Benjamin M. Weilert's Blog: BMW the Blog, page 6

An Author’s Online Presence [PART 1/2]

While writing is a solitary activity, it doesn’t have to be in a vacuum. Just like any creative pursuit, there is inevitably a community that develops around it. Fortunately, the barriers to entering the writing community are slim to none. Do you write? Then you’re a part of that community. Even if your local area has a writing group that meets in person, it benefits most writers to connect with an online community. Additionally, if you’re an author trying to communicate with potential readers, your reach will be much broader if you’re involved in the most significant online resource: social media.

I understand social media is this huge, terrifying monster for those who either aren’t used to it or are addicted to it. Unfortunately, as an author, a social media presence is vital for connecting with fellow writers and potential readers (some of which are the same people). When it comes down to it, regularly posting content and engaging with the online community shows that you care about it and want to be a part of it. However, know that there’s engagement, and then there’s promotion. As a rule, most people don’t like being sold to constantly, so keep your posts about the book you’ve written that’s for sale to a minimum (with the one exception being if you have a book launching soon). After all, people want to know the author as a relatable person, not as a door-to-door salesperson.

People want to know the author as a relatable person.

Two questions arise: “What social media should I engage with?” and “How much should I post?” The answer to both is “whatever you’re comfortable with,” knowing that most people don’t have time to be on every social media outlet all day, every day. I try and have at least one post a day for Monday through Thursday (expecting people to be out enjoying themselves on Friday and the weekend). As I talked about in a previous post, I also try to have some more meaningful content posted every month, but I’ll get to that in Part 2 of this post.

As I see it, there are three types of social media for authors:

1. Video

YouTube is the industry standard for sharing videos online. As an author, this is a place for you to put any number of videos. Perhaps you have a trailer for your book. Maybe you want to un-box your proof copies for a “first look.” If you’re experienced enough, perhaps you can provide advice for authors who are starting out (like I did with Writer Rant). Even just getting on camera and giving reviews of books you’ve read recently is something that creates a connection to the writing and reading communities.

You can make videos of (almost) anything you want!

Additionally, BookTube is a community on YouTube that’s focused on books. I haven’t had much interaction with it, so I don’t know how much I’d recommend it. However, plenty of authors I’ve talked to or heard speak on panels at conventions swear by it. If you’re already creating video content for YouTube, it shouldn’t be that difficult to join in the BookTube community as well.

2. Pictures

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, then posting on Instagram can convey something faster than a text post. Again, just like YouTube, you can post anything you want (within reason) and be as personal or professional as you want. If you want your readers to see the life you live, you can post pictures from your daily routines. If you have a daily writing habit, maybe post a photo when you’re sitting down to write or after you’re done for the day. Since the only requirement for Instagram is the post be a picture, you can even post quotes, reviews, and other text as an image that you’ve created on your computer.

Additionally, much like BookTube is a YouTube community for readers, Litsy is the same for Instagram. You can post reviews of books you’ve read (or reviews of your books, if you have them), blurbs from your books, and quotes from your books. Because posts on Litsy are tied to a book, people can connect with you through the books you’re reading or through the books you’ve written. Pictures aren’t a necessary feature of a Litsy post, but they do help you stand out from the regular text posts.

Litsy looks a lot like Instagram.
3. Text

Most authors agree that Twitter is the place to go to engage with the #WritingCommunity. Famous authors like J.K. Rowling, Neil Gaiman, and Stephen King frequent this social media hangout, so it’s an opportunity to connect with famous authors even if you aren’t one yourself (yet). Hashtags are essential on this platform, as they will connect you to broader conversations happening at a quick pace. You should also use similar hashtags in our Instagram photos as well, so having a note on your phone where you can copy and paste a handful of useful hashtags is an excellent way to stay connected.

I don’t use Twitter much but is occasionally useful.

I can’t keep up with the fast pace of Twitter. For me, I like the slightly more personal Facebook. Now, there are two options for Facebook: Pages and Groups. Having a Facebook Page for your author persona is important to have that professional front where you can post some of your promotional material. Unfortunately, the way Pages are structured, even people who “like” your page probably aren’t going to see what you post. I think this is because Facebook wants Page owners to buy ads for visibility, but even those ads don’t seem to be a good return on investment.

On the other side of Facebook, we have Facebook Groups. I’ve recently found that having a “fan club” group for my author page has generated way more engagement with my audience than the author page has. I think part of this is because Facebook has been advertising its “Groups” feature recently, so any group an individual is involved in will show up in their feed more frequently. Based on my recent experiment, you probably don’t need a Facebook Page anymore, as a “fan club” group has much better engagement and allows fans to post things (thus making your job of creating social media content easier).

