This page is my directory of all my articles on the art of writing. There will be reviews of various “how-to” videos, books, classes, etc… on the art of writing, critiques of TV shows and movies from a writer’s standpoint, and just some thoughts about various aspects and rules of writing.
Before anybody emails me asking who I think I am giving advice… NO, I’m not Stephen King. I’d shoot myself if I was that pretentious, lol. There are a TON of books on Amazon written by people with not much more experience than I have though. MY advice here is free also, (unlike those books), so you have nothing to lose but a little bit of time by looking at what I have to say.
Give me a chance and you may find yourself discovering some solid common sense advice written by somebody with a real love of the art of storytelling.
No joke; there IS a quick fix for it, and most writers have been saying all along, but without the explanation to make it work
A quick post of the proper order of adjectives. Something most native English speakers seem to instinctively know despite never having been taught.
The Superhero Genre, For Better or Worse…
The good and the bad of the trend we’ve been dealing with for almost 20 years on the big screen.
Highlights of and a link to a Mental Floss article on slang terms from World War 2. Interesting and useful for writers and students of trivia.
A major rewrite of an old post
My opinion on the use and abuse of time travel in storytelling.
On Consent in Life and Stories
A diatribe about the current state of sexual consent in society and how it impacts writers and storytelling
PG-13
The Great Star Wars Conspiracy
A rational look at the longest running conspiracy theory in the history of the franchise
Talking and Writing About Boobs
A discussion of gender based differences in writing about boobs, along with misconceptions and how to appeal to both genders as a writer.
PG-13
The Art of Persuasion Hasn’t Changed?!?
A look at the ways persuasion and society’s awareness of it has changed, and not for the better
A short, humorous look at a tour ad, and why grammar DOES still matter.
Retroactive Continuity Fun and Games
A look at RetCons, their use and abuse in various forms of media… because it’s all fun and games until that supporting character is blinked out of existence
What Writers Can Learn from Comic Books
A look at what DC & Marvel get wrong and right in storytelling over an 80 year continuity for each of them
What Writers Can Learn From Star Wars’ Mistakes
A look at what Lucas Films and Disney got wrong with the prequels and sequels, and how to avoid the same mistakes
Using Humor to Help Sell the Use of Cliches in Writing
My thoughts on how to use humor to sell that trope you’re going to use… The one that’s been beat to death