Category Archives: Thoughts

When Your Story Is Stolen By Reality

Posted on December 16, 2020 by Charles Yallowitz

I think many of us have seen the ‘Simpsons Predicted It’ articles and memes on the Internet.  Seems the show has been around so long that it’s bound to get a few odd things right from time to time.  We … Continue reading →

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Crossing Genres: #Fantasy & #Horror

Posted on December 14, 2020 by Charles Yallowitz

Welcome back to this month-long adventure where we talk about how advice for one genre can help for another.  Of course, these are only quick overviews because of time and space.  Today we’re going to discuss the similarities of: FANTASY … Continue reading →

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You Never Know Who Is Suffering

Posted on December 13, 2020 by Charles Yallowitz

There is a constant scream It is in silence Though there are signs Awkward movements Eyes of others Hold daggers of poison Itches and coughs Heartbeat rushing Even when at rest Tears welling up But only flowing in solitude Cracks … Continue reading →

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Is Weather Important to Stories?

Posted on December 9, 2020 by Charles Yallowitz

Many of us remember Snoopy starting a book with ‘It was a dark and stormy’ night.  In fact, I’ve seen this get used as a ‘what not to do’ lesson.  I believe it’s that you never start with the weather, … Continue reading →

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Crossing Genres: #Fantasy & #Romance

Posted on December 7, 2020 by Charles Yallowitz

I guess I’ll call this first in a series, but I don’t know how long it will go for.  Maybe only this month or I might carry it over to January if I can think of more comparisons.  The reason … Continue reading →

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When Kindness Change the Villain

Posted on December 2, 2020 by Charles Yallowitz

Above, you will see a picture from the anime called ‘One Piece’.  Don’t go running away yet because there’s a point.  In the scene, you have one of the heroes named Sanji (blonde) with a villain named Ghin (guy on … Continue reading →

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Returning the Favor in Fiction and Reality

Posted on November 30, 2020 by Charles Yallowitz

I was watching anime with my son when I noticed that there was a theme that popped up a bunch.  Not in one episode, but in various series.  It isn’t one that I’ve ever considered or seen much about, so … Continue reading →

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The Overlapping of Genres and Styles

Posted on November 23, 2020 by Charles Yallowitz

This is kind of carrying over from the ‘rules’ of writing posts from last week.  It got me thinking about this blog and how people perceive it.  Not the promotional stuff or the comedic things like Ye Olde Shoppe.  I’m … Continue reading →

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The ‘Rules’ of Writing: Real or Choose Your Own Adventure?

Posted on November 16, 2020 by Charles Yallowitz

“Kill your darlings!” “No prologues!” “Show, don’t tell!” “Only use ‘say/says/said’!” “You must eliminate 80% of your first draft!” I’m sure we’ve all heard these or variations over the course of our writing careers.  Some of us have used these … Continue reading →

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Wizard, Magician, Magic-User, Sorceress, Witch, Warlock, Caster, Etc.

Posted on November 11, 2020 by Charles Yallowitz

It seems there are so many words out there to denote practitioners of magic.  That’s only the arcane side of things and not the holy ones too.  Imagine if we add priests, priestesses, paladins, druids, and the rest of those … Continue reading →

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