Category Archives: Thoughts

Living in a False World (Matrix Anniversary)

Posted on March 31, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

It’s not a milestone year, but ‘The Matrix’ was released on March 31, 1999.  I think this movie really changed how certain genres operate.  At least for a time.  We saw ‘bullet time’ everywhere and stories about living in simulations … Continue reading →

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Being Your Best and Worst Critic

Posted on March 26, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

I’m really hard on myself.  Think a lot of people can say this about themselves as well.  It’s extra tough to handle the inner critic when it comes to art.  Yet, one has to be their own cheerleader as well.  … Continue reading →

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Do Free Books Help These Days?

Posted on March 24, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

Years ago, I remember giving out free books to people in the hopes of getting a review or the full promise of one.  There were also times authors would swap books to give honest reviews of each other.  Of course, … Continue reading →

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Dreaming of a New Reality Characters

Posted on March 17, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

Wasn’t sure if I ever wrote about characters who alter reality, but something triggered the idea again.  Wish I remembered what I was watching at the time since this came to me as I was falling asleep.  The combination made … Continue reading →

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When Every Character Is A Villain

Posted on March 10, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

I watched ‘The Penguin’ months ago and I liked it.  Not saying I loved the characters in a way that I wanted to be them.  Some of their actions were horrific, but it worked for the story.  In fact, I … Continue reading →

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Did They Really Say That To a God?

Posted on February 28, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

I’m sure this is more of an anime thing and people who aren’t into the genre won’t really get or like this character type.  It’s definitely done for comedy, but I always sense there’s an odd level of respect between … Continue reading →

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Mirror, Mirror in the Myth

Posted on February 24, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

I saw mention of the Magic Mirror from Snow White and started thinking of other ways this common object shows up in stories.  It’s amazing how much symbolism and usage is behind a piece of glass.  Not only recently, but … Continue reading →

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When To End a Story

Posted on February 21, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

With this talk of character development rolling backwards for tension, another question comes to mind.  That is: When should one end a story? I know people will say when the characters achieve their goals or the author feels like they’ve … Continue reading →

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Character Growth Rollback

Posted on February 17, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

I was watching the newest season of a television show months ago and something was gnawing at me.  It was irking me through most of the episodes I was binging.  Didn’t realize what the problem was until I got halfway … Continue reading →

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Source Of An Apprentice’s Fall?

Posted on February 12, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

The fallen apprentice and most other characters who fall from grace tend to succumb to a specific personality trait.  Some may call it egotism and others narcissism.  I’m going to use a different term that is popular in fiction: Hubris … Continue reading →

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