He’s on pace to raise over 40 million dollars — Brandon Sanderson is one of the biggest names in Fantasy. Although the genre isn’t as ghettoized as it used to be, his name doesn’t have quite the same cachet as a Stephen King, JK Rowling, or even fellow fantasist George R.R. Martin. I’ve read him for years but I doubt…

Or: why I feel so damn tired all the time — “How did it get so late so soon? It’s night before it’s afternoon. December before it’s June. My goodness, how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?” ~ Dr. Seuss Working a full time job while running a publication and writing is to be perpetually…

They’re not SMART* goals but they're not dumb either — I tend not to place much importance on a new year. What really makes January 1 any different than December 31 or July 9? A day is a day is a day; any and all of them are useful for making fresh starts. None of the really important changes in…

Just keep paddling — I am in the midst of a glorious staycation. We left the kids with their grandparents last weekend and have been enjoying life sans kids. …

The ultimate testament to working quickly — One of the biggest causes of writer’s block is perfectionism. The feeling that the work isn’t good enough yet – or that you aren’t – can leave you mired in self-doubt long enough to question why you even started in the first place. …

Saying otherwise is a bald-faced lie — Medium is an amazing platform. Anyone can publish practically anything and someone will read it. Probably. The stuff that does best here tend to be articles about making obscene amounts of money and those preaching self-improvement, with one often related to the other. The people writing such stories tend to…

Today was a great day — There is a scene at the end of The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) that always affects me in a powerful way. Throat tightening, tears of gladness. Stoic tears, mind you. The manliest of tears. Throughout the film, we watch Chris Gardner (played with aplomb by Will Smith) get repeatedly knocked…

Last night I submit my story for this quarter’s Writer’s of the Future contest. WotF is only open to new writers of speculative fiction (primarily fantasy and sci-fi); their definition for “new” (I’m certainly not new to this writing stuff) basically means you haven’t sold much professionally. …

Why you should consider writing some of your own — I get it. Fan Fiction has icky connotations. After all, “real” writers develop their own imaginary worlds rather than dabble in someone else’s. Plus it’s not like you can sell Fan Fiction (fanfic). Except, that’s not exactly true any more. We’ve reached a point in modern Pop Culture where all…

Your first priority is to communicate clearly — Although there is no substitute for merit in writing, clarity comes closest to being one.” ~ E.B. White You are probably familiar with the game of telephone, wherein a message is verbally passed from one person to the next. The fun of the game is seeing just how mangled the…

A tragedy in three acts — In 1973, after he was unable to secure the film rights to Flash Gordon, George Lucas started writing what would become Star Wars. Like the Flash Gordon serials he grew up watching, his new project would be a space opera, only without the camp. It was further influenced by Akira…

Creativity cues from Schitt’s Creek — When I first decided I wanted to start writing, I spent an inordinate amount of time doing anything but. I researched the best writing books. I shopped for writerly things I felt I was missing — reference books, writing programs, Moleskines. I listened to podcasts and read articles. …

Or are you still refusing the call? — Have you ever noticed that films in the superhero genre all start the same way? An ordinary person going about their ordinary life finds their routine disrupted by chance or providence; this interruption imparts wondrous new powers that the hero spends the rest of the film grappling with. Tony Stark…

Why so serious? — The Dark Knight is a brooding and serious film about a man with a bat fetish fighting a clown. But if you can look past all the fisticuffs and explosions, there are takeaways for the discerning creative. Use a pencil If you ask 10 friends their favorite moment from The Dark Knight, I…

And what it says about writing — Two Christmases ago, I called up my brother to wish him a happy holiday. As we hung up, I accidentally said ‘I love you.’. It was a Freudian slip, one of those things you say without thinking. There was a long, awkward pause as he, clearly stunned, didn’t know what…

It’s (almost) always due to the writing — Without meaning to, we writers often consume media with a critical eye — forget the forest, we can’t help noticing all the sickly-looking trees. This isn’t to say writers can’t enjoy media any longer, just that miscues are more noticeable. Or, put another way, our tolerance for crap is much…

An exercise in writing and worldbuilding — Includes spoilers for The Rise of Skywalker. Like any good armchair nerd, I’ve spent the last month both lamenting The Rise of Skywalker and contemplating an alternate universe where different choices were made. I’m not saying I can do better than award-winning writers and a seasoned director, but I don’t…

Unconventional writing inspiration — I know what you’re thinking: isn’t this like one of those dumb Facebook character quizzes you always take, even though they usually peg you as Neville Longbottom when you are clearly Hermione? Look. The writing life sometimes requires looking in unconventional places for inspiration. This very article was borne of…

On tone, expectations, and verisimilitude — The Rise of Skywalker drops next week, bringing to an end the 9-episode Skywalker saga. And while there will be plenty of time to debate and analyze that film, I’d like to spend some time looking back at The Last Jedi, aka the most divisive Star Wars film ever made. …

Success is a matter of having a clear purpose — You’re probably wondering what an espionage film possibly has to do with writing. I won’t unnecessarily hold you in suspense — it doesn’t. Rather, in a slight tweak to how this column typically operates, I am merely using the title as inspiration. …