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Writing Activity: Describe a Fairground, Showground or Carnival
Have you ever been to a carnival? What about a rural show? A fairground? Circus? For sure you’ll have seen depictions of fairgrounds on TV and movies. They have a very specific vibe, and storytellers love them.
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Forgiveness In Families by Alice Munro Short Story Analysis
“Forgiveness In Families” is a short story by Canadian author Alice Munro. Find it in Munro’s 1974 collection Something I Have To Tell You.
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Office Space (1999): Still Relevant in the 2020s
Office Space is a 1999 comedy written and directed by Mike Judge. This is a film I go back to every few years, and each time I watch, I have a different viewing experience.
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What is a social construct?
A social construct is an aspect of our reality which is: not determined by nature, created by human societies and context specific.
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Wigtime by Alice Munro Short Story Analysis
For a story of two female high school friends reuniting for the first time after many years, let’s take a close look at “Wigtime” by Canadian writer Alice Munro.
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“The Stephen King Of Japan”: Dark Water Film Study
Today let’s talk about an excellent Japanese horror film (J-horror) directed by Hideo Nakata based on a short story by author Kōji Suzuki, who also wrote The Ring.
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How to get out of a reading slump
Much has already been said about our waning attention spans. I won’t get into that here. Instead, I simply offer some tips, tricks and thoughts about being the reader you want to be: Someone who wants to read long things like books, but struggles with it. Although I’ve been writing this book blog for more…
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What to watch if you LOVE Breaking Bad
Loved Breaking Bad? Fingers crossed you haven’t seen all of these recommendations already. The following descriptions are spoiler free.
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Narrating Faulty Memory in Fiction
Today I’m taking a close look at examples of fictional narrators who know their memory may not be accurate.
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Why writing does not get any easier with practice
Does writing get easier the more you do it? Yes and no. The mechanics get easier but each project presents its own new problems.
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Heat Makes You Mad: Going Troppo & Mango Madness
If you live in the Northern Hemisphere and are experiencing extreme heat for the first time, I have some Australian phrases you might find unpleasantly useful.
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Journey by Patricia MacLachlan (1991)
Journey is a middle grade novel by American author Patricia MacLachlan (1938-2022). MacLachlan was a prolific author and published over 60 novels, eventually collaborating with her daughter. People may know her best for Sarah, Plain and Tall which won the 1986 Newbery Medal. She won it again for Journey, a slim paperback of just 80…
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Why is the Australian Women’s Soccer Team Called The Matildas?
Many people are wondering for the first time in 2023, why are The Matildas called The Matildas? Is it sexist or fine, actually?
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Survival of the Thickest: Favourite One-liners and Words
Survival of the Thickest is a comedy-drama television series co-created by Michelle Buteau and Danielle Sanchez Witzel for Netflix.
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Breaking Bad Discussion Questions
Love Breaking Bad? Love to talk about it? Try these discussion questions, aimed at people who love critique.