In case this week’s vlog didn’t tip you off, I am a huge fan of Mad Max: Fury Road. Long after having seen it several times in cinemas and at home, I still want to talk about its greater meanings, implied or intended, regarding personal autonomy and agency, the depth of truly human characters, and… Continue reading Agency and Redemption
Category: Writing
Twenty Sixteen
I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions. I mean, I get the concept. Setting a goal for the year ahead isn’t a bad thing in and of itself. Admirable, even. The problem I see is that few people really commit to changing themselves. Gym memberships go unused within a month or two, new diets get… Continue reading Twenty Sixteen
From The Vault: Fan Fiction Is Not Evil
Since one of my irons in the fire (more on that later) is now a fan fiction project, I thought I’d revisit my thoughts on the subject. That little piece I wrote yesterday for Chuck’s latest challenge is fan fiction. I’m comfortable with that. I don’t think there’s really anything wrong with fan fiction, per… Continue reading From The Vault: Fan Fiction Is Not Evil
From the Vault: Keeping It Real
Today I’m going back through my novel draft and changing the perspective of the narrative slightly. I did a quick search for ‘perspective’ and came across this post. With Star Wars: The Force Awakens drawing closer, it seemed appropriate to bring this one back. Enjoy! Writers: remember that you are writing about people. Unless you… Continue reading From the Vault: Keeping It Real
Return Of The Blue
I can’t even begin to fully articulate what the last few weeks have been like for me. Hospital. Near-eviction. Rapid, rabid mood swings. Disastrous car trouble. More car trouble. Moving. PAX. Yelling. Broken phones. Tears. And yet… Here I am. Whole. Unbowed. Determined. Unbent. Successful. Unbroken. If I can survive this, I can probably survive… Continue reading Return Of The Blue
The "Starving Artist" Is Bullshit
This is a discussion that’s come up over the last few days. I believe it was David Hill who brought it to light (as he tends to do, verbose and uncompromising firebrand that he is), and Chuck Wendig, of course, dropped the definitive word-hammer on the issue with trademark aplomb. All I can really add… Continue reading The "Starving Artist" Is Bullshit
Break Your Heroes
We like to think of our heroes as strong. When they fight evil or overcome obstacles or succeed in their goals, we aspire to the same heights. Deeds of daring and feats of strength or cunning drive us to be the sort of people we want to be, impeccable and flawless paragons of the virtues… Continue reading Break Your Heroes
The Flash Fiction Challenge
Courtesy Floating Robes Since this week Chuck has challenged his writerly readers to come up with Flash Fiction challenges of their own, over here in my own writer-space I thought I’d talk about why flash fiction is, in and of itself, a challenge for writers. Serious authors bang out 1000 words or more a day… Continue reading The Flash Fiction Challenge
Characters And Choices
There are times when the simple route is an appealing one. Our protagonist characters make good decisions, and good things happen. We project ourselves into the lives of our heroes, orienting ourselves towards making brave, clear-cut decisions that yield beneficial results for everyone involved. It keeps the narrative straightforward and our protagonists squeaky clean. If… Continue reading Characters And Choices
Becoming A Master Builder
I may not be a Master Builder. I may not have a lot of experience fighting or leading or coming up with plans. Or having ideas in general. In fact, I’m not all that smart. And I’m not what you’d call the creative type. Plus, generally unskilled. Also scared and cowardly. I know what you’re… Continue reading Becoming A Master Builder
