On Wednesday, I accomplished a goal that I had set out to do back in 2019. I self-published a book for the first time. Okay, so I’m not sure you can call it a book because it only has 77… Read More ›
tips and tricks
Villains: Family
There’s a reason why Disney movies like using the “evil stepmother” trope in their movies. It’s entirely relatable. Well, okay. Maybe not the whole stepmother contracts a dude to take a child into the forest to kill her, then poisons… Read More ›
Villains: The Antihero
Have you noticed lately that there are more and more protagonists that aren’t…well…heroic? For instance, my mom likes to watch the Fox/Netflix show Lucifer. If you haven’t already guessed the premise, the show’s protagonist is Lucifer Morningstar (that’s right, the devil)… Read More ›
Different types of bad guys: The Dark Reflection
Last time, I talked about the need to torture the heroes of your story. One of the best ways to do that is by writing a really great villain. Every hero needs one. “You just couldn’t let me go, could you? This… Read More ›
Torture Your Heroes
No one likes to read about characters living normal lives. Have you ever asked someone about the story they’re reading, and they tell you: “Oh, it’s an amazing story where the hero works a 9-5 job, and the villain is an inept boss. But it’s okay… Read More ›
Time to Make Those Resolutions…Again
That’s right, it’s time to make those promises to ourselves in hopes that the dawning of a new year will motivate us to actually commit to them. You guessed it, I’m talking about New Year’s Resolutions. Ugh…am I right? There’s a website I was looking… Read More ›
The Importance of the Backstory
My mom is a big fan of Robert Downey Jr. So much so, she asked if I wanted to watch Avengers: Endgame (2019) with her. I asked if she’d seen Avengers: Infinity War (2018), the film that sets up Endgame…. Read More ›
The Habitual Writer
A messy desk. In the bedroom, a clean path from the bed to the door. Stacks of unread books line the ground and/or bookcase. An empty social calendar. Piles of dirty clothes. A well-used coffee pot. An overused laptop. If… Read More ›
Failure as a Writing Tool
Around this time every year, I’m either really satisfied with myself or angry with myself. It’s not because it’s the weekend after Thanksgiving and I’ve gorged myself on too much food. And no, it’s not the fact that I may… Read More ›
Writing Tips, part 1
Have you ever seen these memes with Captain America with the caption “So, you want to be a…” and then it’s a funny saying or profession? Well, I almost included a meme like that only it would say “So, you… Read More ›
The Writer's Apocalypse 