Facebook has two options: Pages (L) and Groups (R)

In the end, if you focus on one social media platform, that’s probably enough. Being active in all of them is a bit overwhelming. There are reasons to pick one over the others, though. Part of the reason I like Facebook is the ability to schedule posts, so they hit people’s feeds while I’m at work (and when the peak times of Facebook users are on the site). Additionally, I can easily engage with (almost) all social media platforms at once using IFTTT (If This, Then That). This pseudo-programming website allows you to post something on, say, Instagram, and have it automatically post to your Twitter feed and your Facebook Group. This way, you’re only doing the work for one social media platform, but reaping the benefits of posting content on all of them.

While I know there are other places out there where writers and readers can connect; I haven’t spent enough time with them to be able to recommend them. Sites like Reddit, Tumblr, and LinkedIn are also online communities that you can engage with as an author. However, this post only deals with the social media aspect of an author’s online presence. Next month, I’ll cover the “official” places where an author should set up profiles to create an online presence.

Which social media do you use regularly?

Do you like to post videos? Pictures? Text?

Where have you found the best community?

An Author’s Online Presence [PART 1/2]

While writing is a solitary activity, it doesn’t have to be in a vacuum. Just like any creative pursuit, there is inevitably a community that develops around it. Fortunately, the barriers to entering the writing community are slim to none. Do you write? Then you’re a part of that community. Even if your local area has a writing group that meets in person, it benefits most writers to connect with an online community. Additionally, if you’re an author trying to communicate with potential readers, your reach will be much broader if you’re involved in the most significant online resource: social media.

I understand social media is this huge, terrifying monster for those who either aren’t used to it or are addicted to it. Unfortunately, as an author, a social media presence is vital for connecting with fellow writers and potential readers (some of which are the same people). When it comes down to it, regularly posting content and engaging with the online community shows that you care about it and want to be a part of it. However, know that there’s engagement, and then there’s promotion. As a rule, most people don’t like being sold to constantly, so keep your posts about the book you’ve written that’s for sale to a minimum (with the one exception being if you have a book launching soon). After all, people want to know the author as a relatable person, not as a door-to-door salesperson.

People want to know the author as a relatable person.

Two questions arise: “What social media should I engage with?” and “How much should I post?” The answer to both is “whatever you’re comfortable with,” knowing that most people don’t have time to be on every social media outlet all day, every day. I try and have at least one post a day for Monday through Thursday (expecting people to be out enjoying themselves on Friday and the weekend). As I talked about in a previous post, I also try to have some more meaningful content posted every month, but I’ll get to that in Part 2 of this post.

As I see it, there are three types of social media for authors:

Video

YouTube is the industry standard for sharing videos online. As an author, this is a place for you to put any number of videos. Perhaps you have a trailer for your book. Maybe you want to un-box your proof copies for a “first look.” If you’re experienced enough, perhaps you can provide advice for authors who are starting out (like I did with Writer Rant). Even just getting on camera and giving reviews of books you’ve read recently is something that creates a connection to the writing and reading communities.

You can make videos of (almost) anything you want!

Additionally, BookTube is a community on YouTube that’s focused on books. I haven’t had much interaction with it, so I don’t know how much I’d recommend it. However, plenty of authors I’ve talked to or heard speak on panels at conventions swear by it. If you’re already creating video content for YouTube, it shouldn’t be that difficult to join in the BookTube community as well.

Pictures

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, then posting on Instagram can convey something faster than a text post. Again, just like YouTube, you can post anything you want (within reason) and be as personal or professional as you want. If you want your readers to see the life you live, you can post pictures from your daily routines. If you have a daily writing habit, maybe post a photo when you’re sitting down to write or after you’re done for the day. Since the only requirement for Instagram is the post be a picture, you can even post quotes, reviews, and other text as an image that you’ve created on your computer.

Additionally, much like BookTube is a YouTube community for readers, Litsy is the same for Instagram. You can post reviews of books you’ve read (or reviews of your books, if you have them), blurbs from your books, and quotes from your books. Because posts on Litsy are tied to a book, people can connect with you through the books you’re reading or through the books you’ve written. Pictures aren’t a necessary feature of a Litsy post, but they do help you stand out from the regular text posts.

Litsy looks a lot like Instagram.

Text

Most authors agree that Twitter is the place to go to engage with the #WritingCommunity. Famous authors like J.K. Rowling, Neil Gaiman, and Stephen King frequent this social media hangout, so it’s an opportunity to connect with famous authors even if you aren’t one yourself (yet). Hashtags are essential on this platform, as they will connect you to broader conversations happening at a quick pace. You should also use similar hashtags in our Instagram photos as well, so having a note on your phone where you can copy and paste a handful of useful hashtags is an excellent way to stay connected.

