mythcreantsblog

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Movies. If there’s one thing we know about them, it’s that they aren’t books. Probably. They’re much more likely to have a bwaaaaaah sound effect, that’s for sure. And yet, new authors often write their novels as if they were writing a film script, abandoning the strongest tools at a novelist’s disposal. We call that film POV, and it needs to stop! Fortunately, today’s episode is about how to fix it.

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“Shield of Sparrows” sounds like the title of a George R. R. Martin book. From that, I would expect an epic fantasy with lots of warfare. But this book by Devney Perry is a romantasy. Maybe it’s a romantasy with epic warfare?

The book only came out in May, and it apparently already has an Amazon MGM movie in the works! I understand the point of adapting a book with a large fanbase, but a book that isn’t yet published doesn’t have one of those. Yet companies have been betting big on this book. Is Shield of Sparrows worth the hype? Let’s look and see!

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Every time a new TTRPG comes out with the goal of unseating D&D, it’s just that XKCD comic about competing standards again. We’d love to see D&D unseated, but we suspect that if it happens, it’ll be more to do with corporate mismanagement than a plucky new rival.

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People often say “no one asked for this” when roasting a show or movie they didn’t like, which is weird if you stop to think about it. Many great shows were not asked for. If creators told stories based on opinion polling, we’d never be surprised, and that sounds pretty dismal.

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This video right here has been a divine gift to us as editors. You could not ask for a more stark and easy to understand demonstration of our principles. Don't dink around with unimportant stuff, and there should be something critical on the line at the finale!

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Pro tip to think piece writers who aren’t into fantasy: If Lord of the Rings is the only book you know from the genre, you can just talk about Lord of the Rings. You don’t have to say “fantasy” when you’re exclusively thinking about hobbits and magic rings.

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This week is all about the trials and tribulations of giving kids to your important characters. Or at least it will be, once we finish venting our spleen about the final scene of a certain popular TV show. Writers, please: sons are not spiritual clones of their fathers. It’s weird when a story acts like a guy didn’t really die because he has a male heir to carry on his line. Also: Baby Yoda is pretty cool.

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I was there, Gandalf. I was there 3,000 years ago, when Mythcreants compared the ANTS from the first seasons of three dark streaming shows. Which means just enough time has passed for all three of them to finally get a second season! Obviously I’ve got to check back in and see how well they compare. How do their scores in attachment, novelty, tension, and satisfaction fare now? There’s no way I’ll be disappointed because a show I loved now has a lackluster sequel, right?

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Welcome to the second half of this two-part examination of the ways authors depict abuse without intending to. In part one, we looked at commonly overlooked patterns, like repeated verbal attacks, that are definitely abusive. Today, we are looking at warning signs for abuse. The more different warning signs are happening, the more frequent they are, and the more severe they are, the more likely a situation is to be abusive.

For example, if an employer isolates one employee by giving them jobs that require them to work alone but there aren’t any other warning signs, it is concerning but probably not abusive. However, if that same employer also uses financial control to trap their employee and force them to do things they don’t want to do, it’s definitely abusive.

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Unlike every other piece we’ve seen about the problem of men not reading enough, this one focuses on guys who are trying to solve the problem by encouraging men to read, rather than stoking weird grievances against women. Amazing! 

There’s still a little grievance stoking, as a treat, but it’s a big improvement on how this is usually covered.

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Fiction is very fond of the judicial duel, aka trial by combat, in which legal disputes were settled by stabbing the other guy dead. But historically, this kind of duel was very rare. More common was the type of duel where two dudes throw such a tantrum that only attempted murder will settle it.

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Author: “I want to bring in a cool new empire from across the sea!” 

Editor: “You have several empires in the setting already. Use one of them.” 

Author: “BUT THIS ONE WILL BE SHINY”

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It remains a great tragedy that the objectively amazing  line “I don’t care if you win, I need Kylo Ren to lose” is from a movie as awful as Rise of Skywalker.

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We talk a lot about turning points, where a character overcomes challenges and saves the day. But what if they don’t? Turning points can go in either direction, after all. The downward variety is most common for villains, but it can apply to heroes, too. How do you make sure this sad ending feels earned, whether it’s a minor bump in the road or a permanent end? Is there a way to keep your readers from rioting? The answer is a solid maybe.

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Storytellers frequently depict abuse without knowing it. Given how much misinformation about abuse is out there, this isn’t surprising. Unfortunately, these unintentional depictions spread misinformation, making people more vulnerable to real-world abuse. For example, stories that portray verbally abusive bosses as normal make it easier for some real-world bosses to get away with abusing their employees.

Because abuse is such a large topic, this two-part discussion focuses on types of abuse that many storytellers miss. Part one covers lesser-known patterns of abuse and actions that cross a line into abuse. In part two, we’ll look at warning signs for abuse.

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In casual lingo, the term “inciting incident” stands for a whole bundle of plotting concepts. When people say a story needs an inciting incident, it can mean the story’s beginning is too slow, the entire story is too slow, or that the story doesn’t have a plot at all. This ambiguity leaves storytellers in a tricky position. They are told they need an inciting incident, but it’s difficult to puzzle out what it exactly is and what it means for their story.

The root of this confusion is that “inciting incidents” are actually a poor way to conceptualize how a plot should begin. Let’s look at why this is and what you actually need to know to get the story going.

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If you’ve ever wondered how people can get excited about another tired legacy sequel, and then your favorite franchise gets a legacy sequel which makes you excited, you’ve got your answer.