I’m a huge Star Wars fan, and I always have been. I’ve watched the movies countless time, and I’ve read a good chunk of the extended universe. I am not a fan of The Last Jedi. It had its moments, but the overall story was problematic and lazy. I’m going to leave out my nerd reasons for disliking the movie and focus on the writing. So, I’ve put together some of the movie’s major weaknesses to hopefully provide some insight into how you can write better than the writer of The Last Jedi, Rian Johnson. Most of the issues within The Last Jedi stems from Johnson’s unwillingness to follow up on The Force Awakens. He let plot points drop and ignored vital questions and clues for shock value. For being parts one and two of a trilogy, the two movies feel disconnected.
Eowyn’s Hidden Motivation
This summer I reread Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. It had been awhile since I’d read them, so there was quite a bit I had forgotten. Somehow, I had completely missed the nuances of Eowyn’s story in my previous readings. There are many reasons to love Eowyn. She is an inherently brave and remarkable…
Language in Planet of the Apes
Language has always been important in the newest Planet of the Apes movies. It starts with Rise of the Planet of the Apes where Caesar’s uniqueness stems from his ability to communicate and understand the world around him. Caesar learning to physically speak begins the climax of the movie, and it allows him to communicate…
Wonder Woman’s Missing Element
After Wonder Woman, I sat there through the entire credits, just thinking. Watching the first real, by which I mean actually given a decent budget and advertising, female superhero movie was an emotional experience. There were some spectacular moments such as when the Amazons fight the Germans on their beaches, and Diana runs through No…
Ten Writing Prompts for Fantasy/Sci-fi Writers
As a fantasy writer, I find it difficult to refrain from giving every writing prompt that fantastical slant. So, when I come up with prompts for the teen creative writing club I facilitate, the fantasy/sci-fi prompts are always the easiest. Each meeting, we start with basic story prompts to warm up before we move on…