Specific Plot Events, Scenarios, & Story Setups


Things relating to specific setups and scenarios. Note that if you're looking for any thing specifically villainous, you should check out Villains & Villainy. If you're looking for specifically romantic things, you'll find that in Relationships, Romance, & Shipping.


Miscellaneous

Writing Better Prompts, Starters, & Beginnings: A Few Pointers
Get your story or roleplay off the ground!

Tips To Write Better & More Exciting Action & Fight Scenes
How you can spice up your action and fight scenes and make them play out more believably.

A Few Things Writers Need To Know About Psychology & Psychotherapists
Some essential things to know if you plan on portraying anything relating to psychotherapy.

Things About Computers & Hacking Writers Need To Know
Things you need to know if you want to make stuff related to this kind of thing look relatively plausible in your work.

So You Want An Apocalypse/Cataclysm In Your Plot?
Planning to write a post-apocalyptic world? Or a story where the world as we know it is brought to ruin? Check this out.

Things About Training & Teaching Writers Need To Know
What to know if you're writing any scenarios that involve anyone being taught or trained in some way.

Writing Historically Accurate European Magic & Witchcraft: A Starting Guide
Everything you need to get started writing historically accurate European magic!

A Brief Primer On The Four Elements
An essential introduction to the four elements and their context in European history and philosophy.

A Few Things Writers Should Know About The Occult - NEW!
An introduction to all things occult. (It's way less scary than a lot of people think!)


Science Fiction & Fantasy

Things Your Fantasy Or Science Fiction Story Needs
Three things to keep in mind when writing fantasy and sci-fi.

Things You Need To Do In Your Science Fiction Or Fantasy Story
Some things you need to do with your fantastic elements and characters to produce a good, solid story.

What More Characters Should Consider Before Turning, Transforming, Or Augmenting Someone
Characters intended to be ethical and/or smart should not be willing to change others on a dime. Here's why.

Things To Know If Your Character Will Be Augmented Or Experimented Upon
Many things that happen in stories involving characters who are experimented or enhanced in some way strain credulity. Here are some things to know to make them less implausible.

Alexis Feynman's Guide To Writing Better Vampire Fiction
Four oft-missed things you should know if you plan to write some fangly fiction!

Things To Think About & Consider When Writing Merpeople & Mer Fiction
Thinking about writing a story about merpeople, or at least one merperson? Here are some things to know and think about!

Things To Think About & Consider When Writing About Tiny/Miniature People
Stuff for if you're thinking about writing about tiny faeries, mouse people, or similar.


Mystery & Intrigue

Tips To Write Better & More Believable Cover-Ups
Hint: Your characters can't plausibly get away with mass bribes or assassinating major political figures willy-nilly.

Things Writers Need To Know About Security & Concealment
Are you writing about organizations or characters who have reasons to keep things protected or secret? Here are some things to know.

How To Write Better & More Believable Masquerades - UPDATED!
Writing the kind of story or creating an RPG setting where magical or supernatural folks live under the noses of everyday, regular people? This is for you.


Death & Dying

Things About Death, Dying, & Murder Writers Need To Know
In which some of the inaccuracies and oversights in murder mysteries and horror stories are examined and addressed.

The Worst & Most Frustrating Ways To Kill Off Main Characters
Thinking about killing a character off? Give this a go-over.

Tips & Advice On Killing Main Characters
How to tell whether you should kill a character, how to do it well, and how you should handle the surviving characters after the fact.

Alternatives To Killing Your Characters
Just because you can kill your characters, doesn't mean you should. Here's why, and what you can do instead.

How To Bring A Character Back To Life
Plan to bring somebody back to life? Here's what you need to know first.


Darkness, Horror, & Unease

Tips For Writing & Maintaining A Horror Atmosphere
Some things to do and not to do in order to create a sufficiently spooky story setting.

More Tips For Horror
Some more pointers and advice for writing horror stories - as well as a bit of a look into what makes horror horror as opposed to some other genre, and why invincible monsters aren't necessarily the best way to go.

Tips To Create & Write Creepy Characters & Situations
How to make and write creepy characters and situations, and how to keep them that way.

Tips For Writing Dark Stories, Settings, & Characters
Thinking about making something along these lines? Or are you already started, but find yourself having trouble making it work? Here you go!

Pointlessly Edgy Tropes To Reconsider Using
Just because it's edgy doesn't mean it has a point! Here are some pointlessly edgy tropes to watch out for - and what you might do instead.


Political & Ideological

A Few Things To Know When Writing Rebellions & Coups
Some essentials to know if your story is going to involve a rebellion on anyone's part.

Things About Moral Panics Writers Should Know
Thinking about writing or plotting a moral panic or witch hunt? Here are some things to know that people often overlook.

Writing Better Stories With Morals & Messages
Morals in stories are very difficult to handle well. Read this for a few pointers on how.

Things Writers Need To Know About Skepticism & Disbelief
Planning to write a story in which large numbers of people don't believe in something? Here's what to know to write this kind of thing believably, and without coming across as insulting or condescending to your audience.


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