.  Yet, something like this doesn’t appear until the second to last paragraph … Continue reading →

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Different Ways to Heal in Fiction

Posted on February 12, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

Healing characters in fiction is always a challenge.  You don’t want to make it too easy or you lose tension.  Too hard and there’s no point in having the option.  The methods are a challenge as well because you have … Continue reading →

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Permanent vs Temporary Power Catalyst

Posted on February 9, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

This post might not be as long as I planned.  I mean, it’s pretty self-explanatory.  You can boil power catalysts down into two categories using what I mention in the title.  So, let’s look at each one. Permanent Power Up … Continue reading →

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Some of the Types of Power Catalysts

Posted on February 7, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

I’m going to say ‘some’ because I’m sure I’ll have missed something.  There are so many methods of triggering powers or magic.  Probably a bunch that haven’t been invented yet.  So, let’s dive into the list. Magical Ingredients/Gestures/Words I’m going … Continue reading →

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What Is a Power Catalyst?

Posted on February 5, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

Fiction that incorporates magic and powers tend to use a ‘power catalyst’.  This is something that is needed to trigger an ability.  I’ll go into the categories on Wednesday, so today is just an overview.  Mostly because I keep thinking … Continue reading →

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Characters With a Death Wish

Posted on January 22, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

I guess the quote above is what a literal death wish is.  That would be an acceptance that life has an ending and you’re okay with that eventuality.  Doesn’t sound like you’re wishing for death, which is how fiction tends … Continue reading →

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Should We Keep Pushing the Classics?

Posted on January 8, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

A conversation started at work between two coworkers and I got pulled into it.  One person was stating that they didn’t think the classics should be taught any more because it’s hard for students to connect.  The language is older … Continue reading →

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