Photo: “The Future is Not Set” -Kyle Reese quoting John Connor from The Terminator (1984)

A folded document fell on my lap while turning through the pages of a book I had not glanced through in a year. It was a test print for a brand new printer and the ...

The idea of “sin” is a prevalent one in horror stories. In terrifying tales, the monstrous against the human also explores good vs. evil.

There is often a “sin” perpetrated by horror Protagonists. The classic Psycho begins with Marion Crane stealing money from her job. Her intentions are understandable, maybe ...

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Tantz explains why she really hates a bunch of tropes that are super commonly used in things, stuff like very obvious plot armour for the protagonist so ...

Malcolm Gladwell was in an interview, and expressed a theory, or mini-theory. He talked about the show Law and Order and how it works, with almost every episode a comforting victory of the system.

From there, he theorized four types of fictional approaches, calling them the Western, the Eastern, the ...

How many of you write serious/drama filled stories? Or even characters that truly suffer consequences?

I think it’s often that we, as creators and almost like parents, don’t want our kids/creations to suffer terrible consequences, but I think that’s one of the reasons that makes ...

Last week I talked about how you know you should take a break and some simple steps that will hopefully aid you when taking this break.

But, how do you know when it’s time to say goodbye?

That’s a little tougher. Some times you may think it’s ...

The cyclical pattern of creative forces of energy comes and goes like the ocean waves during the high tide. Writing happens so naturally on some days, as easily as cutting a pad of butter with a warm knife, whereas there are other days that require five hours of positive self-talk ...

Photo: Mortal Kombat logo from the original Super Nintendo Entertainment System


Call it what it is: Nostalgia. Intellectual property rights. Series reboot. The chills start to form as soon as Scorpion drags SubZero’s masked face across the screen and yells, “Get over here!” The goblet of Summer 2021 Blockbusters ...

The murderous psychopath Elishabeth VonJohnson Henderson has to get out of prison before she's executed and she's found the perfect partner to help her… in her words: “Edward Moreau. He smells like a garbage can, got the I.Q. of a handball and is probably the ugliest man ...

the cruel tutor himself, Pai Mei

One of my favorite character types is the gruff/grizzled old mentor. Tough as nails, mean or cranky on the outside but with great knowledge or support to offer when you know them, or when they know - and trust - you.

I've talked about ...