Tag Archives: stories

Perspectives of Tropes

Posted on August 8, 2022 by Charles Yallowitz

We all know this topic since I touch on it from time to time.  For those who don’t know, tropes are things that are used very often in a genre.  They are similar to clichés, but not always seen as … Continue reading →

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Starting Stories at the Start

Posted on July 25, 2022 by Charles Yallowitz

Did you know that a story can start at any point?  I’m sure most people did, but they aren’t always easy to pull off.  I’ve never had the urge to start a story from the middle or the end, but … Continue reading →

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Questions 3: Setting the Scene

Posted on March 16, 2022 by Charles Yallowitz

Element two is setting, which is what the picture above mentions.  If characters are the who then this is the what and when.  Setting is always more than just a location, but the time of events as well.  Is it … Continue reading →

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Elements of a Story: The List of 7

Posted on March 11, 2022 by Charles Yallowitz

Next week, I’m going to be doing a bunch of ‘Questions 3’ that revolve around the elements of a story.  Mostly, I’m curious to see what people think.  This also stemmed from finding a variety of lists for story elements.  … Continue reading →

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#1 Post of 2021: What is Plot Armor?

Posted on January 31, 2022 by Charles Yallowitz

(Post originally published July 5, 2021.  That was a leap.  Guess things died once the summer started.) I was surprised when I ran into people who had never heard of ‘Plot Armor’.  It’s been around for a while and gets … Continue reading →

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#2 Post of 2021: 7 Tips to Balancing the Humor and the Heavy

Posted on January 24, 2022 by Charles Yallowitz

(Post originally published on April 5, 2021.  Still in the colder part of that year.) I like to included humor in my stories.  Yet, I don’t want them to be seen as comedies.  I like to touch on heavy topics … Continue reading →

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7 Tips to Writing a Zany Story

Posted on November 3, 2021 by Charles Yallowitz

Writing a crazy or zany series isn’t easy.  Many people think it is because they believe you just throw everything out there.  Yet, there does have to be something to hold the events and characters together.  Otherwise, you have an … Continue reading →

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Questions 3: The Author Vessel/Surrogate/Avatar

Posted on July 23, 2021 by Charles Yallowitz

Many authors insert either themselves or a version of themselves into a story.  It could be a realistic version or even an idealistic.  Maybe you’re a side character or a cameo, but other times the author may be the protagonist.  … Continue reading →

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Eucatastrophe: It’s a Real Word, Spellchecker

Posted on July 12, 2021 by Charles Yallowitz

Coined by J.R.R. Tolkien, this type of event is one that closely resembles Deus Ex Machina.  That means people don’t like it.  Tolkien did say that this could happen with the use of Deus Ex Machina, but that isn’t easy … Continue reading →

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What’s an Idiot Plot?

Posted on July 9, 2021 by Charles Yallowitz

I was trying to find what would be the opposite of ‘Plot Armor’ when I came across this term.  It is: Idiot Plot–  The story is only able to continue because everyone involved is an idiot.  This means that they … Continue reading →

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