Sleight of Pen – The King of Omashu

PENSACOLA, Fla. (April 25, 2024) – M. Night Shyamalan created one of the greatest literary twists of all time in 1999’s The Sixth Sense. Shyamalan needed a mere 108 minutes to stun audiences so completely that The Sixth Sense is rightly credited as a master class in a perfectly executed twist, but a 24-minute cartoon … Continue reading Sleight of Pen – The King of Omashu

The Writer’s Craft – Captivating Catchphrases

(Pensacola, Florida; May 5, 2023,) – "He's dead, Jim," "Make it so," "I'll be back," "Well, gang, it looks like we have another mystery on our hands," "I'm a doctor, not a…" Crafting captivating catchphrases is one of the more enjoyable parts of writing fiction. Catchphrases that click with the public can enter the cultural … Continue reading The Writer’s Craft – Captivating Catchphrases

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

April is Coming, and so is the Accidental Detective!

The day is getting near; the Accidental Detective will return April 20th! Enjoy a brief excerpt from Lionfish, the forthcoming adventure from mysterious novelist Nathanael Miller: ______________________________________ “So, what did justhappen?” Gray asked, “I haven’t seen you off your game in years. I'm used to you verbally outflanking and flattening the other guy. What happened?” … Continue reading April is Coming, and so is the Accidental Detective!

Veteran Talk – The Trauma Olympics

(Pensacola, Florida; Jan. 25, 2023) – The Trauma Olympics don't actually exists, but there are many people, both veterans and civilians, who still try to root for them! I've never tried to hide my frustration, indeed, my outrage and indignation, that I've been sidelined and marginalized by many veterans organizations and other trauma support groups … Continue reading Veteran Talk – The Trauma Olympics

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 7—Bonus! Introductions

(Pensacola, Florida; Oct. 28, 2022,) – BONUS! Score! You’ve just stumbled on the bonus seventh part of my six-part series about slaying your audience with the perfect villain! We’ve discussed five factors you need to keep in mind when creating a villain: Characterization Motivations Thematic Opposition Credibility (the villain has to win once in a … Continue reading The Writer’s Craft – Killing it with the Perfect Villain, Part 7—Bonus! Introductions

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