I don’t use Twitter much but it is occasionally useful.

I can’t keep up with the fast pace of Twitter. For me, I like the slightly more personal Facebook. Now, there are two options for Facebook: Pages and Groups. Having a Facebook Page for your author persona is important to have that professional front where you can post some of your promotional material. Unfortunately, the way Pages are structured, even people who “like” your page probably aren’t going to see what you post. I think this is because Facebook wants Page owners to buy ads for visibility, but even those ads don’t seem to be a good return on investment.

On the other side of Facebook, we have Facebook Groups. I’ve recently found that having a “fan club” group for my author page has generated way more engagement with my audience than the author page has. I think part of this is because Facebook has been advertising its “Groups” feature recently, so any group an individual is involved in will show up in their feed more frequently. Based on my recent experiment, you probably don’t need a Facebook Page anymore, as a “fan club” group has much better engagement and allows fans to post things (thus making your job of creating social media content easier).

Facebook has two options: Pages (L) and Groups (R).

In the end, if you focus on one social media platform, that’s probably enough. Being active in all of them is a bit overwhelming. There are reasons to pick one over the others, though. Part of the reason I like Facebook is the ability to schedule posts, so they hit people’s feeds while I’m at work (and when the peak times of Facebook users are on the site). Additionally, I can easily engage with (almost) all social media platforms at once using IFTTT (If This, Then That). This pseudo-programming website allows you to post something on, say, Instagram, and have it automatically post to your Twitter feed and your Facebook Group. This way, you’re only doing the work for one social media platform, but reaping the benefits of posting content on all of them.

While I know there are other places out there where writers and readers can connect; I haven’t spent enough time with them to be able to recommend them. Sites like Reddit, Tumblr, and LinkedIn are also online communities that you can engage with as an author. However, this post only deals with the social media aspect of an author’s online presence. Next month, I’ll cover the “official” places where an author should set up profiles to create an online presence.

Which social media do you use regularly?

Do you like to post videos? Pictures? Text?

Where have you found the best community?

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Logic and the Suspension of Disbelief

Fiction writers have the most freedom to write whatever they want. After all, fiction is—by definition—not true. Thus, without the constraints of truth holding them down, fiction writers can write about things that don’t make any sense. This is how the more fantastical genres of science fiction and fantasy can get away with having aliens, dragons, and any other number of crazy things the author can think up.

While fiction doesn’t have to hold to the tenets of truth, there is one fundamental foundation needed for this—or any other—writing. That foundation is logic. Even if readers can accept a world that has faster-than-light travel or a ring that can make its wearer invisible, if there isn’t a logic supporting these claims, the reader will begin to doubt the world the writer has created. The second that doubt creeps in, disbelief isn’t far behind.

A hole in logic is a hole in the plot.

Because there’s no need to write factual things in fiction, readers of this broad genre will have varying levels of what’s called “suspension of disbelief.” We all have experience interacting with the real world. Anything counter to this triggers our mind to be skeptical of these anomalies. Fortunately, if readers know from the start that they’re interacting with fiction, they can suppress this skepticism. Suspend their disbelief if you will.

Unfortunately, you can only stretch this suspension of disbelief so far. There are a few reasons for this. First, if an author writes about something they know nothing about, but the reader is an expert in this topic, then the reader won’t believe what the author is writing when it contradicts their personal experience. Second, unless there are differences explicitly stated, most fictional realms must abide by the same physics and natural laws that govern our universe. If you break these rules without an explanation, the reader will cease to believe the reality of these fictional events.

What helps a writer keep from breaking the reader’s suspension of disbelief is an unspoken agreement between the two that, while these events might be fictional, they’re at least plausible. Logic anchors this plausibility. Most logic follows the “if this, then that” formula which we interact with every day. For instance, if I press down on the gas pedal in my car, then I expect my car to accelerate. Even if there are hundreds of steps that lie between this action and reaction, most people can recognize if the result is logical or not.

How can you, as a writer, keep from breaking your readers’ suspension of disbelief? If you need logic to ground the world you’ve created, how do you double-check this logic? There are a few ways to go about this…

Research: Some things take a quick Google search to figure out. For instance, if your characters are driving across the country, it will take more than a day to do so. Consequently, you’ll need to write in the passage of time, including a few stops overnight to let your characters rest. Your readers won’t likely believe that these characters drove from New York to San Francisco in eight hours, at least without an explanation like a rocket-powered car and the hundreds of speeding tickets racked up along the journey.
Interview: Even with Google and Wikipedia, some things are difficult to find on the internet. When it comes to personal experiences that you want to draw upon for your characters, try finding someone who has gone through similar situations, and interview them. This way, you aren’t making up how you think someone would act in a scenario, which might go against the logic that those who have experienced it would notice. That being said, also know that sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction and some readers might not believe it even if it happened.
Beta Readers: Often, writers are too close to their work to recognize the flaws and plot holes in their writing. If you have a good group of thorough beta readers, ask them to pick apart what you’ve written by posing the question, “Does this make sense?” Again, people have different life experiences to pull from and might find some logical fallacies along the way. For example, I beta read a story once where the main character broke their femur to the point where it stuck out of their leg. This character was up and walking again with no problem in only a few months, if not weeks. From my basic knowledge of compound fractures (which is what this was), I urged the writer to consider lessening the injury or increasing the recovery time to more than six months. As it was written, it didn’t make logical sense.

