Running solves most of my problems. Bad day at work? Fight with the family? Mad at the world in general? After half a dozen sweaty miles, I reach a place where I’m better equipped to deal. It’s especially helpful for working through story issues. My feet go on autopilot, carrying me not through neighborhoods and … Continue reading The Accidental Mirror: What Flawed Characters Reveal About Ourselves
Some stories are like favorite family vacation spots. They promise a certain kind of experience and, even though you've done it before, it doesn't diminish your enjoyment. On the contrary, the good-time guarantee is what keeps you coming back. The Netflix original series The Rain is a summer-vacation kind of story, familiar narrative territory with … Continue reading Review: “The Rain” (Netflix)
Even when writers describe and develop female characters well, they still must navigate a minefield of stale and unhealthy cliches. Tumbling into one of these pernicious pits can ruin a great heroine, and sometimes the entire story along with her. In this final post of my series on writing female characters, I’ll identify three common … Continue reading The Beautiful Scientist Problem, Pt III: Three Traps to Avoid When Writing Female Characters
After moving three times in as many years, my Laddie and I vowed to accumulate less stuff. And so last December, instead of exchanging presents, we bought ourselves a single joint gift: a new game console. We agonized for weeks over which system to get, but finally settled on the PS4 because it was the … Continue reading Game Review: “Horizon: Zero Dawn”
In the first post in this series, we discussed subjectivity and objectification when describing female characters. But "beautiful" isn't the only contentious adjective frequently applied to them. Lots of readers claim to love “strong” heroines; what does this actually mean? As a kid in the 90s, I caught the leading edge of the "more strong heroines!" … Continue reading The Beautiful Scientist Problem, Pt II: Three Tips for Writing “Strong” Female Characters
