Hollywood loves telling stories about itself. Some are nostalgic love letters, others are cynical autopsies. The Studio, the new Apple TV+ comedy created by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, tries to walk the line between both. Across ten fast-paced-to-the-point-of-stressful 30-minute episodes, it delivers a sharp, often absurd look at the modern entertainment industry, balancing satire…
People have been playing chess for around 1500 years and it has never been as popular as now. The reasons are obvious – first there was the internet, then mobile devices, then covid, then The Queens Gambit. The perfect chess storm. About a year ago, I said I was going to get better at chess….
Every Writer Should Spend Time on Short Stories Short stories have always waxed and waned in popularity. Their earliest incarnations were myths, fables, and fireside legends, but the modern short story emerged alongside the rise of the novel in the 19th century. Now, thanks to technology, the format is enjoying something of a renaissance, and…
I’ve been writing on Medium and Substack for a while now. There is quite a lot of overlap in terms of content, but they are slightly different. Especially in the tone I use – Substack is a bit more conversational, while for Medium I tend to go full journalist. I have bundled both under the…
The true but dark story of an incredibly tall regiment This post originally came from my Substack – Intriguing Times. But it’s now behind a paywall, and is such a great story, I thought I’d share it here. Enjoy… King Frederick William I of the German kingdom of Prussia had ambitious military plans. In 1713,…
I am currently in Perth, Australia, and recently went to Rottnest Island to see the quokkas. There was information I would have liked to have known in advance, and I thought it might be helpful to share it. What are Quokkas and where are they found? Quokkas are marsupials and are roughly the same size…
This is the incredible true story of John Daniel, who was no ordinary gorilla John Daniel was a young gorilla who was adopted by an English family in 1918 and brought up as a human boy in the village of Uley. He had his own room, went to school, and was fond of tea and cider….
The Loose End graphic novel collects issues 1-4 of this new crime comic and is a lot of fun. Written by Dave Dwonch, with art by Travis Hymel, The Loose End is fast-paced and doesn’t take itself too seriously. What’s it about? The story uses non-linear storytelling at the start to get you straight into…
I wrote recently about an angry Thai ghost with a detachable head, so it is time to look at some beautfiul tree spirits that protect native trees. Thailand’s spiritual world isn’t all horror, walk down almost any street and you’ll see colourful ribbons tied around trees. They’re not decorations. They’re offerings to the spirits who…
Toilet paper is modern and isn’t the best option There was a weird focus on toilet paper at the start of the Covid pandemic, with lots of people panic-buying and hoarding the stuff. At least, that was the case in large chunks of the world. I live in Southeast Asia, however, and there was no…
I love computer games and am cautiously optimistic about the upcoming inevitability of AI NPCs and AI stories. But there will be weirdness and ethical quandaries by pixel-load over the next few years. The problem at the moment is that games are so ridiculously expensive, it has made the game industry a ludicrously toxic and…
Sony Pictures has just released the first trailer for Anaconda, a comedy re-imagining of the 1997 giant-snake thriller. The original is a classic and I remember it fondly, although I advise skipping the sequels. The new film stars Jack Black and Paul Rudd as two lifelong friends who set out to remake the original movie deep…
The Paper is a new sitcom set in the same universe as The Office. (Obviously, that’s our world too, but you know what I mean.) It’s made by some of the same people, has a similar vibe, and is a ‘spiritual spinoff’. In this case, the documentary crew have moved on from filming paper salesmen…
A morning writing routine is something I’ve heard of, but due to general slothfulness, not a practice I’ve tried. But I’ve been travelling a lot recently, from one side of the planet to the other. As a result, I recently woke up at 6 am in the morning by accident. I normally get up at…
Writing software have been around since the end of the 1970s. Word 1.0 came out in 1983, which is pretty insane. I remember at school in the 80s we had computing class, with computers hooked up to a printer and it was something akin to magic. There was no internet back in those simple unconnected…
A while ago I was searching for something interesting to read about and instead, I found myself doomscrolling short videos of cats, people falling over, and angry morons getting instant comeuppance. After ten minutes, I feeling a bit fed up and depressed with my fellow humans (not cats though). I craved something that was both…
Listing outstanding books about writing is obviously going to be highly subjective. But these are definitely among the best loved and reviewed, and have all stood the test of time. So no complaints about about things that should be included. These books aren’t just about how to write. They also discuss the art of writing,…
I wrote about the Krasue on Medium recently, but it is actually an excerpt from my short book about Thailand’s spooky folklore: Haunted Thailand: Ghosts and Spirits in the Land of Smiles Years ago, I was on holiday in Thailand and was flicking through the local TV channels in my hotel room. It was late…
I write for a living and use a QWERTY keyboard. Apparently around 90% or more people do likewise. I have also learned to touch type as I am the kind of lazy that will go the extra mile to make life easier later on. It is almost weird to think about other keyboard layouts, as…
Repurposing articles is a great tool in a writer’s repertoire. When it comes to the wonderful world of online content, productivity, (namely speed and efficiency,) is key. As writers, we pour our heart and soul (most of the time) into crafting compelling articles, blog posts, and stories. But what if you could extend the lifespan…