Passengers: tell me why I should bother

There are probably only two people awake on that ship because they used 95% of the budget to pay Lawrence and Pratt. From where I'm sitting, this looks like a blockbuster written by executives that is masquerading as some kind of cerebral thriller. I find it hard to believe that anything this big and expensive …

The joy of writing

I have watched my fair share of Bob Ross, and one thing he repeats often is 'it's your world, you can do whatever you want in your world.' Well, you can write whatever you want in your world, too. Many stories I've read--published or otherwise--feel like the author is holding back, restraining or censoring themselves. Writing …

Think about it all the time

My writing output has been increasing lately because of this. When I'm not writing, I try to think about what I'll write next. Simple right? But it's so easy to get distracted, and busy, and lose sight of what you were doing. Especially if you don't have much time to write, you've got to make …

Err on the side of confusion

A bit of advice to writers of TV, movies and books alike: I'd rather be confused than treated like an idiot. People generally aren't as slow as you seem to think, dear writers of the stuff I read and watch. You don't have to make that hint so painfully obvious, or explain this concept or piece …

Finish it, you hand-wringing sloth

Whenever I need a boost in confidence I go to the bargain section in the supermarket and pick up one of those thrillers where the cover is the silhouette of a guy running down a dark alley. Yeah, I can write better than that. You know why that guy has a novel sitting on bookshelves in …