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Writing the Honorable Monster, a free arts course on Tomo

Writing the Honorable Monster

Learn how to balance terrifying physical traits with a noble heart. Master the art of writing an Oni character who commands both fear and respect through their actions.

Like Duolingo, but for Writing the Honorable Monster. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.

A short one: 24 levels across 3 sections, about 48 minutes end to end, roughly 10 days at five minutes a day. It moves through Show the Power and the Restraint, Actions That Prove Their Worth, and The Heart Beneath the Horns. It starts from scratch.

24 bite-size levelsAbout 5 minutes each

Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android

Ogi the Observant Oni, the guide who teaches the Writing the Honorable Monster course
Writing the Honorable Monster
with Ogi the Observant Oni
24
Levels
3
Sections
5
Min/day
What you'll learn

Key ideas in Writing the Honorable Monster

  • Describing the strain on the environment suggests weight without movement
  • Focusing on the stillness of a massive weapon implies the ease with which it is held
  • Auditory cues like rhythmic, deep vibrations suggest immense mass
  • Visual cues like the displacement of air or shadows communicate scale
  • How to convey physical power through potential energy rather than action
  • Identifying sensory details that communicate scale and weight
  • Honorable strength is often depicted as controlled and steady rather than erratic
  • The way a weapon is carried can signal both threat and discipline
  • Mapping specific physical descriptions to the 'scary but honorable' tone
  • Wild physical traits represent nature
  • Grooming represents internal order
  • Weapon state reflects respect
  • Symmetry signals rejection of chaos
  • Honor is defined by the tension between a wild nature and a controlled exterior
  • Identifying visual cues that signal discipline over savagery
  • Removing monstrous traits weakens the impact of the character's discipline
Why not just Google it

You've tried the other tabs

Wikipedia

Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.

YouTube

You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.

ChatGPT

One answer, then back to scrolling.

Online courses

Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.

Tomo gives Writing the Honorable Monster the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.

Try a question

Here's what playing it feels like

A real question from this course. Take your best guess.

The Weight of Stillness

If you want to show an Oni is incredibly strong without them swinging their club, how should they hold it?

Get it right to open this lesson and 23 more in the app.

Course map

How to learn Writing the Honorable Monster, step by step

Go in order. 24 short levels across 3 sections, about 48 minutes in all, five minutes a day.

  1. 1

    Show the Power and the Restraint

    • Describing Scary Strength
    • The Look of a Warrior's Discipline
    • Using Scars to Tell a Story
    • How an Honorable Monster Stands
  2. 2

    Actions That Prove Their Worth

    • Speaking with Weight and Wisdom
    • Choosing Mercy Over Fury
    • The Oni's Personal Code of Ethics
    • Reacting to Insults with Calm
    • Protecting the Weak with Terror
  3. 3

    The Heart Beneath the Horns

    • Why They Value Honor
    • The History of the Oni Legend
    • Balancing Human and Demon Traits

3 sections · 12 units · 24 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.

Questions

Questions about Writing the Honorable Monster

  1. How do I learn Writing the Honorable Monster?

    Go in order: start with Show the Power and the Restraint, then Actions That Prove Their Worth, then The Heart Beneath the Horns. On Tomo that's 24 short levels, about 48 minutes in all, played five minutes a day. Start free and play the first level in under a minute.

  2. Is there a Duolingo-style app for Writing the Honorable Monster?

    Yes. Tomo works like Duolingo: short daily lessons, streaks and quick quizzes. Writing the Honorable Monster is one of its free courses, and you can type any other topic to get a course of your own.

  3. Is the Writing the Honorable Monster course free?

    Yes. Writing the Honorable Monster is playable on Tomo's free plan, which doesn't expire. No credit card, no waitlist. Download the app and start your first lesson.

  4. How long does it take to learn Writing the Honorable Monster?

    24 levels across 3 sections, about 48 minutes of play in total. It's built for five minutes a day, so you finish it a little at a time instead of all at once.

  5. Do I need any background to start Writing the Honorable Monster?

    No. It's pitched at a beginner level, so it starts where you are and builds up. If you can tap a phone, you can start.

New

Tomo is in ChatGPT

Tomo is also a ChatGPT plugin: the same playable courses, built and played inside your chat.

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How it's taught

You pick the voice

This course
The Bestie

Writing the Honorable Monster is taught in the Bestie style: your friend who just gets it. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.

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Start Writing the Honorable Monster today.

Download Tomo, search Writing the Honorable Monster, and play your first lesson in under a minute.