Every quarter I read at least half a dozen pieces of freshman writing that withhold key information from readers in the hope of building suspense. I suspect these student-writers once watched The Sixth Sense or Psycho and decided that all great stories need a great twist. The problem, though, is that they missed the pony.Continue reading “4 Reasons Why Keeping Secrets from Readers Doesn’t Work”
Monthly Archives: October 2015
How Ronald D. Moore Used Star Trek to Build a Better Battlestar Galactica
So I’ve been binge-watching Deep Space 9, and the funny thing is that some pretty familiar tropes from Battlestar Galactica sprout up during the last two seasons. It’s my first time rewatching DS9 since BSG, and the parallels make me very happy. Why? Ronald D. Moore experiments with story threads, characters, and techniques in DS9Continue reading “How Ronald D. Moore Used Star Trek to Build a Better Battlestar Galactica”
How Chronic Illness Made Me a Champion Worrywart
I worry about everything. Barometric pressure. Fluorescent lights. Hormones. My bedtime. You name it, I can fret over it. So move over, Muhammad Ali: I’m the Greatest! I can worry anyone into the ground. Try me. Here is a short list of things that worry me on a regular basis. Each one has knocked meContinue reading “How Chronic Illness Made Me a Champion Worrywart”
Is Your Cat a Sociopath? 6 Telltale Signs
Your precious fuzzball is a little Hannibal Lecter just waiting to happen. You know this. But you don’t care because kitties are cute. And humans are dumb. I mean, let’s compare the psychopath checklist to our favorite kitty-cats. How about we start with the features everybody knows? 1. Superficial Charm Duh. That’s why we loveContinue reading “Is Your Cat a Sociopath? 6 Telltale Signs”
Twenty Years Later, Star Trek’s DS9 Is Still the Most Feminist Show Around
I love DS9. It’s something I should be ashamed to admit. The characters type out imaginary codes at comm panels that look like decals while zipped into black jumpsuits with elastic waistbands. The only thing more overdramatic than the acting is the camerawork. And the sets are as static as most of the scenes. SceneContinue reading “Twenty Years Later, Star Trek’s DS9 Is Still the Most Feminist Show Around”
