One of the basic motifs of superhero stories is the importance of a double life. When the hero puts on their costume, they are a courageous individual who rushes into the battle to save lives. But in order to conceal their true identity, they adopt a mild-mannered persona that is the total opposite of their … Read more
The intro for the long-running NBC soap opera “The Days of Our Lives” proclaims, “Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.” The line is more than a great introduction—it’s the absolute truth. One day, the sand in your hourglass will run out. We have a limited amount of time on … Read more
Van Halen was one of the greatest rock bands of the 1970s and 80s. Although they had a number of popular songs and albums, they are probably best remembered for their song “Jump,” which was featured on what was arguably their best album, 1984. The song is great for many reasons, including its catchy lyrics, … Read more
Water can be a metaphor for life or death. Ask anyone who has gotten sick from contaminated water or tried to avoid falling out of a canoe while going down the piranha-infested Amazon River. They will tell you that water can be deadly. But what about a person dying of thirst in the desert, or … Read more
Water can be a metaphor for life or death. Ask anyone who has gotten sick from contaminated water or tried to avoid falling out of a canoe while going down the Amazon River teeming with deadly piranhas. They will tell you that water can be deadly. But what about a person dying of thirst in … Read more
Each year on Christmas Eve, millions of people gather around their TV sets—or today, their computer screens—to watch the classic movie It’s a Wonderful Life. The main character, George Bailey, has a chance to see what the small town of Bedford Falls would have been like if he had never been born. In one scene, … Read more
Every writer understands this basic truth: it’s easy to let one day run into the next one. Then weeks, months and eventually years pass by and you wonder where the time went. The writing life can have a certain monotony to it that makes it hard to feel like each is unique or special. Nothing … Read more
One of the most fascinating characters of Hollywood’s classic film era is Norma Desmond, the lead character of 1950’s Sunset Boulevard. She is a silent film-era actress who lives in a fantasy world where she makes a triumphant return to her glory days. In the final scene, she has completely lost touch with reality as … Read more
We writers, by definition, tend to be an introverted group of people who don’t like change. Most of us like systems, predictability, and routine. We prefer sitting in a room alone for hours in front of a computer screen instead of being in groups of people. Which is all well and good. But the downside … Read more
In the push and pull of everyday life, each day pretty much seems the same. We go to work, spend time with our families, take care of bills and housework, watch some TV or movies, and rinse and repeat for the next day. Today probably seems like every other day, but it’s not. Today is … Read more