Lessons A Tale of Two Tales 15 Feb 202126 Dec 2021 Quick Summary) During September and October I published a story which was titled The Favored Son. It was not the same as the story I am currently writing now, though,…
Lessons Keeping You In Suspense 8 Feb 202125 Dec 2021 The Fuse) Last summer was the first time my son appreciated holiday fireworks. Before then the suddenness and the loudness of them were just too overwhelming. During those earlier years…
Lessons Watch Your Back! 1 Feb 202125 Dec 2021 With Friends Like These) Brutus has a problem in William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar. He is good friends with the titular character...but he is also deeply opposed to the man…
Lessons We’ve All Been There 25 Jan 202125 Dec 2021 Delicious Awkwardness) There is a scene in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix where Harry and Cho Chang are at a café in the wizarding town of Hogsmeade.…
Lessons Missing Shots 18 Jan 202124 Dec 2021 The Original Plot) I mentioned at the end of my last post that I was dramatically altering the final act of The Favored Son. The original version of it just…
Lessons That’s So Cliché 11 Jan 202123 Dec 2021 Let's Make a Bad Guy) Most stories have a villain, which is a character who embodies the opposition to the protagonist. The protagonist must overcome this opposition, which means the…
Lessons The Shape of Change 4 Jan 202123 Dec 2021 The Underlying Sameness) The 2003 film Shattered Glass portrays the rise and fall of real-life journalist Stephen Glass and it employs a very interesting character arc for him. What is…
Lessons The Lonely Hero 28 Dec 202023 Dec 2021 Training Wheels) Angels in the Outfield features a team and a coach that are all washed up, the disappointment of every fan who still believes in them. Then, in both…
Lessons Talking, Talking, Talking 21 Dec 202023 Dec 2021 The Worst Kind of Movie) I remember a common occurrence when I was little and my Dad would bring home a VHS tape from the video rental store. "Can I…
Give Me Pen and Paper 