Just My Thoughts – I’m Gay, I Love Drag Shows, and They Have NO Place Around Children

(Pensacola, Florida; Mar. 9, 2023,) – I'm gay. Yep, gay; I'm a dude who's into dudes. I love drag queens. In fact, drag queens are some of the most creative, innovative, and talented performers I've ever seen. Drag shows have NO place around children. Drag queens (and the less common drag kings) are performers with … Continue reading Just My Thoughts – I’m Gay, I Love Drag Shows, and They Have NO Place Around Children

The Writer’s Craft – The Winning Formula

(Pensacola, Florida; Jan. 12, 2023,) – The familiar cry often echoes across the hallowed halls of entertainment: this is boring; it's too formulaic! We often disparage disliked books, movies, and TV shows as being 'too formulaic.' However, as writers, we have to ask the question, "What does 'too formulaic' actually mean?” The short answer is … Continue reading The Writer’s Craft – The Winning Formula

Just My Thoughts – Who Gets to Define ‘Misinformation?’

(Pensacola, Florida; Nov. 7, 2022,) – There’s been a lot of hue and cry, Sturm and Drang, hand-wringing, gnashing of teeth, and pulling of hair over Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter. In fact, much of the reporting has been hysterical screeds against free speech because it means ‘misinformation’ will reign supreme. Many journalists, pundits, politicians, … Continue reading Just My Thoughts – Who Gets to Define ‘Misinformation?’

The Writer’s Craft – Killing it with the Perfect Villain, Part 6—The ‘Cool’ Factor

(Pensacola, Florida; Oct. 18, 2022,) – Killing it with the perfect villain is just as critical to good writing as killing it with a great hero is. A story might thrive if the villain is an undeveloped cipher. The hero’s journey, the interaction of the characters, and the exciting events can still create a rip-roaring … Continue reading The Writer’s Craft – Killing it with the Perfect Villain, Part 6—The ‘Cool’ Factor

The Writer’s Craft – Killing it with the Perfect Villain, Part 5—The Villain Has to Win Occasionally

(Pensacola, Florida; Sept. 23, 2022,) – The villain has to win, at least occasionally. Creating the perfect villain requires writers to develop them as multifaceted characters with clear motivations, characters who stand in thematic (if not overt) opposition to the hero, but it also requires something else. The villain has to win (at least occasionally) … Continue reading The Writer’s Craft – Killing it with the Perfect Villain, Part 5—The Villain Has to Win Occasionally

The Writer’s Craft – Killing it with the Perfect Villain, Part 4—Thematic Opposition

(Pensacola, Florida; Sept. 16, 2022,) – Killing it with the perfect villain is not an overly difficult challenge, but it does require one to ensure several factors are taken into account when building the character. This series has so far looked at two of the five things I believe make a great villain: characterization and … Continue reading The Writer’s Craft – Killing it with the Perfect Villain, Part 4—Thematic Opposition

The Writer’s Craft – Killing it with the Perfect Villain, Part 3—Motivation

(Pensacola, Florida; Sept. 9, 2022,) – Slaying your audience with the perfect villain is an aspiration all writers aspire to, be they working in print, on stage, or screen. The villain must have the same care given to his/her/its development as your protagonist. As we move into part 3 of this discussion, let’s look at … Continue reading The Writer’s Craft – Killing it with the Perfect Villain, Part 3—Motivation

The Writer’s Craft – Killing it with the Perfect Villain, Part 2—Characterization

(Pensacola, Florida; August 25, 2022,) – Killing it with the perfect villain is every fiction writer’s dream. All of us dabbling in the realm of fiction yearn to create a villain remembered in that rarified literary firmament along with Darth Vader, Thanos, Lady MacBeth, The White Witch, and the Joker. Conceptualizing, creating, and crafting such … Continue reading The Writer’s Craft – Killing it with the Perfect Villain, Part 2—Characterization

The Writer’s Craft – Killing it with the Perfect Villain, Part 1

(Pensacola, Florida; August 18, 2022,) – The literary axiom that a hero is only as good as his or her villains is true for a very solid reason. The fact is that your hero is only as good as the villains he or she confronts. The Batman is only but a cosplaying vigilante without the … Continue reading The Writer’s Craft – Killing it with the Perfect Villain, Part 1

The Writer’s Craft – Stomping Out the Good Idea Fairy

(Pensacola, Florida; July 28, 2022,) – Writers face few challenges as personal and potentially problematic as the Good Idea Fairy prodding our friends to excitedly suggest ‘a great idea’ for our stories. This situation can be explosive for a number of reasons that have little to do with reason, and everything to do with emotion. … Continue reading The Writer’s Craft – Stomping Out the Good Idea Fairy