I've come across many aspiring writers who are frustrated with the feedback that they receive from fellow writers in workshops. And when people show me what their peers are saying about their work, I am surprised that they are frustrated. I'm astonished that they aren't downright furious. There are a multitude of things to consider…
A Writer’s Cure For Derivative Works
There is nothing new under the sun in the literary world. Most nearly everything has been done, and done quite well. In this day and age, the world of creative media is supersaturated. Anything we hope to create is undoubtedly influenced by any number of existing works. How, then, do we avoid the trap of…
Elliot Rodger: Loneliness In American Cinema Embodied
As anyone who follows this blog would tell you, I have a keen interest in the loneliness of the American male. Being that loneliness is the primary theme of my novel, I've studied its presence in movies such as Taxi Driver (1972), Falling Down (1993), One Hour Photo (2002), The Assassination of Richard Nixon (2004),…
A Thought On Academic And Intellectual Progress
Last year, when I was studying a text on cultural anthropology, I found myself thinking that it is a poorly written textbook. I found myself trying to mentally rewrite the textbook such that it makes more sense to me. And then a thought occurred to me: academic progress has been stalled by bad writing. It…
On The Importance Of Authority In Literary Writing
I was in a Barnes & Noble bookstore one day and flipped open a book on display. I read a passage that said something about a handsome Englishman's expensive untucked shirt and his handcrafted suit. I was immediately put off by the passage because I felt as if I were being led on without any…
