Mythcreants
@mythcreants.bsky.social
An online publication for speculative fiction storytellers. To better understand and tell the stories we love, we analyze popular works, theorize on storytelling craft, and explore the technical aspects of writing.
"How do you establish a voice readers would cozy up to… not just for 90 minutes, but potentially for weeks?"
mythcreants.com/blog/after-s...
mythcreants.com/blog/after-s...
After Screenwriting, Here’s How I Tamed My Fear of Prose
Fade in… a blank page.
mythcreants.com
December 13, 2025 at 11:00 PM
"How do you establish a voice readers would cozy up to… not just for 90 minutes, but potentially for weeks?"
mythcreants.com/blog/after-s...
mythcreants.com/blog/after-s...
"In short, the stakes are a threat: a negative outcome that might happen in the future."
mythcreants.com/blog/stakes-...
mythcreants.com/blog/stakes-...
Stakes: Everything Storytellers Need to Know
What stakes are, how to raise them, and what makes them compelling.
mythcreants.com
December 12, 2025 at 3:46 PM
"In short, the stakes are a threat: a negative outcome that might happen in the future."
mythcreants.com/blog/stakes-...
mythcreants.com/blog/stakes-...
Spare a thought for the poor video game writer who has to somehow convince players that their situation is desperate without ever having them lose a fight.
December 11, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Spare a thought for the poor video game writer who has to somehow convince players that their situation is desperate without ever having them lose a fight.
Good good, Fallout Season 2 isn’t even out yet and the discourse is already intolerable.
December 10, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Good good, Fallout Season 2 isn’t even out yet and the discourse is already intolerable.
On the one hand, Magical Realism is a real genre with tangible qualities. On the other hand, it also seems to be a label that more literary readers put on any fantasy story they like. You never know which one you’re gonna get!
December 9, 2025 at 3:28 PM
On the one hand, Magical Realism is a real genre with tangible qualities. On the other hand, it also seems to be a label that more literary readers put on any fantasy story they like. You never know which one you’re gonna get!
565 – Emotional Conflicts
Your characters are fighting, but do they feel it?
mythcreants.com
December 7, 2025 at 5:03 PM
"maybe John Wilkes Booth simply overpowers you. He’s got the thousand-yard stare of a theater kid combined with the desperation of no longer being able to own human beings"
mythcreants.com/blog/the-pro...
mythcreants.com/blog/the-pro...
The Problem With Closed Loop Time Travel
Changes to the timeline will not be tolerated!
mythcreants.com
December 6, 2025 at 5:00 PM
"maybe John Wilkes Booth simply overpowers you. He’s got the thousand-yard stare of a theater kid combined with the desperation of no longer being able to own human beings"
mythcreants.com/blog/the-pro...
mythcreants.com/blog/the-pro...
"When audiences are annoyed by a motivation that doesn’t seem plausible, they often complain that the storyteller is sacrificing characters for the plot. But this is not a productive way of looking at it."
mythcreants.com/blog/the-why...
mythcreants.com/blog/the-why...
The Why & How of Character Motivation
Your characters and your plot all depend on the right motivations.
mythcreants.com
December 5, 2025 at 4:07 PM
"When audiences are annoyed by a motivation that doesn’t seem plausible, they often complain that the storyteller is sacrificing characters for the plot. But this is not a productive way of looking at it."
mythcreants.com/blog/the-why...
mythcreants.com/blog/the-why...
We’re big fans of mastering the fundamentals of storytelling before trying anything fancy. You might say we’re fundamentalists. Wait that sounds terrible oh no
December 4, 2025 at 4:15 PM
We’re big fans of mastering the fundamentals of storytelling before trying anything fancy. You might say we’re fundamentalists. Wait that sounds terrible oh no
All genres are fuzzy, but once a list of “Best Dark Academia Books” recommends something because the main character is a bit nerdy, it might be time to reevaluate your criteria.
December 3, 2025 at 3:49 PM
All genres are fuzzy, but once a list of “Best Dark Academia Books” recommends something because the main character is a bit nerdy, it might be time to reevaluate your criteria.
Tired: Arguing about how accurate Stranger Things is to the 80s.
Wired: Arguing about Stranger Things’ writing quality.
Inspired: Arguing about how the sorcerer class wouldn’t exist until over a decade later AND FURTHERMORE
Wired: Arguing about Stranger Things’ writing quality.
Inspired: Arguing about how the sorcerer class wouldn’t exist until over a decade later AND FURTHERMORE
December 1, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Tired: Arguing about how accurate Stranger Things is to the 80s.
Wired: Arguing about Stranger Things’ writing quality.
Inspired: Arguing about how the sorcerer class wouldn’t exist until over a decade later AND FURTHERMORE
Wired: Arguing about Stranger Things’ writing quality.
