Category Archives: Thoughts

Exaggerated Conditions in Fiction

Posted on March 25, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

I was watching a show, which was rather good.  The name was ‘Almost Paradise’ and it was a crime show with some comedy.  The main character goes to a tropical island because he suffers from high blood pressure.  This means … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

Creating Fictional Plants: 9 Times Out of 10 They’re Carnivorous

Posted on March 18, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

I realized that I’ve talked a lot about designing monsters over the years.  Always a focus on the animals though.  A plant-based creature might show up at times, but there are still animalistic characteristics.  This seems wrong.  An environment is … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Beware the Ideas of March: Doom Omens

Posted on March 15, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

I don’t really know much about doom omens beyond what they are.  These are warnings about disaster approaching.  Sometimes they’re specific, but they tend to be vague and riddle-like.  I keep thinking of Casandra from Greek mythology too where she … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Characters Falling From Grace on Purpose

Posted on March 13, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

The character above is Vegeta, who is a character from Dragon Ball Z.  He started as an enemy and eventually moved his way into ally.  At several points in the series, his pride gets the best of him and he … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Discovering a New Land in Fiction

Posted on March 4, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

The exploration of a new land is kind of a staple in fantasy adventures.  We don’t really pay much attention to it unless it’s the main plot of the story.  It’s usually seen as a shift to a new location … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

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 →

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , | 31 Comments

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 →

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 25 Comments

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 →

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

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 →

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

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 →

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments