Seriously, stop glorifying unhealthy relationships in fiction. We all have some piece of fiction that pops up into our heads when we are discussing gross relationships in books. What is most staggering to me is how frequently these unhealthy relationships are found in young adult (YA) fiction. Impressionable young people …
Villains. They can truly make or break a story. Every hero needs an opposite to keep us turning pages. But what makes a villain so memorable that they scare the crap out of people and make history? In my opinion, there are two broad categories of villains that are truly …
Transformation is the theme of the January themed collection, the final themed collection at that. I consider transformation and growth to be overall positive concepts, and yet there is no rule that says you have to transform or grow into a better version of yourself, just a new version. The …
This is by no means a comprehensive guide to stealing like an artist, as it is its own art form, and not one many master. Stealing like an artist does not mean plagiarism, copyright infringement, or intellectual theft. The phrase is misleading in that sense. It does mean taking elements …
There is a scene in Friends, where Monica, a chef, receives a review that says “The Chef’s Mahi Mahi was Awful Awful” and she has a minor meltdown over the bad press, even going so far as to attend a cooking class despite being a head chef at a very …
Today, New Year’s Day, marks the beginning of the final themed collection, tentatively titled Transformation Season. Transformation is a powerful concept. It can mean many things. It can be good or bad. It can transform your life in the best or the worst ways. It can be physical or mental …
People who read can tell you a lot about people. We understand them in ways that others do not. Some of us love a good hero, some of us prefer an antihero, some love the sidekicks, and others of us fall in love with at least pieces of every villain …
Whether or not you believe in a deity or set of deities, we have something that makes us who we are – some people call it the soul, others call it the spirit, but there is some spark of life in us that makes us who we are more than …
Seriously, who the fuck decided that being thin was a great predictor of health? It is not. You know who’s really thin? People who are dying. Shut the hell up. It is healthy to maintain a healthy weight, and what that looks like depends on your frame and your activity …
I tend to get extra sweary when it comes to goals because language is powerful, and the more we shock ourselves with language, the more what we are saying resonates with us. Cussing can actually have a powerful impact on us when we are talking about things that truly matter. …