Skip to content

Grumpy Wizard

Essays on Sword & Sorcery Fiction, Classic Adventure Gaming, and Heavy Metal Music

  • Home
  • Now
  • Contact
  • Recommended

Category: fiction

Sword & Sorcery Characters Don’t Change

On June 2, 2022June 2, 2022 By Travis MillerIn fiction, storytelling5 Comments

Sword & Sorcery protagonists don't change and that's just how we like it.

Writing and Storytelling are Not the Same Thing.

On May 12, 2022May 12, 2022 By Travis MillerIn fiction, storytelling1 Comment

Storytelling > Writing

A Technique for Avoiding Cliche

On September 14, 2020 By Travis MillerIn fiction, storytelling1 Comment

Here's a simple technique that may help you to avoid cliche and create stories with interesting details.

The Elements of Villainy

On July 10, 2020July 10, 2020 By Travis MillerIn fiction, game mastering advice, storytellingLeave a comment

In most genres of story, the protagonist has an internal shift from the beginning of the story to the end of the story. They believe something different, they have new skills or ideals, a new point of view. There are a few genres, like sword and sorcery or super hero stories, where that can happen …

Continue reading The Elements of Villainy

I Wish “The Chosen One” Would Fucking Die.

On November 1, 2019 By Travis MillerIn fictionLeave a comment

Most stories where there is a "chosen one" destined to save the world/galaxy/humanity are rarely executed well. There are a few notable exceptions. There is the Elric saga, in which case "the chosen one" is destined to destroy the world as a way to keep the balance of law and chaos. There is Paul in Dune, …

Continue reading I Wish “The Chosen One” Would Fucking Die.

Irony: A Little Dab Will Do Ya

On October 31, 2019 By Travis MillerIn fictionLeave a comment

Irony is a powerful tool for a storyteller. The juxtaposition of two unexpected things can create whole stories. Carrie: An awkward teenage girl with a crazy evangelical mother gets bullied at school but she has the power of telekinesis and gets back at her tormentors using that power. Irony can create a fascinating character. There are …

Continue reading Irony: A Little Dab Will Do Ya

In a World…

On June 17, 2019June 16, 2019 By Travis MillerIn fictionLeave a comment

I went about half way through a creative writing BFA program. It was wasted on me. It was not wholly a waste of money and time, I learned some important lessons. I learned that I loath literary fiction. The professors who teach it and the people who read only literary fiction will tell you that …

Continue reading In a World…

Posts navigation

Older posts

Search the Grumpy Wizard Archives

Travis Miller is a writer, storyteller, role-playing gamer.

He lives in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, with his wife, her collection of plants and animals and their delightful teenager. 

Follow Travis on Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Subscribe to get an email when I publish a new blog post.

Post Categories

Archive

Blogs I Follow

The Alexandrian

B/X Blackrazor

Hite Studios

Ten Foot Pole

Dweller of the Forbidden City

Delta’s D&D Hotspot

Hack & Slash

Joe Abercrombie’s Blog

From Kuroth’s Quill

Welcome To The Death Trap

Age of Dusk

Thews You Can Use

Witch House

The Pavilion Blog

Whetstone: Amateur Magazine of Sword & Sorcery

The Silver Key

#bedtimestory #swordandsorcery #lankhmar #fantasy #bookstagram #books Stories emerge from the events of a roleplaying game. The game is not itself a story, otherwise it ceases to be a game. Some days you are not going to accomplish as much as you want. We all have challenges, difficulty, and distractions. Even if you only manage a sentence or a paragraph, a quick sketch, a few ideas scribbles in your notebook... that's something. @rpg_ramblings Kickstarter is going well.  I have an essay in it.  Lots of other great essays and new monsters. Game masters get annoyed when their players don't engage with setting info. You are giving them too much knowledge all at once. Don't give long monologues at the table or send out huge texts to read before the campaign starts. Those of us who grew up in the 80's remember the Satanic Panic. It was a damaging phenomenon. The stories about human sacrifice and cults were on TV, in news magazines and books. My thoughts about the #D&D movie trailer. I see posts on Reddit, Twitter and elsewhere about DMs and players who try #oldschoolrenaissance games and get frustrated. Most of the time it's because they are trying to play an #OSR game like it's #dnd5e. There's an approach to the game that is fundamentally different. My wife likes the beach. I don't mind the beach so long as I have a  book.

Podcasts I Like

Tides of History

Hardcore History

RPG Ramblings

Unknown Worlds of the Merril Collection

My Most Recent Tweets

My Tweets

Category Cloud

design theory game business game mastering advice game report inspiration musings my campaign recommended storytelling Uncategorized
  • RSS - Posts
Blog at WordPress.com.
  • Follow Following
    • Grumpy Wizard
    • Join 911 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Grumpy Wizard
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
    To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy