I am not old yet. I am certainly not young anymore either by internet standards. At 45 I am comfortably slightly past the middle point of...

(The title's reference if you've never heard it: REM Music Video.) Until now we have mostly discussed the tropes using fantasy examples,...

I want to talk about pacing in books, movies, comics, and just stories in general. I want to explain why books are a much-needed source...

The trope of "prophecies and legends of long-gone times" has been a staple in fantasy literature for centuries going back literally to...

Who are you?  Have you ever been pushed hard enough that you know? We don’t really know who we are until the world tells us, “No.” Find...

In the realm of creativity, writers and readers are integral players, each contributing to the tapestry of storytelling that shapes our...

We like to believe that if we work hard, we do everything as right as we can that life will present us with a series of options, where we...

Thirty seconds at a time you can choose to waste your life, or spend your life in a meaningful pursuit. Americans spend an average of...

In fantasy literature, film, and other media, the reluctant protagonist is a common archetype. This character is often thrust into a...

I walked through a store the other day, and I was very confused to see a book on a new release rack by Terry Pratchett. A Stroke of the...

I am not young, but by most measures I am not yet old. I am in that sweet spot of middle age. I am wiser than those who look up to me,...

The trope of the hidden lineage is very common in fantasy novels. I will prove to you with example that there is nothing inherently wrong...

I was reading last night, and I noticed as I approached the 50-page mark or about 1/8 mark that I give to most books that I was not...

Is a one mile run far? Is writing 10,000 words a lot? Is lifting 400 lbs. strong? Is practicing your Spanish lessons one hour a day...

"Only you can ..." In the realm of fantasy literature, few tropes are as ubiquitous and polarizing as the "Chosen One." This archetype,...

You are more than you think. You can do more than you believe you can. When you were born you couldn’t count. You couldn’t read. You...

It is a question I have had to ask for two series of books specifically that I have read since I was a child. Margaret Wies and Tracy...

The word trope can refer to any type of figure of speech, theme, image, character, or plot element that is used many times in particular...

Oxford definition: (noun) the study of historical writing. In other words, historiography is the study of the history and methodology of...

I could have been a writer, a professional athlete, a musician, a doctor, an actor, a chef, a business owner, a scientist, a teacher… If...