We read fiction because we seek an emotional experience. A novel or short story conveys emotion in three ways: through description, dialogue, and voice. The last is the hardest to understand, but writers who evoke emotion through voice often create an addicting reading experience. It is essential to learn to write with voice, because when…

This post contains spoilers for the movie Inception! Inception is a deeply flawed movie. It has an overly convoluted and bloated beginning sequence that throws you into the action without telling you anything about the characters or the scenario. It has a middle that’s so complicated you need a flowchart to make any sense of…

Here’s what makes one of televisions best dramas so good – an unforgettable main character. A compelling protagonist is the most important element of any story, because it’s the means by which you experience the story. The audience assumes the identity of the protagonist, vicariously experiencing life through him or her. Dr. Gregory House, from…

Published February 13, 2011 For the last three weeks, I’ve been living on Egyptian time. The human drama and the twists and turns of this incredible conflict transfixed myself and millions of others, who stayed glued to their Al-Jazeera feeds as Egyptians rioted to topple their thirty year dictator. I literally woke when Egyptians woke,…