To Trope or Not to Trope

Opposites attract… or do they? Whether your grumpy and sunshine characters are falling in love or falling for each other’s nefarious schemes, this episode is for you. Join us as we discuss such pressing questions as “can sunshine characters be introverted… or evil?” and “how sunshine is sunshine enough for this trope?” The answers will probably surprise you. If you’

It’s Pisces season! Go ahead, get emotional. We’ve got a great episode for you all about sensitive and emotional characters, from your moody broody sad boys to your magical girls to every shade of unhealthy emotionality in between. With tips and tricks for how to keep these characters consistent and how to keep them from getting too annoying, you’ll never have to be sensitive

Love is in the air! How long after Cupid’s arrow strikes should a couple wait to get together? If we’re talking fiction, probably longer than you think. Join us this episode as we discuss all things instalove and argue over the proper pacing for writing a believable relationship, including what shortcuts writers can take to get there…and which they definitely shouldn’t. If

It’s Capricorn season, so dust off those perennial New Years writing resolutions and channel that ambitious Capricorn energy into a new story. But first, check out this episode featuring everything you need to know about ambitious characters—those morally gray go-getters and hardworking heroes who drive plot and give stakes to a story. Covering such topics as character agency,

’Tis the season…for cash grabs and phoning in episodes of your favorite sitcoms. Join us as we talk about all things Christmas Specials, from the good to the bad to the Star Wars Holiday Special and every elf and Scrooge in between. If you’ve ever wondered which iconic holiday tropes you should never write or which of the three of us is a Grinch at heart (the answers might su

It’s Sagittarius season, and the sass is strong with this episode. Well, sort of. Join us as we discuss the differences between sass, snark, sarcasm, and wit, and talk about how to write witty characters (and what sorts of characters really shouldn’t have a quick wit). From tips and tricks for how to learn comedic timing and broaden your bank of random references, to such profo

It’s nowhere near Cancer season, but we’re talking about it anyway because we’ll be on hiatus in July. Join us this episode as we talk about nurturing characters in every capacity, with such hot takes as “Steve Harrington is a better father figure than Hopper,” “Regina George is more nurturing than Lorelai Gilmore,” and “Carlisle 100% should have been the main chara

Happy Halloveen from your favorite podcasting writers! We’re here this week with an episode all about those blood-sucking demons of the night: VAMPIRES. From your sexy paranormal romance heroes to your evil overlords, from Dracula to Edward Cullen to the Count from Sesame Street, we cover everything a vampire should and shouldn’t be, with writing tips and tricks to make your va

With spooky season upon us, we’re here with an episode all about that Mysterious Scorpio Energy. From the Phantom of the Opera to April Ludgate, from faerie princes to not-so-surprising plot twists, this episode covers everything you ever needed to know about writing a mysterious character. …which I suppose is not very mysterious of us, but we’re not here to gatekeep good wri

We love a good corruption arc, almost as much as we love a good redemption arc. Whether your good guys are joining the villains or your bad guys are teaming up with the heroes (or your morally gray characters can’t decide either way), this episode is for you. Featuring such groundbreaking revelations as “it’s not a redemption arc if the character doesn’t actually do anythin