"Stay away from screens - they rot your brain!" everyone cries. And this is certainly true - getting too much screen time day after day brings a slew of terrible side effects for both mental and physical health. But, just like most activities, watching TV isn't inherently bad (unless, well, what you're watching is inherently … Continue reading Why Writers Should Watch TV
movies
What We Learn from a Character’s First Scenes in The Force Awakens
May the Fourth be with you! It's no secret that I'm a Star Wars nerd. As I talked about last month, Star Wars shaped me both as a person and a writer as I was growing up. Love or hate certain parts of it, there's no doubt that Star Wars has, in all likelihood, the … Continue reading What We Learn from a Character’s First Scenes in The Force Awakens
The Stories that Shaped Me: Star Wars
How do you like Tuesdays? Specifically, what do you think of my Tuesday blog posts? I think it's beneficial to talk about good (and bad) stories so that we can learn from what others have done. Let me know your opinion in the comments! For now, I'm starting yet another new series about the stories … Continue reading The Stories that Shaped Me: Star Wars
Pixar Uses a Secret to Make Their Stories Unique—Now You Can Use It Too
Have you ever noticed that most protagonists are...kinda the same? Whether it’s a children’s picture book or an adult thriller novel, the protag usually falls into one of two categories: a boy (young man, man, etc.) looking for adventure or a girl (young woman, woman, etc.) looking for independence/freedom. The secondary character and/or best friend … Continue reading Pixar Uses a Secret to Make Their Stories Unique—Now You Can Use It Too
Fixing the Story: The Nutcracker and the Four Realms
In this new series, I'm doing something a little different than my usual reviews. Rather than just talking about the good and bad in a story, I'll be going a step further to present possible ways to fix a story that's lacking. My goal? To help us practise how to pinpoint issues in a story … Continue reading Fixing the Story: The Nutcracker and the Four Realms
Disenchanted: As Lifeless as It Sounds, or Just “Different?”
Who else has been awaiting this Enchanted sequel for years? Disney is usually hit or miss with its sequels (mostly miss, let's be honest), but it was impossible not to be excited about this one. Enchanted is such a unique Disney movie, yet grossly underrated. The average person doesn't talk or think about it too … Continue reading Disenchanted: As Lifeless as It Sounds, or Just “Different?”
I Think I’ve Grown Out of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
I still remember watching the Pirates of the Caribbean films as a kid and being absolutely enthralled. I went through stages of loving things as my younger brother and our friends all got into different genres/movies/books or whatever at the same time. I can't remember exactly when my pirate obsession started, but it was probably … Continue reading I Think I’ve Grown Out of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Has the Magic of Star Wars Been Lost?
*the Force Theme plays distantly in the background* Some of my earliest memories are of Obi-Wan and Anakin chasing a bounty hunter through Coruscant, Yoda riding on Luke's back, and Darth Maul wielding his dual-bladed lightsaber. With my older sister becoming thoroughly obsessed with Star Wars just after I was born, I grew up with … Continue reading Has the Magic of Star Wars Been Lost?
Luca: A True Disney/Pixar Movie
Stories nowadays are complicated—and I mean that quite literally. If you think of the Disney movies of old, the ones I grew up with as a 90’s kid, they’re all painfully straightforward. Ariel wants to become human, she makes a deal with a sea witch, she and Eric fall in love, said sea witch pops … Continue reading Luca: A True Disney/Pixar Movie
I just rewatched Sky High and…it’s actually pretty good?
It's the summer of 2005. Everyone is wearing oddly layered tops, jeans, and clunky hats. The superhero craze is just starting to boom with films like X-Men, Fantastic 4, Spider-Man, and even Disney's first foray into the genre, The Incredibles taking hold of ages young and old. And in the midst of it all: Sky … Continue reading I just rewatched Sky High and…it’s actually pretty good?
E.J. Robison 