“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” ― Toni Morrison
To anyone that has read this blog for any length of time, it's no secret I love reviewing stories in all forms of media. It enables me to think critically and learn what makes a story fail or succeed. I owe much of my growth as a writer to watching other reviewers discuss what they… Continue reading How to NOT Suck at Reviewing in Five Easy Steps
I think most people in the writing blogosphere know what a pantser and plotter are by now, but just in case you don't, here's a quick definition: A "pantser" is someone who writes based on their intuition, or "flying by the seat of their pants." A "plotter," however, well....plots. That isn't to say pantsers don't… Continue reading Why I Converted From a Pantser into a Plotter
A special thanks to theorangutanlibrarian for nominating me for this award! I'm honored to be receiving it and I enjoyed making this post! Here goes! Thank the person who nominated you and provide a link back to their blogging site. Answer the questions. Nominate 11 other bloggers and ask them 11 new questions. Notify the… Continue reading Sunshine Blogger Award #5
If anyone were to look up from their dinner plates at me at this moment they would see someone on the verge of taking a plastic spoon from her empty soup bowl and gouging her own eyes out. I'm at a restaurant under the false impression that I am going to be doing some writing… Continue reading That First Damn Line
Okay, so, excuse time. Truth be told, I probably could have updated this blog a long while ago but I didn't want to because I have not been satisfied with the content I'm working on. As of this writing, I currently have five blog posts in my drafts folder and two short stories I want… Continue reading So, I’m Not Dead
Just as a heads up, this is as close to addressing political issues as I am likely to get on this blog outside of discussions involving freedom of expression. The only reason I'm even bothering typing up this post is because, as bloggers, may of us have lives that are saturated by media. Hell, most… Continue reading Unpopular Opinion: Outrage Culture Conditioned Me To Not Care About Anything
I'm not going to lie. I had many, many illusions about blogging when I started The Crooked Pen. I thought that, with enough vigor and talent I would be able to flock hundreds of thousands of people to this site. I had seen other blogs similar to this one and I thought I had them… Continue reading How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Blog
WARNING: SPOILERS FOR THE BOOK OUTLANDER AHEAD. Strap in, folks, this is gonna be a long review. Then again this was a long book, so what do you expect? What I liked: The great characters. I didn't always like Claire, but she always felt like a person and not just a vassal through which the author… Continue reading Thoughts on “Outlander” by Diana Gabaldon
When you decide to become a writer, there's one truth that you must confront at some point: what you write will probably not be as good on paper as it was in your head. I've come to realize this after multiple drafts and constant rewrites of fiction, nonfiction, blog posts and etc. I know it's… Continue reading If You Want To Be a Writer, Lower Your Expectations a Lot
As crappy as it is that Peter didn't get a fair shake at being The Doctor, this decision to leave is for the show's benefit. Doctor Who has been in dire need of a direction change for years now and I think it would really benefit from a clean slate. Many people are complaining that… Continue reading Opinion: Peter Capaldi is Leaving Doctor Who and That’s a Good Thing
The Crooked Pen 