KAT VANCIL THE STORYTELLER'S SAGA QUEST 91 It was Groundhog’s Day 🦫 again this past Sunday, Reader. Yes, that weird holiday based on a German tradition using a…badger? 🤷🏻♀️ However, in the 3 decades since the release of the beloved American cult classic of the same title, the plot of Groundhog’s Day has also become a storytelling device used in numerous books, TV shows, and movies. So what is this famous plot device? Basically: Your Legendary Character is stuck in a time loop repeating a...
about 23 hours ago • 4 min read
KAT VANCIL THE STORYTELLER'S SAGA QUEST 90 It was a blisteringly hot late spring day back in 2001, Reader. The sorta day where the cheap plastic of your desk chair sticks to the back of your thighs. It was 2001 in California so absolutely NONE of the classrooms had air-conditioning. And it was over a 100 degrees out. But what made EVERYTHING worse was the fact that they were tarring the roof. Of the classroom I was in. WHILE I was in it. And yes, I was perfectly aware that it was a code...
9 days ago • 3 min read
KAT VANCIL THE STORYTELLER'S SAGA QUEST 89 “What do you mean it won’t boot up? The thing’s only a month old!” I demanded 2 years ago. You see, Reader, I had just gotten my very first MacBook Pro that wasn’t a hand-me-down and the thing had effectively killed itself the first time it updated. Oh, and did I mention it took all my data along with it? Months of story work, edits, and design assets gone just like that. Poof. Worst day ever. 😭 I had thought me and the Universe were buddies. Or at...
15 days ago • 3 min read
KAT VANCIL THE STORYTELLER'S SAGA QUEST 88 They’re everywhere, Reader. Filling up Bookstagram, Pinterest, and bookshop shelves. Pulled from the 4 corners of the world and translated into every major language and media. “Now in English for the first time!” “A Barnes & Noble Exclusive!” “The novel series that inspired the live-action show!” What could it be? 🤔 I’m talking about serialized novels of course. More specifically, the illustrated kind. No, I’m not talking about graphic novels. I mean...
19 days ago • 4 min read
KAT VANCIL THE STORYTELLER'S SAGA QUEST 87 Well hello there, Reader! It’s that dreaded beginning of the year when everyone is OBSESSED with resolutions. Where you can’t turn a digital corner without running smack into an ad for another fad diet or exercise app. (I’m looking at you Instagram, stop it! I’m not the cook in my household and I have so many food allergies all these fancy organic meal plans would land me in the hospital.😵) I’m very much NOT a resolution cat. In fact, I loathe them....
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
KAT VANCIL THE STORYTELLER'S SAGA QUEST 86 2 years ago, Reader, I arrived at the famous Jack London Square on a chilly Friday night. Or as chilly as the Bay Area ever really gets. It’s snowed here exactly one day in my entire life and I wouldn’t even say that really counted. The closest we get is hail and that’s pretty random. Everything was going well. The train was on time. We were standing at the right pole (trains have “poles” instead of “gates” unlike planes, if you’ve never ridden one)....
2 months ago • 4 min read
KAT VANCIL THE STORYTELLER'S SAGA QUEST 85 Well hello there, Reader, While everyone else has got Black Friday Deals for you and whatnot, I thought I’d share 3 (mostly FREE) tools I’m grateful for instead. Scrivener Since 2010, I’ve done all my story writing exclusively in this program designed by a UK company Literature & Latte. Hands down, it’s the best writing program I’ve worked with and I’ve never considered switching to anything else. I use it for everything. Story creation, daily prompt...
2 months ago • 4 min read
KAT VANCIL THE STORYTELLER'S SAGA QUEST 84 But what if no one likes it? It’s a common fear among newbie storytellers,Reader. It’s ingrained right down to the bones. Like showing up to the first day of school and getting mocked for your hair or backpack or glasses. That fear of being singled out is at the very heart of what it is to be human. We want to blend into the herd, the pack, it’s how we stay safe. It’s how we keep from getting eaten. But…the point of art—of storytelling—IS to stand...
3 months ago • 3 min read
KAT VANCIL THE STORYTELLER'S SAGA QUEST 83 It’s perfectly okay to NOT be okay right now, Reader. Because the outside world is A LOT at the moment. The implosion of NaNoWriMo. The banning and destruction of all we hold dear in this world. The dystopian fascist hellscape that America has become. It’s enough to make you want to crawl under a blanket and hibernate until 2028. Trust me, Reader, if you’re feeling overwhelmed or disillusioned, you’re not alone. It’s okay. Your feelings are valid....
3 months ago • 2 min read
KAT VANCIL THE STORYTELLER'S SAGA QUEST 82 What does it truly mean to “Write what you know”, Reader? Do they mean write a story about an office worker in purchasing who watches a few hours of streaming TV a night with his wife and cat on the couch? Or a retired stay-at-home mom who now spends way too many hours reading social media posts and buying gifts for the grandkids? Or a former picture book illustrator who has never lived further than an hour from where she was born? Click to watch the...
4 months ago • 2 min read