Book Review: Blue Eel by Lorne Dixon

Blue Eel is a psychedelic, sometimes foggy, trip through desert cults and the depths of the human psyche. 

And One Last Word: #1: Why Stephen King's "The Gingerbread Girl" is a Modern Marvel

One of King's lesser-known short stories is a surprisingly devastating piece of realistic fiction on par with his early novellas.

This Wasn't in the Script and Storywriting Tips

The foundation of every film is the screenplay. So why do so many movies feel like there wasn't a screenplay at all?

A Gift and a Paradigm Shift

I, of course, discuss writing at length on this writing blog... but how do you know when writing stops being a hobby and becomes a potential career?

Connotation and Not so Great Expectations

Just how much can a single synonym affect the objective of a sentence? The Joey Tribbianis of the world know.

Short Story Collections and Bite-Sized Perfection

Whether it's the result of our collective interest in being terrified or maybe our increasing short attention spans, there's something undeniably enticing about the short story.

Making the Time and Essay Crimes

Today's topic is especially appropriate considering my unplanned leave of absence, so turn off the clock and study up on how we can wisely manage the one thing none of us can ever have enough of--time.

Book Review: Intern: A Doctor's Initiation by Sandeep Jauhar

A startlingly personal and occasionally scandalizing account of the horrors and wonders of a medical internship.

Book Review: Anatomy of a Premise Line: How to Master Premise and Story Development for Writing Success by Jeff Lyons

The latest panacea for the creative world's writing woes may actually have a substantial impact on how we write.

Tragedies and Personal Stories

We study how great personal tragedy (and even slight hiccups in one's general existence) can propel us to create something better than we ever could without it.

Book Review: Different Seasons by Stephen King

Stephen King's four most well-known novellas come together to form a metaphorical year, complete with triumphant, sunny highs and tedious, frigid lows.

Book Review: Room by Emma Donoghue

A claustrophobic novel that establishes an entire universe within its one room boundaries.

No End in Sight and Seeing the Light

As effortless as they seem, middles are often the most challenging for writers. And believe me, writers don't like to be challenged like this.

Book Review: Cujo by Stephen King

We explore what makes Stephen King's most excruciating book so excruciating and ponder whether we're willing to pay the price for such pain.

Lengthy Rants and Always Say "Can't"

We now fall down the rabbit hole of dialogue and how it can make or break your story, screenplay, or script. Don't forget to use quotation marks.

Inspiration and Prompt Frustration

What moves us to write? And how can we hold onto that spark long enough to actually write something decent?

Stereotypes and Character Hype

We continue our discussion about characters and expand upon the concepts of stereotype and the roles our characters play.

Character Traits and Trope Heavyweights

It's time to delve into the lifeblood of the story-- the character! And the millions upon millions of tropes that come with it!

Spring Awakenings and New Beginnings

With summer on the horizon, it's time to complete the last of our spring cleaning with some writing exercises and plans for the future.

Old Stories and Future Glory

As an AA member (Adverbs Anonymous), I felt we needed to take a break from the broad stuff and get right into the nitty-gritty of good writing.

It's Such a Beautiful Day and Your First Writing Forays

We continue our in-depth exploration of what it means to tell a story and how this skill could reap you personal benefit (which, I'm sure, is the primary reason for your reading of this entry).

Stephen King and Story-Telling

Shakespeare, Stephen King, and Steven Spielberg all have something in common (and, no, it's not their slight superiority complexes).

DBQ's and Revenue

An assigned DBQ in AP Euro might just send this blog in a different direction.

Introductions and Pen-troductions

Hello! My name is Sydny and I'm a high school student who has finally decided to share my passion for writing with the world.