One of the ionic things about Star Wars is the sound a TIE fighter makes as it flies by. Of course, that sound is actually a mistake, although probably a deliberate one: physics don’t allow for sound in a vacuum. Getting all the physics right in a story can be challenging. However, a lot of common mistakes have grown into cliches, which are easier to correct. A story can only benefit from that. Let’s have a look at some common mistakes regarding physics.
I grew up with point-and-click adventure games on the PC. Of all the adventure games of the nineties, Gabriel Knight was in my opinion the best. Recently, a 20th anniversary remake was released of part one. I played that, then replayed the second game immediately after. Because I spent my time playing games instead of writing, I’ll put on my writing glasses and do a review of the Gabriel Knight series. I’ll try to keep the first part spoiler free.
Idiot plotting is one of the main smells of a story that makes me stop watching certain TV shows, and reading certain books. Not just because it makes the plot bad, but an idiot plot also ruins the characters. Let me explain why and how.
Magic is one of the foundations of the Fantasy genre. From the subtle manipulation of butterflies in the Lord of the Rings to the epic showdown in Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows (part 2, for movie-go-ers). But not all magic is created equal. Let’s have a look at the different functions of magic in stories.
Plot and character go together like a horse and carriage. Okay, that isn’t the original Frank Sinatra song, but plot and character do combine to form something greater than their parts. The way plot and character interact is very important to storytelling, and if done badly, leads to terrible stories.