Writerly Sound Bites, Number 8: Character Progression – How Characters Broken by Trauma Recover and Rebuild, Part 3

Brunhilde (Marvel Comics) Thus far we have looked at how children and men are broken and remade in abusive situations. It is not a pleasant picture and the road back is rough even for the strongest members of each demographic. Manipulation cannot be overcome in an hour, perhaps not even a year; it takes time, …

The Most Famous Woman to Aid the Resistance in World War II France

To be perfectly frank, reading this article makes me wonder if Stan Lee and Marvel might have been inspired by Nancy Wake when they came up with Peggy Carter. Certainly, Hayley Atwell’s portrayal of the character in Captain America: The First Avenger* seems far more realistic once one reaches the finale for the article. While …

Review: The Old Man and the Void by Karina Fabian

  Whew! I am finally making something akin to a dent in my TBR pile, readers! Today’s gem is a book by Karina Fabian, author of the DragonEye, PI* series and Space Traipse* books. She has also written the Neeta Lyffe* zombie apocalypse series and The Mind Over* trilogy, so she has a backlist you …

Writerly Sound Bites, Number 3: The Worship of Evil – Or, “The Villain Is the Hero of His Own Story”

It might be an old – and somewhat uncouth – meme, but it makes the point. Slap an unhappy backstory on a villain, and odds are that someone somewhere will ask whether or not he is “really the bad guy.” How can Thanos, for example, be considered evil when he just wants to prevent other …

Words from Professor Geek

Yes, he is at it again, readers. Check out these intriguing videos from the Professor of Geekdom himself. There will not be a quiz later – not from him or me, at least. Life may have a curve ball or two to throw everyone’s way soon enough. In which case, you may find his points …

Sincerity in Fiction – A Lost Art in Need of Recovery

While on the Superversive Sunday Livestream, Anthony Marchetta and I discussed the differences between Japanese anime and modern Western storytelling. One of the items that came up was the sincerity with which Japanese writers portray their characters. Although I wanted a stronger word for the phenomenon at the time, in hindsight, I think Anthony hit …

Writerly Sound Bites, Number 1: On Characters, Flaws, and What Really Makes a Flawed Hero Heroic

Something I have discovered over the years is that advice from those in the field of storytelling – or from those who teach creative writing – tends to fall into two categories. The first consists of long descriptions which can almost be considered stories in themselves. Reading through these dissertations and parsing them out can …

A Study in Black – Thoughts on Marvel’s Black Widow and the MCU in General

©Disney I did not intend to give any regard to the MCU following my viewing of Avengers: Endgame, readers. That film was a fine swan song, though I will be the first to admit that I think it could have been done differently and better. Following this film, there was no reason for yours truly …

Thoughts from Professor Geek

The good Professor has some interesting videos up on his channel, readers. The three linked below are just a sampling of his “Heroic Inspiration” series. Excerpts from a book he is presently reworking, they are encouraging short videos that will edify as well as entertain. Don’t take my word for it, though – listen to …

From Earth to Barsoom – Almost

John Carter* is an enjoyable film. I, for one, would have paid to see it in theaters – if the title had been a little more clear on the fact that it was a science fiction film based on the book John Carter of Mars*, by Edgar Rice Burroughs*. As things stand, I saw it …