Here's a simple technique that may help you to avoid cliche and create stories with interesting details.
Category: fiction
The Elements of Villainy
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 …
I Wish “The Chosen One” Would Fucking Die.
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, …
Irony: A Little Dab Will Do Ya
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 …
In a World…
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 …
Story is A Physiological Experience
Human understanding of our own brain function is very rudimentary. Even though the science has progressed, we still don't know very much about what happens when we watch a film, read a book or have a story told to us. I am very fascinated by the biological response to story and I believe that as …
RIP Gene Wolfe
Gene Wolfe passed this week. His most well known work, The Book of The New Sun has had a impact on how I think about fiction and gaming. An important lesson I learned is that fiction doesn't have to be "fun." It's a challenging work to read and take in. In decades to come, academics will …
Grumpy Wizard 