I seldom remember dreams, but this morning my dream woke me and continued to entertain as I dozed. It was a full colour, authentic setting, millennial version of X Files where young hipster Mulder and Scully resolved spooky meme mysteries using encryption and through posting on Reddit threads. Deputy Director Skinner texted them saying as 'digital natives' … Continue reading X Millenials
X Files
A review: abominable TV
The Abominable Bride, the next instalment of Sherlock, aired in Australia. Well I say aired. It was available via BBC Worldwide (through proper pay TV) and via subscription streaming TV and it also screened at selected cinemas for about 2.5 seconds. Needless to say, I missed these. It's typical Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, self-referential, messing … Continue reading A review: abominable TV
Balancing Big Themes and Small Moments
To depict big themes, the advice to writers is to focus on small items and moments. If disease is the theme, the moment in a global pandemic is how a medico might be motivated by the sight of a toy box in an eerily empty children's hospital ward. Emotional, concrete, and reasonably relatable. Conspiracy to commit writing In … Continue reading Balancing Big Themes and Small Moments
X Files: Minor Stories Please
If you're not all caught up: here be aliens, creatures and spoilers. Sure, X-Files rebooted with a conspiracy-mythos that links all the worst events in the world to all the biggest public and private organisations and governments...in order to take over America. Right. Actually no. I'm with Scully here. It's too much. But then, I … Continue reading X Files: Minor Stories Please
Stick together and defend
Seldom do Aussie pub rock anthems get recognition for their assistance in solving writing dilemmas, but this changes here. By the way that's not a sentence I'd ever thought I'd have to come up with, but there you go, writing is strange like that. We know that ideas come from anywhere. Like today, when I was driving … Continue reading Stick together and defend
X Files: X marks the writer
I was always a fan of X Files. At the risk of revealing my age, some series were often enjoyed communally. It was virtually the only thing we all agreed on as bunch of undergrads, lapping up the ongoing trials and tribulations of FBI's most basementy duo, Mulder and Scully. It wasn't just Moonlighting, but … Continue reading X Files: X marks the writer
Friends like these
I've been re-watching Sherlock because what the hey and also summer programming in Australia partly consists of repeating Sherlock and little else new or entertaining. Any who, I realised this program was misnamed. Sure it features the rude, scarfed, and cheekboned Holmes with and without the 'ear hat' but the main thing it is not … Continue reading Friends like these
Investigating and some nonsense about writing
One of my favourite books is Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco. No. Don't roll your eyes. I geddit. I have to let you know I have a deep and abiding love of The Wind in the Willows and reveal that I did waste a few teen hours in the alien realm of Sweet Valley High and many … Continue reading Investigating and some nonsense about writing
When sequels attack
When does a bad sequel or prequel or spin-off ruin a franchise? Most of all how does it? Everyone can name a franchise that went all to hell after the first story. Did anyone *get* Highlander after ‘there can be only one’? Success breeds a vacuum. The thing fans want is MORE. But they’re a … Continue reading When sequels attack
Writing Bec 