Depending on the genre, some writers can get away with a lot of hand waving to set up the logic of their world. It helps to know your audience to understand how much bending of logic they’re willing to take. You’ll always run across the extreme expert who won’t believe you, but most readers won’t fall into this category. Still, understanding what is common knowledge is key to making your fictional world as realistic as possible. Obscure facts might help round out your writing, but basing your fiction on some version of reality is truly the foundation of great stories.

When have you had your suspension of disbelief broken?

What life experience have you had that an author got wrong?

Have you ever read something that didn’t make sense?

Logic and the Suspension of Disbelief

Fiction writers have the most freedom to write whatever they want. After all, fiction is—by definition—not true. Thus, without the constraints of truth holding them down, fiction writers can write about things that don’t make any sense. This is how the more fantastical genres of science fiction and fantasy can get away with having aliens, dragons, and any other number of crazy things the author can think up.

While fiction doesn’t have to hold to the tenets of truth, there is one fundamental foundation needed for this—or any other—writing. That foundation is logic. Even if readers can accept a world that has faster-than-light travel or a ring that can make its wearer invisible, if there isn’t a logic supporting these claims, the reader will begin to doubt the world the writer has created. The second that doubt creeps in, disbelief isn’t far behind.

A hole in logic is a hole in the plot.

Because there’s no need to write factual things in fiction, readers of this broad genre will have varying levels of what’s called “suspension of disbelief.” We all have experience interacting with the real world. Anything counter to this triggers our mind to be skeptical of these anomalies. Fortunately, if readers know from the start that they’re interacting with fiction, they can suppress this skepticism. Suspend their disbelief if you will.

Unfortunately, you can only stretch this suspension of disbelief so far. There are a few reasons for this. First, if an author writes about something they know nothing about, but the reader is an expert in this topic, then the reader won’t believe what the author is writing when it contradicts their personal experience. Second, unless there are differences explicitly stated, most fictional realms must abide by the same physics and natural laws that govern our universe. If you break these rules without an explanation, the reader will cease to believe the reality of these fictional events.

What helps a writer keep from breaking the reader’s suspension of disbelief is an unspoken agreement between the two that, while these events might be fictional, they’re at least plausible. Logic anchors this plausibility. Most logic follows the “if this, then that” formula which we interact with every day. For instance, if I press down on the gas pedal in my car, then I expect my car to accelerate. Even if there are hundreds of steps that lie between this action and reaction, most people can recognize if the result is logical or not.

How can you, as a writer, keep from breaking your readers’ suspension of disbelief? If you need logic to ground the world you’ve created, how do you double-check this logic? There are a few ways to go about this…

Research: Some things take a quick Google search to figure out. For instance, if your characters are driving across the country, it will take more than a day to do so. Consequently, you’ll need to write in the passage of time, including a few stops overnight to let your characters rest. Your readers won’t likely believe that these characters drove from New York to San Francisco in eight hours, at least without an explanation like a rocket-powered car and the hundreds of speeding tickets racked up along the journey.
Interview: Even with Google and Wikipedia, some things are difficult to find on the internet. When it comes to personal experiences that you want to draw upon for your characters, try finding someone who has gone through similar situations, and interview them. This way, you aren’t making up how you think someone would act in a scenario, which might go against the logic that those who have experienced it would notice. That being said, also know that sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction and some readers might not believe it even if it happened.
Beta Readers: Often, writers are too close to their work to recognize the flaws and plot holes in their writing. If you have a good group of thorough beta readers, ask them to pick apart what you’ve written by posing the question, “Does this make sense?” Again, people have different life experiences to pull from and might find some logical fallacies along the way. For example, I beta read a story once where the main character broke their femur to the point where it stuck out of their leg. This character was up and walking again with no problem in only a few months, if not weeks. From my basic knowledge of compound fractures (which is what this was), I urged the writer to consider lessening the injury or increasing the recovery time to more than six months. As it was written, it didn’t make logical sense.

