Category Archives: nonfiction
SIX OF THE BEST… movies from 2016 not nominated for Best Picture
So yeah. The Oscars are this weekend. And only one film came out before October 25th of last year. Ridiculous. Let’s look at six other films that could have been considered.
SIX OF THE BEST… ways to save money on coffee
I save money on coffee by not drinking it. That may not be an option for you. But fear not — I can help.
SIX OF THE BEST… “if video games have taught me anything” lessons
What have we learned from playing video games? You’d be surprised.
SIX OF THE WORST… Enterprise design problems
If you really think about it, the starship Enterprise is pretty poorly designed.
SIX OF THE BEST… cliched narrative devices
The actual title of the column is a bit longer. It’s about narrative devices that have become so cliche that you really can’t use them in your writing anymore. Which is frustrating.
SIX OF THE BEST… columns I wrote in 2016
Let me tell you about the columns I wrote in 2016. They were great columns. The columns had great topics, and they were really great. They’re going to do great things in the future.
SIX OF THE WORST… questions I was left with after watching The OA
All things considered, Netflix’s The OA should’ve been right up my alley. But I was left with many, many questions.
SIX OF THE BEST… sequels coming to theaters in 2017
Let’s talk sequels!
SIX OF THE BEST… questions to ask your nerdy friends after seeing Rogue One
As expected, I saw Rogue One on opening night — which is Friday, despite all the new metrics that only count Thursday opening box office receipts as a measure of success. Anyway, after seeing it and digesting it, I decided that, while … Continue reading
SIX OF THE BEST… reasons to show fewer movie commercials
You might have heard that a little movie called Rogue One is coming out on Friday. If you haven’t, you clearly haven’t been anywhere near the media for the past… oh… year or so. Pretty much since the Monday after The Force … Continue reading
SIX OF THE WORST… self-promotion fails
I suck at self-promotion.
SIX OF THE BEST takes on Fantastic Beasts and Pokemon
This week’s Six of the Best column is spoileriffic, so if you haven’t seen Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, you shouldn’t read it. If you have, though… read on! Last week, my daughter and I collaborated on a Six … Continue reading
SIX OF THE BEST… presidential election screwups
Regardless of what you think of the most recent US presidential election, you should be able to agree that there have been screwups in elections past. Here are six of the best of them.
SIX OF THE BEST… things newer writers should avoid doing
This really should be a “worst”, not “best”, but I can only work with what I have. Anyway, don’t do this.
Book Review: CRIMSON DEATH by Laurell K. Hamilton
Well, Laurell K. Hamilton has done it again. She’s written a pretty decent police procedural and then tacked on about 300 pages of relationship angst. Yes, that’s right, it’s time for me to review Crimson Death, the latest Anita Blake … Continue reading
SIX OF THE BEST… Criminal Minds villains
After 12 years, there are bound to be some great villains on any TV show. But Criminal Minds makes a living off its villains. Here are six of the best of them.
SIX OF THE BEST: second books and pro-wrestlers
I was on vacation last week, so I didn’t post this, but here are my two most-recent Six of the Best columns: SIX OF THE BEST… second books in a series: books that don’t fall victim to the sophomore slump. … Continue reading
SIX OF THE WORST… things about health insurance
Health insurance sucks. Well, okay, insurance itself doesn’t, but the system certainly does. Here’s me bitching about it.
SIX OF THE WORST… things about social media (for writers)
I hate marketing myself. SIX OF THE WORST… things about social media (for writers)