How I Write a Novel
I have a few writing tools that I’ve put a lot of effort into developing over the years—and I’m still developing them. They allow me a bit of a head start when I sit down to plot a new story—a head start I can’t afford to set aside or ignore.
Avatar: The Way of Water - A Review
Avatar: The Way of Water is a story about what it means to be a family and, in the case of Jake Sully, what it means to be a father, a parent, when danger threatens your loved ones. Do you run away and hide? Or do you stand and fight?
The Creator - A Review
What resonated with me in this movie is striving for that ultimate goal of harmony between humans and AI. Ending the suffering, the war. I’m not one who views AI robots as simply a computer that needs to be turned off. If it’s true AI, and true self-awareness and growth, then they have a right to exist in peace. Not war.
All Systems Red by Martha Wells - A Review
What I enjoyed most was Murderbot’s interaction with the humans, and how, over time, it began to claim the humans as its own (“my humans”). I found it an incredibly sweet and optimistic take on human/AI relations.
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky - A Review
This book is inspiring to me because of how vast the universe is. It’s the ideas in this book that captivate me. The spiders and worldbuilding are cool. The human characters, not so much. And that’s the problem.
Why You Should Pick Up Thomas Covenant Again (And Finish The Story)
These books are an advanced exercise in empathy. I believe that if a despicable person like Thomas Covenant can grow and change over time, then so can we—absolutely. As difficult as this series is to read at times, I think the payoff is equally rewarding, if not more so.
The Last of Us: A Review
The Last of Us is proving to everyone that shows based on video games can. be. done. right. It is possible for good writers to transform games into decent shows in spite of the different experiences you get from each medium.
This is What Happens When I Get Burnout
Burnout. Everyone gets it it from time to time.
Everyone except for me.
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (The Animated Short): A Review
I was definitely way too excited to write this post, but this is just an obsessive writer’s take on it. I loved The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse short. It’s a beautiful, family-friendly story about life, home, and profound change for all ages. Mostly, it’s about living your best life, and that’s why we read Myth stories.
How I Invented an Alternate Universe
At its core, crafting an alternate universe isn't just about building a world. It's about developing unique characters who exist in that world.
The Science & Magic of Stars Reach
Worldbuilding involves creating an entire universe, complete with its own rules, laws of nature, and cultures that interact and evolve over time. In my space opera book series, Stars Reach, I have combined elements of science and magic to create a unique world in which all kinds of things are possible.
Excerpt: Breaking Colossus
The story follows Roth, the son of an infamous war hero, Grey Soleis. When Grey suddenly goes MIA, Roth and his mother, Alora, must struggle against forces that would erase their identities and tear their family apart.
House of the Dragon: A Review
In a way, HOTD has its own Game of Thrones. But is it simply a rehashing? Not quite.
The Rings of Power: A Review
Overall, the show is visually and musically masterful…that is, until you look under the hood.
The Age of Temperance
At the beginning of the Sun Maker Saga, the being known as “Temperance” was dead. He was the god-emperor of the universe for 100,000 years and had formed an empire the likes of which had never been seen nor ever would be.
The Birth of the Arrow
In my universe, an “Arrow” is a colloquial term used for an Autonomous Replicating Omnidroid (ARO). It is essentially a robot AI that is made up of “nanochains” that can expand, contract, and rearrange themselves into multiple forms. This enables the Arrow to transform into almost anything or anyone. They were created to serve humanity.
The Advent of the Bladeship
Have you ever created something and fallen in love with it? Well, that’s how I feel about my bladeships.
Solving the Batman Problem
The idea of Batman only works if you ignore a few crucial details. And we can’t afford to overlook these details in today’s world. Not anymore.
The Relationship Equation
The Relationship Equation connects to the principle of character development, which is a common skill that all writers spend their lives perfecting. In this case, it is character relationship development.
On Art and Suffering
I don’t necessarily believe that art and suffering are always related, or that art always springs from the pain we experience as humans, all I’m saying is that, under certain circumstances, they certainly are always related.