Spread light!
Looking for book recommendations? You’ve come to the right place 🙂 I read 100+ books a year, on average, and here I list my top recommendations for avid readers to find their next read, beginning with… The Brilliant Writer Reading List Annual Book Lists 2020 Top Picks After Reading 130+ Books in 2020, These …
Everyone has a worldview, even if they don’t think they do. And that worldview matters. It’s the water you swim in. And just like freshwater fish soon discover when they are swimming in saltwater, if you aren’t swimming in the right water, it will inevitably poison you. What you believe , how you see the world, …
Do You Know What You Believe and Why? - The Story of Reality by Greg Koukl Read More »
What is it about middle grade books — specifically the adventure-mystery ones — that are so much fun to read? Perhaps I’m a bit nostalgic, but I’ve always seen this period of life as one brimming with potential — you’re old enough to start being a little independent, but not old enough yet to be saddled with adult burdens. There’s still …
Save the Owls!…and Learn to Write Fun MG Novels Better? - Hoot by Carl Hiaasen Read More »
Can you boil everything needed to write a good story into 22 steps? Author John Truby claims to be able to do so. I’m not sure I fully agree, but I have definitely given this book a fair hearing, taking detailed notes (and commentary) on all 11 chapters. Storytelling is an art and a craft, …
Why do mysteries attract so many readers? Seriously. Just like with romances and crack cocaine, some people just can’t get enough of this perennial best-selling genre. (But of course mysteries are arguably much healthier overall than romances and crack cocaine…) My theory? Mysteries address that deep human desire to see justice and fairness meted out to …
It’s that time of year again! When I take a moment to reflect on the past year’s shenanigans and set a (general) direction for the year ahead. As usual, the concept for this year-end wrap-up style article series was shamelessly stolen from the epic fantasy writer Brandon Sanderson. (You can check out 2023 and 2022 …
This is the final part of our Hunger Games: Mockingjay (Book 3) dissection-analysis for writers who want to hone their craft! Part 1 here Part 2 here And you can check out the deep-dive analysis of Book 1 in the series, here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 And Book 2 here: Part 1, Part …
The end of an era — Hunger Games 3: Mockingjay (Part 3) by Suzanne Collins Read More »
This is the penultimate installment in the Original Hunger Games trilogy deep-dive and book analysis! In it, we explore the brainwashing of Peeta, the unraveling (or revelation) of Gale’s Dark Side, and the philosophy of war and vengeance. And we look at it all from the perspective of writers looking to hone their writing and …
This is Part 1 of our Hunger Games: Mockingjay (Book 3) dissection-analysis for writers who want to hone their craft! Part 2: Coming soon Part 3: Coming soon And you can check out the deep-dive analysis of Book 1 in the series, here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 And Book 2 here: Part 1, …
So you’d like to be a content creator. A podcaster, writer, youtuber, someone who shares ideas for a living and can do it virtually anytime, from anywhere. After watching the Tim Ferrisses and Joe Rogans and Gretchen Rubins of the world, a part of you thinks you could do something like that, too. Maybe not …
This is Part 1 of our Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Book 2) dissection-analysis for writers who want to hone their craft! Part 1 here Part 2 here And you can check out the deep-dive analysis of Book 1 in the series, here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 Who this book is for: Fans of …