When it comes to villains, we’ve seen the clichés. Dark lords. Psychopaths. Petty super villains who kill their own henchmen. We’ve also heard the advice. Villains need personal goals. Villains need depth. Villains need to be the heroes of their own stories. In my experience, conversations about villains get overshadowed by the question of whether … Read more
When I’m immersed in fantasy, a trance envelopes me. There’s something about great fantasy storytelling that trumps all other genres in drawing me into the world and story. Call me crazy, but I think I’m onto something here. And that something is the recipe for the domination of the imagination. Much like The Hero with … Read more
A common trait of beginner fiction is that its protagonists are all – to use the technical term – “total badasses.” They have no appreciable sense of fear, pain, apprehension, or doubt. They take multiple drastic wounds without slowing down, are threatened with all manner of terrible fates without flinching, and always seem to know … Read more