Depending on the genre, some writers can get away with a lot of hand waving to set up the logic of their world. It helps to know your audience to understand how much bending of logic they’re willing to take. You’ll always run across the extreme expert who won’t believe you, but most readers won’t fall into this category. Still, understanding what is common knowledge is key to making your fictional world as realistic as possible. Obscure facts might help round out your writing, but basing your fiction on some version of reality is truly the foundation of great stories.

 

When have you had your suspension of disbelief broken?

What life experience have you had that an author got wrong?

Have you ever read something that didn’t make sense?

The List of Best Movies

Anyone who has met me and talked to me for any considerable amount of time will know that I like movies. This love of cinema started in high school but blossomed in college. While I was in college, I decided to watch through the American Film Institute (AFI) top 100 movie lists. I found many classics had become my favorites in this process. After graduating, I then set out and watched all the movies that had won the Oscar for Best Picture. This was slightly less inspiring, as there were some obvious snubs over the Academy Awards’ almost 100-year history. When I moved back to Colorado, I picked up a copy of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die when a nearby Borders Bookstore was going out of business. This was an eclectic list, but it gave me the best quote when it comes to listing out the “best” movies. I’m paraphrasing somewhat, but it basically said, “Sometimes you want a steak, and sometimes you want a greasy hamburger.”

Over the years, I’ve come across a variety of lists that tout the definitive “best movies of all time.” Most had limitations. The Oscars only selected one to receive the top prize each year. AFI focused almost exclusively on cinema from the United States. The 1001 book found itself limited by this arbitrary number of movies. Still, the 1001 book is the closest I’ve come to a definitive list of the best films. In fact, I’ve found a wiki online that lets me see which movies were added in each successive iteration of the book (mostly so I won’t have to rebuy it, year after year). However, critics—not necessarily the average Joe who likes to watch movies—create most of these lists.

Plenty of critics will praise artsy movies that don’t make much sense, just like they’ll smear movies that are entertaining despite their lack of artistic merit. I have seen a bit of the distinction between the critics and the movie-going public over the years. Consequently, while critics have lots of clout and the ability to arrange these hierarchical lists of movies, I have had some trouble trying to find the “everyman” best movie list. Or, at least I’ve had trouble finding one that spans any significant amount of time.

That’s where the internet comes into play.

I’ve always loved finding sites on the internet that utilize the connectivity of people to the greatest effect. Websites like 14ers.com and GasBuddy.com are great resources because they pull their latest information from the people on the ground who are experiencing the latest conditions in the real world (be it climbing conditions or gas prices). And while an internet community will always have some inherent biases based on the core group who would participate in such a community, the aggregate opinion of individuals starts to smooth out some of the outliers when it comes to accurate information.

Enter the Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Somewhat similar to Wikipedia in the sense that the users provide and update information, IMDb is a great place to aggregate reviews of movies from absolutely anyone. Granted, some films will be divisive enough that you’ll start to see a split between people who love it and people who hate it. Still, the main idea is that enough people will enjoy a movie enough to write about it, thus creating an average score that speaks to the film’s quality. As far back as 1996, the IMDb has been able to use these reviews to draw a line in the sand that defines the 250 best movies.

The trick with this list (aside from a somewhat arbitrary 250-item cutoff) is that it only captures the 250 best films for that year. The next year, some great movies are bound to come out that might push older movies or movies that have lost their appeal off the list. Additionally, each list doesn’t help in showing the overall list of best films averaged over time. Trying to remedy this situation, I decided to collect all the IMDb top 250 lists created so far (from 1996 to 2019) and get a definitive answer.

The top movies, according to IMDb over time.

In compiling these lists, I realized I created a list that shows a movie’s evolving popularity. Consequently, I found a few interesting trends. You can see these trends yourself by following this link to the above spreadsheet on Google Documents.

Some movies are timeless classics: These are the films that remain on the list year after year and don’t change their ranking much. Plenty of these movies are captured in the AFI, Best Picture, and 1001 lists.
Some are instant classics: Plenty of great movies come out each year, so some join the list the year they are released and consistently remain high in the ranking.
You can see cult classics arise: Occasionally, a movie won’t pop onto the list until some time has passed since it was released. These movies will then increase in popularity and move up the rankings as time passes.
Some movies have phases of popularity: A film that started out popular, but waned in its ranking might rise back up once people have the hindsight to see how great it really was.
Just because a movie is popular, doesn’t mean it will stay that way: Some notable films managed to make this list, only to fade into obscurity in the next year or two.

As of the end of 2019, there are just over 700 movies on this “complete” IMDb list. I know there is some vague formula they use to determine these lists, and there is a bit of a bias that ends up emerging when you average the rankings over 23 years. The top movies fit into the category of being popular with white males ages 18-35 (which I’ll admit, I fall into this demographic). Does this make them bad movies? Not at all. Instead, it shows the inherent bias that Hollywood has been slammed with in the last several years. If it’s popular and sells, they’ll keep creating it. That seems to me why the bias remains.

