Blog

A discussion on how existing characters can be weakened over time when adapting them to new stories

A brief history of West Virginia’s logging industry and how it relates to creativity and modern media.

With the celebration of Independence Day this month, we’re likely to hear frequent use of the term “freedom”. But what exactly does it mean to be free, and are we as free as we think we are?

There’s been a lot of buzz about artificial intelligence programs like ChatGPT lately. But what are the implications for creative writers?

This month, I muse on the use of music-writing formulas, opinion polls, data-driven art, and operatic cowboy rap.

If a creative work deeply resonates with people, it’s often seen as an affirmation that the art is good and meaningful. But what if it resonates because it’s reinforcing the waywardness of humanity? Resonance alone can’t determine what is good because it’s reactionary; it largely depends on the disposition of the individual, who may or may not be in line with what is true. To highlight the problem here, let’s look at resonance from a scientific standpoint.

There are a few animated theatrical releases in 2023 that I’m keeping tabs on, and it’s been interesting to watch how people have been reacting to the trailers.

With the pro football playoffs coming up, there will soon be a lot of talk about “underdogs” – teams that are clearly outmatched and have little chance of coming out on top. In a way, it can be fun rooting for the little guy and hoping for a major upset. But most of the time, the underdog doesn’t win. The simple truth is that people would much rather cheer for champions, the ones who have earned their place at the top through hard work and consistent excellence.

One of my favorite pastimes is ruining movies for myself by reading reviews and online articles ahead of time. Lately I’ve been keeping tabs on Disney’s latest animated release, Strange World. I found a quote from a review that I believe says a lot about where we are as a culture right now.

Before I was inspired to work on these projects, I figured that writing a story would be like constructing a building – you decide what you want to make, gather the necessary materials, and put them together according to the plan.  But most of the time I don’t actually feel like I’m “inventing” or “creating” anything – it feels like the story is already there and it’s my job simply to uncover it.