Great Chapters- The Cave (A writing analysis)

Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince, the sixth instalment into the titular series, was a turning point in many ways. While the series had been developing its darker tones as the characters and tone matured, they always coalesced with a feeling that whimsical feeling of magical escapism that made Harry Potter such a universal …

Brilliant Scenes- Inglorious Basterds (A writing analysis)

Full spoilers ahead Tarantino's 2009 offering is an interesting case for long-term fans of his work. The usual format is there; whip-fast witticisms by characteristic and distinctive characters who lean in and out of the plot in adventures that could be stand-alone films in the hand of lesser directors, and a penchant for violence and …

Amazing Episodes- Out of Gas (A writing analysis)

I think a good litmus-test of a piece of art is how well you can remember the first time you experienced it when you come back to it, and Firefly very much hits that mark for me. Long before the freshly exposed controversies of Joss Whedon, I joined the Firefly bandwagon quite late, watching the …

Brilliant Scenes- Children of Men (A writing analysis)

Directed by Alfonso Cuarón and released in 2006, Children Of Men is a dystopian/Sci-Fi/thriller based on the book of the same name, written by P.D. James and published in 1992. Children Of Men follows Theo Faron in a world disturbingly accurate to what 2027 would really be like if human fertility rates were dropped to …

Great Chapters- The Gunslinger ’17’ (A writing Analysis)

Stephen King's The Dark Tower series seemed to be at an interesting nexus for many of his die-hard fans. There are some who hail it as his Magnum Opus, even more iconic than works like The Stand and IT. On the other side, however, who find it a deviation in tone from the rest of …

Ten lateral (And five practical) tips on writing interesting dialogue

There's no doubt about the fact that dialogue can make or break a story. There have been times when my brain hasn't been working properly when reading, and I have found myself subconsciously and inadvertently drifting towards the dialogue, often it being so much more tantalising to read than the meticulous descriptions and atmosphere building. …

Narcotics vs Art

Drugs and art have a complicated ebb and flow within our society. Drugs in the mainstream are, of course, a massive taboo for a variety of reasons. Ranging from legal alcohol to soft drugs like cannabis, and then to the potentially devastating likes of crystal meth and heroin. All of which serve their purpose as …

Weird Dreams Vol 3- The Smoke and the Fear

The following is a horror story based on a dream I had when I was 12 or 13, mature content warning. The sky was pitch black. A canopy of smoke reached towards the desolate heaven above, towering over a crimson pitch. The city was burning. Alfie watched from his bedroom window, watching the smoke drift …

Writing true comedy

Think about the last time you read a book that was a comedy, and think to the times you actually laughed at loud. It's possible you never did, yet you can still recognise when a story is supposed to be humorous. The difference, however, between thinking; "That's humorous", and actually laughing, is a vast one. …

Limitations are an imagination’s best friend

"A person is a fool to become a writer. His only compensation is absolute freedom. He has no master except his own soul, and that, I am sure, is why he does it." The above quote is by children's author Roald Dahl, and while I don't respect the man's character for his 'alleged' anti-Semitism, racism …