Now, I haven’t seen all the 1001 movies (I’m not dead yet), I haven’t seen all the Best Picture nominees, and I haven’t seen all the IMDb top 250. I am getting close, though (currently at 44% of 1001, 55% of the Best Picture nominees, and 60% of IMDb). If anything, these lists help me to see something new that already has some clout behind it, either from critics or audiences. Whenever I open up Netflix or Amazon Prime Video, I’ll glance at what they have to offer and add movies to my queue that are on my lists.

An interesting note, but of these 700+ movies, I’ve included 200 in my book, Cinema Connections: a never-ending “6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon.” If you’d like to see what 200 movies didn’t make the IMDb list, you can find more information on where to purchase it by following this link.

The List of Best Movies

Anyone who has met me and talked to me for any considerable amount of time will know that I like movies. This love of cinema started in high school but blossomed in college. While I was in college, I decided to watch through the American Film Institute (AFI) top 100 movie lists. I found many classics had become my favorites in this process. After graduating, I then set out and watched all the movies that had won the Oscar for Best Picture. This was slightly less inspiring, as there were some obvious snubs over the Academy Awards’ almost 100-year history. When I moved back to Colorado, I picked up a copy of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die when a nearby Borders Bookstore was going out of business. This was an eclectic list, but it gave me the best quote when it comes to listing out the “best” movies. I’m paraphrasing somewhat, but it basically said, “Sometimes you want a steak, and sometimes you want a greasy hamburger.”

Over the years, I’ve come across a variety of lists that tout the definitive “best movies of all time.” Most had limitations. The Oscars only selected one to receive the top prize each year. AFI focused almost exclusively on cinema from the United States. The 1001 book found itself limited by this arbitrary number of movies. Still, the 1001 book is the closest I’ve come to a definitive list of the best films. In fact, I’ve found a wiki online that lets me see which movies were added in each successive iteration of the book (mostly so I won’t have to rebuy it, year after year). However, critics—not necessarily the average Joe who likes to watch movies—create most of these lists.

Plenty of critics will praise artsy movies that don’t make much sense, just like they’ll smear movies that are entertaining despite their lack of artistic merit. I have seen a bit of the distinction between the critics and the movie-going public over the years. Consequently, while critics have lots of clout and the ability to arrange these hierarchical lists of movies, I have had some trouble trying to find the “everyman” best movie list. Or, at least I’ve had trouble finding one that spans any significant amount of time.

That’s where the internet comes into play.

I’ve always loved finding sites on the internet that utilize the connectivity of people to the greatest effect. Websites like 14ers.com and GasBuddy.com are great resources because they pull their latest information from the people on the ground who are experiencing the latest conditions in the real world (be it climbing conditions or gas prices). And while an internet community will always have some inherent biases based on the core group who would participate in such a community, the aggregate opinion of individuals starts to smooth out some of the outliers when it comes to accurate information.

Enter the Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Somewhat similar to Wikipedia in the sense that the users provide and update information, IMDb is a great place to aggregate reviews of movies from absolutely anyone. Granted, some films will be divisive enough that you’ll start to see a split between people who love it and people who hate it. Still, the main idea is that enough people will enjoy a movie enough to write about it, thus creating an average score that speaks to the film’s quality. As far back as 1996, the IMDb has been able to use these reviews to draw a line in the sand that defines the 250 best movies.

The trick with this list (aside from a somewhat arbitrary 250-item cutoff) is that it only captures the 250 best films for that year. The next year, some great movies are bound to come out that might push older movies or movies that have lost their appeal off the list. Additionally, each list doesn’t help in showing the overall list of best films averaged over time. Trying to remedy this situation, I decided to collect all the IMDb top 250 lists created so far (from 1996 to 2019) and get a definitive answer.

The top movies, according to IMDb over time.

In compiling these lists, I realized I created a list that shows a movie’s evolving popularity. Consequently, I found a few interesting trends. You can see these trends yourself by following this link to the above spreadsheet on Google Documents.

Some movies are timeless classics: These are the films that remain on the list year after year and don’t change their ranking much. Plenty of these movies are captured in the AFI, Best Picture, and 1001 lists.
Some are instant classics: Plenty of great movies come out each year, so some join the list the year they are released and consistently remain high in the ranking.
You can see cult classics arise: Occasionally, a movie won’t pop onto the list until some time has passed since it was released. These movies will then increase in popularity and move up the rankings as time passes.
Some movies have phases of popularity: A film that started out popular, but waned in its ranking might rise back up once people have the hindsight to see how great it really was.
Just because a movie is popular, doesn’t mean it will stay that way: Some notable films managed to make this list, only to fade into obscurity in the next year or two.

