the writings, musings, and photography of a dream smith
Sometimes the Ego is unassuming. It is the Everyman. It is the Everywoman. The Everyperson. Morality, virtue, and equality are important--and when you are an Everyperson, perhaps they are appreciated more than anything else. Among the twelve archetypes, there are none more "centered" than he. The Everyperson is not just centered in heart and spirituality and…
What endears us to a character? Centuries of literature from all across the globe have shown us kings, highwaymen, samurai, wisemen, star-crossed lovers, and wizards––many so common that they have become archetypes in our consciousness. According to Carl Jung, there are twelve in all, set into three different categories of Ego, Soul, and Self. In…
Tropes. Clichés. Archetypes. From the Hero's Journey to magic swords, these devices abound in works of fantasy, from the most ancient of mythologies, to more contemporary works of fiction. While tropes and archetypes should not be confused with the more negatively-defined cliché, all work together to build a story that is not only accessible to readers, but also bigger than the page they appear on. The use of archetypes and tropes in one's writing can make for characters and stories that are complex and familiar, which urges greater investment from the audience that interacts with the story.
I am depressingly behind on reading this wonderful magazine. Way back in September of last year, I read my first issue from Clarkesworld and haven't picked it up since. There's really no reason for it––no excuse. This is a gorgeous magazine, from cover to design to accessibility, with stories that are fresh, emotionally present, and…
I'm going to be doing something a little different for this review. For one, I'm reviewing three books in one, as I couldn't stop reading between them long enough to gather my thoughts coherently enough for a post, and secondly, I'll be using a lot of material from N J Magas's in-depth reviews to talk…
Ariel Hudnall 