Inspired: Arguing about how the sorcerer class wouldn’t exist until over a decade later AND FURTHERMORE
564 – Historical Fantasy Worldbuilding
What if history, but dragons?
mythcreants.com
November 30, 2025 at 3:21 PM
"If I had a nickel for every book on this list that features Carthage surviving the Punic Wars but then later being destroyed in an unrelated incident, I’d have two nickels! Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice."
mythcreants.com/blog/how-fiv...
mythcreants.com/blog/how-fiv...
How Five Novels Blend Magic With History
Each story has a unique approach with both pros and cons.
mythcreants.com
November 29, 2025 at 5:44 PM
"If I had a nickel for every book on this list that features Carthage surviving the Punic Wars but then later being destroyed in an unrelated incident, I’d have two nickels! Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice."
mythcreants.com/blog/how-fiv...
mythcreants.com/blog/how-fiv...
"The answer we’ve found is that these writers want equality, but they’ve come to believe some facets of patriarchal propaganda."
mythcreants.com/blog/how-eve...
mythcreants.com/blog/how-eve...
How Even Feminists Can Build Sexist Worlds
A distorted view of gender can lead us to see patriarchy as natural and inevitable.
mythcreants.com
November 28, 2025 at 7:37 PM
"The answer we’ve found is that these writers want equality, but they’ve come to believe some facets of patriarchal propaganda."
mythcreants.com/blog/how-eve...
mythcreants.com/blog/how-eve...
Today we’re thankful for all those “the book is popular so it can’t have problems” guys who get real quiet when you mention romantasy.
November 27, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Today we’re thankful for all those “the book is popular so it can’t have problems” guys who get real quiet when you mention romantasy.
If a book ever lectures its reader about how they can’t expect a satisfying plot because that’s not realistic, then depends on a contrivance to reach its desired ending, the author owes us twenty dollars. That’s just the rules, we don’t make em.
November 26, 2025 at 3:58 PM
If a book ever lectures its reader about how they can’t expect a satisfying plot because that’s not realistic, then depends on a contrivance to reach its desired ending, the author owes us twenty dollars. That’s just the rules, we don’t make em.
Only just remembering that there was a Scooby-Doo show where Shaggy and Velma couldn’t date because the dog was written like a jealous girlfriend. The 2010s were a weird time.
November 25, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Only just remembering that there was a Scooby-Doo show where Shaggy and Velma couldn’t date because the dog was written like a jealous girlfriend. The 2010s were a weird time.
Legally Airbendered.
November 24, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Legally Airbendered.
563 – Making The Most of Your Minions
But what about flying monkeys?
mythcreants.com
November 23, 2025 at 4:12 PM
"Instead of mixing recognizable real-life inventions with speculative ones, the world of The Labyrinth is figuratively and literally alien."
mythcreants.com/blog/who-win...
mythcreants.com/blog/who-win...
Who Wins: Tales From the Loop, The Electric State, or The Labyrinth?
Stålenhag vs Stålenhag vs Stålenhag!
mythcreants.com
November 22, 2025 at 4:16 PM
"Instead of mixing recognizable real-life inventions with speculative ones, the world of The Labyrinth is figuratively and literally alien."
mythcreants.com/blog/who-win...
mythcreants.com/blog/who-win...
"But let’s set that aside and imagine we’re writing a Catradora-focused fanfic. It’s all about the romance now. Should we give Catra a viewpoint?"
mythcreants.com/blog/should-...
mythcreants.com/blog/should-...
Should Your Romance Be Single or Dual POV?
Your viewpoints should make the romance better, not worse.
mythcreants.com
November 21, 2025 at 3:35 PM
"But let’s set that aside and imagine we’re writing a Catradora-focused fanfic. It’s all about the romance now. Should we give Catra a viewpoint?"
mythcreants.com/blog/should-...
mythcreants.com/blog/should-...
@ifbookspod.bsky.social Hey, I'm trying to find the transcript for the latest episode, am I looking in the wrong place? I cannot find them on this page: www.buzzsprout.com/2040953/epis...
Sapiens - If Books Could Kill
How do you tell the entire history of humanity in a single book? Whatever you do, do not open a browser window. Thanks to Dorsa Amir, Duncan Stibbard Hawkes and David Perry for help researching a...
www.buzzsprout.com
November 21, 2025 at 3:17 PM
@ifbookspod.bsky.social Hey, I'm trying to find the transcript for the latest episode, am I looking in the wrong place? I cannot find them on this page: www.buzzsprout.com/2040953/epis...
Obviously it’s a well known scam to get an unsolicited email from some famous author saying how well they like your work. But this one we’ve got from “Tarry Prachitt” has to be legit, right? It’s got a bad AI generated profile pick that kinda looks like Vimes and everything!
November 20, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Obviously it’s a well known scam to get an unsolicited email from some famous author saying how well they like your work. But this one we’ve got from “Tarry Prachitt” has to be legit, right? It’s got a bad AI generated profile pick that kinda looks like Vimes and everything!
