Eons ago, people faced a terrible evil and were unable to defeat it. But they locked it away so it would never bother the earth again! Er did we say never? We meant, of course, that the bars of its prison will weaken in a thousand years and it will be

Today's Trope: The Plants Have Risen Up Against Us. Theres something sinister about your surroundings trying to kill youespecially when those surroundings include giant, human-eating plants, trees that try to smother you with their roots, or other dange

Today's Trope: The Government is out to get us. Want your character to face off against impossible odds? Pit them against a corrupt, evil empire whos hiding something important from the people or taking advantage of them in some way! This trope usually i

Todays Trope: Clones are Humans, Too. Are clones expendable, since theyre just copies? Do they have souls? Are they evil doppelgangers who need to be destroyed? Not in this trope! In these stories, clones become characters in their own right, with indiv

Hosts Kyle and Christiana take some time to talk to Allison Alexander and Shelly Campbell about their upcoming work (published by Mythos & Ink) called Making Myths and Magic. It's a field guide of sorts for all of us (fantasy and sci-fi writers especi

Todays Trope: Forbidden Power. While the power might not be evil in and of itself, it often twists the user in terrible ways. Whether it takes a toll on the mages mind or body, summons spirits that are difficult to control, or requires human sacrifice,

Episode Hosts: Kyle, Allison, and Emma. Today's Trope: What if pizza was never invented? (a.k.a. parallel worlds). When characters visit another world that is similar to ours, but slightly different in a variety of ways, weve entered the realm of a

Episode Hosts: Kyle, Allison, and Emma Today's Trope: Everything is a Simulation (a.k.a. the awful truth about your world). In science fiction and fantasy, sometimes the truth about the world is hidden from the masses because it’s so horrible. You’re livi

Episode Hosts: Allison, Christiana, and Kyle. Today's Trope: Who wants to live forever? (a.k.a. immortal magics and technology.) Some characters are driven to find a way to live forever, and go on a quest for eternal life. But, often, when they do snag th

Episode Hosts: Allison, Christiana, and Kyle. Today's Trope: Aliens are Weird. Sometimes, very weird. Their bodies often work in different ways than humans’ do, whether that means they have blue skin, multiple arms, can breathe underwater, have ten sexes,