As of the end of 2019, there are just over 700 movies on this “complete” IMDb list. I know there is some vague formula they use to determine these lists, and there is a bit of a bias that ends up emerging when you average the rankings over 23 years. The top movies fit into the category of being popular with white males ages 18-35 (which I’ll admit, I fall into this demographic). Does this make them bad movies? Not at all. Instead, it shows the inherent bias that Hollywood has been slammed with in the last several years. If it’s popular and sells, they’ll keep creating it. That seems to me why the bias remains.

Now, I haven’t seen all the 1001 movies (I’m not dead yet), I haven’t seen all the Best Picture nominees, and I haven’t seen all the IMDb top 250. I am getting close, though (currently at 44% of 1001, 55% of the Best Picture nominees, and 60% of IMDb). If anything, these lists help me to see something new that already has some clout behind it, either from critics or audiences. Whenever I open up Netflix or Amazon Prime Video, I’ll glance at what they have to offer and add movies to my queue that are on my lists.

An interesting note, but of these 700+ movies, I’ve included 200 in my book, Cinema Connections: a never-ending “6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon.” If you’d like to see what 200 movies didn’t make the IMDb list, you can find more information on where to purchase it by following this link.

Answers to a new writer’s FAQ

Nobody is born proficient in anything. We all have to start somewhere when it comes to learning new skills. Sure, there might be a prodigy or two out there, but instances of individuals with extreme natural talent are rare. Writing is just like any other skill. Nobody starts out knowing everything about it or how to do it. Consequently, I’ve seen a lot of the same questions pop up in online forums from new writers who are just trying to get a handle on this skill. Some are trying to improve, but many don’t know what they don’t know and seem to ask some fairly basic questions. Since I’ve recently realized I’ve been a published writer for over a decade, I thought I could shed some light on some frequently asked questions (FAQs) that I’ve seen from numerous new writers.

Q: I want to write X. Should I write it?

The addendum to this question is usually, “It’s already been done before.” I say, as long as you’re not straight plagiarizing it, you should write it. After all, your life experiences inevitably shape your worldview. If you write something similar to an existing work, you’ll still put your spin on it and create something new. Heck, there are tons of fanfiction stories out there that aren’t original because they already use a pre-existing universe created in another context. Besides, when it comes right down to it, every idea has already been done before. It’s not like anyone is original anyway.

Additionally, this question is often asked with the caveat, “Would anyone want to read it?” This gets more into the commercial viability of your writing. In the end, if you want to read it, then that means someone does want to read it. There’s always a niche market out there for your work as well, so it really doesn’t matter what you write, someone out there will likely want to read it. Basically, if you want to write X, do whatever you want. Nobody is stopping you from writing it.

Q: I don’t know anything about Y. What should I do?

While finding subject-matter experts is ideal, sometimes the best resource is the internet. A quick Google search can answer most simple questions. Before you ask a question on an online forum, try Googling it first, as you’ll likely get your answer much quicker than waiting for someone to reply. Furthermore, while it’s frowned upon for academic writing, Wikipedia is a fantastic resource for anyone writing fiction. You might not become an expert in thermonuclear engineering overnight, but you can certainly educate yourself enough to make what you want to write believable.

Q: What should I name my character/location/item/etc.?

These types of questions inevitably get some backlash. If you’re asking an online community to name everything in your story for you, why not just ask them to write the whole story? I do know (from personal experience) that finding the right name for a character, location, or item can be a challenge, but you’ll likely get random names if you ask for them online. The better bet would be to go to websites like  or  for your names. Often, you have little clues about your character, location, or item that can help guide you to the right name. For instance, in my short story, Soul Photographer, I wanted a male name that had something to do with vision or sight. When I cobbled together the name Elioenai Adler (which is Jewish for “my eyes look to God” and “eagle”), I then had inadvertently settled on this character’s background as well. Not all names have to have meaning, though, and it’s useful to peruse through a list of them to find the one that jumps out at you.

Q: How long should my scenes/chapters/book be?

The answer to this is, “it depends.” Depending on the genre you’re writing in, the book could be long (high fantasy), or it could have short chapters (thriller). A lot of this comes down to what the natural breaks of the story are. I don’t suggest forcing yourself to write an exact amount of words or pages. Instead, let the story flow and then worry about cutting it up into smaller pieces during the editing phase. After all, you can’t edit what you haven’t written, and once it’s written, you can tweak the flow so it’s paced well.

Q: I’m terrible at grammar/style/editing. How can I get better?

