Tag Archives: story

Revisit: Because Good is Dumb

Posted on August 8, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

Posted on March 25, 2013, I do have more to say on this.  Now, the topic is how my heroes are unaware of what the villains are doing.  I’m sure it was meant as an insult now, but I do … Continue reading →

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Revisit: Runaway Characters

Posted on July 16, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

First posted on January 9, 2013, I like how it was creating goblin society and dryad breeding practices that stirred this topic.  Not Kira Grasdon constantly forcing me to reevaluate her path or Queen Trinity shifting further away from true … Continue reading →

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Revisit: Crushers of Souls and Puppies

Posted on July 14, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

This went live on January 2, 2013 and it comes off as fairly naive.  I seem so simplistic in my view on villains and what makes one good.  Not sure why I lacked any nuance, especially since I had to … Continue reading →

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Threats to Story Flow

Posted on April 23, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

Keeping a story flowing is more difficult than people realize.  In fact, I think there are multiple threats to this essential of storytelling.  These are from my own experience, so I’m sure there are more. Concurrent Adventures This is when … Continue reading →

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Revisiting Origins: Aedyn Karwyn

Posted on November 21, 2023 by Charles Yallowitz

Aedyn began like Fritz and Nimby as another player’s character in the game.  There was a big difference between him and them.  The guy playing Aedyn was more into the mechanics of the game than the character.  So, Aedyn wasn’t … Continue reading →

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7 Tips Playing the Long Game in Fiction

Posted on November 17, 2023 by Charles Yallowitz

One of the hardest things to do with a series is to have a message.  This is because you need to play the long game.  I mean, you can’t just have it be revealed in the first volume and then … Continue reading →

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Music Inspired Post: How Does It Make You Feel?

Posted on May 15, 2023 by Charles Yallowitz

I’m trying something new and weird this week.  Struggling for a blog post idea, I gave up while I drove into work.  ‘Blue Monday’ by Orgy showed up during the random song playlist and it got me thinking.  Don’t songs … Continue reading →

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Questions 3: The Heart of a Franchise

Posted on December 9, 2022 by Charles Yallowitz

Seems like everything coming out is either a reboot, reimagining, rewrite, or something that involves a pre-existing franchise.  This isn’t about originality being dead and nobody wanting to take a risk on a new franchise.  Instead, I’m thinking about how … Continue reading →

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In Medias Res: Starting a Story in the Middle

Posted on July 27, 2022 by Charles Yallowitz

This is what caused me to think up this week’s topic: IN MEDIAS RES.  I’d never heard of it even though I’m sure I’ve seen it.  This is very popular in film noir, but it shows up in plenty of … Continue reading →

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Questions 3: The Plot is the Glue or Something

Posted on March 18, 2022 by Charles Yallowitz

Last of the elements is plot.  This is the ‘what’ is happening to the characters and in the setting.  Also, you may want to explain ‘why’, which can overlap with the other two.  The simplest explanation is that these are … Continue reading →

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