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21 dispatches in this drawer. Pull one open to read the card.
The other day, my wife and I went to the movie theater for the 20th anniversary of Joe Wright’s film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Anyone who knows me—and my opinions on storytelling—likely kn…
This blog post was originally featured on an old blog I managed called Back to Being Gentlemen. That site is now defunct, but on a quick read, I found the content worthy of republication here with …
Autumn has come a month too early. When I was flying down the road and a cool breeze slid from its hiding place to tug at the sides of my shirt, I could not ignore it. It was the face of a friend a…
Today is Cancer Survivor Day, which is a day I didn’t know existed until my mom texted me with a heartfelt message of gratitude. It’s been almost ten years since I was first diagnosed w…
This blog post was originally featured on an old blog I managed called Back to Being Gentlemen. That site is now defunct, but on a quick read, I found the content worthy of republication here with …
Once upon a time, I ran a blog that encouraged me to seek out and memorize meaningful poetry. For whatever reason, I gravitated toward poets who have anchored themselves in the annals of tradition …
This past summer, I spent my weekend evenings working as an actor in Utah’s Evermore Park. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s an immersive adventure fantasy park. The park is design…
In just a few days, The Silver Currant, sequel to The Crimson Inkwell will be available to readers. It has been a wild ride. Second installments of trilogies have a longstanding tradition of being …
The term “echo chamber” is enough to send chills down your spine. I know I just got goosebumps thinking about it. When I was kid, I saw The Truman Show, starring Jim Carrey. If you have…
This week on Instead of Writing, I’m taking my background in business operations to offer you a strategic approach to actually accomplishing something through your New Year’s resolution…
My Marie Kondo kick is ongoing. I don’t think she ever suggested taking this long to go through her several-step declutter process, but here I am nine months later. It’s the “pape…
We’re in 2019. Knowledge and information are at our fingertips in ways never before experienced in humanity’s history. But, with this firehose of input, I think as a society we’ve…
I hear it all the time. “I don’t do sports.” Everywhere I turn I find more artists and creatives who turn up their nose at athletics because they don’t understand them or th…
I’m a bit of an Anglophile. Technically, I think that I can actually claim to be a citizen of Great Britain due to some of the Queen’s citizenship laws. It’s always fascinated me …
I’m a sucker for historical fantasy. I mean hey, that’s the genre I’m currently writing in. There’s something about the passing on of information and stories that shrouds re…
Helene Wecker’s 2013 title is a methodical, unhurried dive into a blend of novel magic systems, historical novel, and cultural commentary. Her story follows two mythical beings. The first is …
After fifteen years, I can finally say that I’ve completed the first draft of a novel. When I shared my news with my friend Kat, she looked at me excitedly and asked, “How did it feel?&…
It’s hard to imagine a field of business that cannot benefit from a healthy dose of lateral thinking and creativity. But, in our rush-hour, results-driven world, it’s tough to find reli…
When I was probably eight years old, one of my mom's friends gifted me the Star Wars Roleplaying Game and its accompanying sourcebook. As an intense Star Wars fan, I was immediately wrapped up in the pictures and the cool details of everything in the Star Wars universe. Years later, I discovered that the
Sometimes, it feels like all the good plots are taken. I wrote movies off completely for a couple of years because they started feeling like a re-microwaved piece of steak. The two-hour block format Hollywood has so subtly exploited had me sick and frustrated. I mean, with a basic understanding of the Hero's Journey,
I really meant to get this whole thing going a long time ago. I guess I can hang my hat next to the millions of other writers that know the fickle mistress "Procrastination" all too well. The truth is, I used to write more often-- then law school started.