At some point, you’ll finish your first draft. It’s essential to do some self-editing before letting others see it (mostly because they’ll pick up on little errors instead of the bigger picture). While the best way to get better at grammar and style is to read well-established authors (and even independent authors, to see the errors in other people’s writing), sometimes finding your blind spots as a writer can be difficult. This is where feedback from others is useful. Before you hand it off to them, though, try running it through the grammar checker on Microsoft Word. It’s not perfect, but it has gotten better over the years. Additionally, while it does cost a little bit for the Premium version (but is only about $6 a month if bought on sale), I have found that Grammarly has been useful in identifying some of the more complex errors in my writing. It is also not perfect, but it gets you closer to something polished enough for someone else to read.

Q: Where can I get a cover for my book?

While a quality cover will often cost a few hundred dollars to create, this question is aimed at getting one for free. I’d urge anyone looking for images to use for their cover to be careful that these images are available for you to use. Often, the pictures that show up in a Google search are from stock photo sites or other websites that license these images for commercial use. If you don’t pay for them, your book could be in trouble, even if you aren’t selling it. With this in mind, I do suggest using Canva.com to create a cover that looks better than the ones provided in “cover creator” online software. Some options in Canva do cost money (again, buying the rights to the pictures), but there are also plenty of free styles.

Q: My book is done! Where can I get it published?

OK, so you wrote your book, self-edited it, and even gave it a cover. At this point, you can self-publish. I’d still suggest hiring a professional editor and getting a professional cover made up if you want to sell it and have it taken seriously. If you don’t care about that, then you can use Amazon’s KDP to get an eBook out there to the world (just be prepared for any negative reviews it might receive). If you’re looking to be traditionally published, then your journey just got a lot longer. The first step in this process is to find an agent, and I’d suggest using QueryTracker.net to help you in your search. A lot of agents can sometimes take up to a year to respond, so if you have the patience to go this route, be prepared for a lot of rejections and (possibly) the delight of eventually being traditionally published.

These are just some of the questions I’ve seen over the years. I might add to this list as I see more common questions, but I hope that I’ve provided a few resources for new writers to get started.

 

Are you a new writer? What questions do you have about writing?

If you’re an experienced writer, what common questions do you see?

Answers to a new writer’s FAQ

Nobody is born proficient in anything. We all have to start somewhere when it comes to learning new skills. Sure, there might be a prodigy or two out there, but instances of individuals with extreme natural talent are rare. Writing is just like any other skill. Nobody starts out knowing everything about it or how to do it. Consequently, I’ve seen a lot of the same questions pop up in online forums from new writers who are just trying to get a handle on this skill. Some are trying to improve, but many don’t know what they don’t know and seem to ask some fairly basic questions. Since I’ve recently realized I’ve been a published writer for over a decade, I thought I could shed some light on some frequently asked questions (FAQs) that I’ve seen from numerous new writers.

Q: I want to write X. Should I write it?

The addendum to this question is usually, “It’s already been done before.” I say, as long as you’re not straight plagiarizing it, you should write it. After all, your life experiences inevitably shape your worldview. If you write something similar to an existing work, you’ll still put your spin on it and create something new. Heck, there are tons of fanfiction stories out there that aren’t original because they already use a pre-existing universe created in another context. Besides, when it comes right down to it, every idea has already been done before. It’s not like anyone is original anyway.

Additionally, this question is often asked with the caveat, “Would anyone want to read it?” This gets more into the commercial viability of your writing. In the end, if you want to read it, then that means someone does want to read it. There’s always a niche market out there for your work as well, so it really doesn’t matter what you write, someone out there will likely want to read it. Basically, if you want to write X, do whatever you want. Nobody is stopping you from writing it.

Q: I don’t know anything about Y. What should I do?

While finding subject-matter experts is ideal, sometimes the best resource is the internet. A quick Google search can answer most simple questions. Before you ask a question on an online forum, try Googling it first, as you’ll likely get your answer much quicker than waiting for someone to reply. Furthermore, while it’s frowned upon for academic writing, Wikipedia is a fantastic resource for anyone writing fiction. You might not become an expert in thermonuclear engineering overnight, but you can certainly educate yourself enough to make what you want to write believable.

Q: What should I name my character/location/item/etc.?

These types of questions inevitably get some backlash. If you’re asking an online community to name everything in your story for you, why not just ask them to write the whole story? I do know (from personal experience) that finding the right name for a character, location, or item can be a challenge, but you’ll likely get random names if you ask for them online. The better bet would be to go to websites like for your names. Often, you have little clues about your character, location, or item that can help guide you to the right name. For instance, in my short story, Soul Photographer, I wanted a male name that had something to do with vision or sight. When I cobbled together the name Elioenai Adler (which is Jewish for “my eyes look to God” and “eagle”), I then had inadvertently settled on this character’s background as well. Not all names have to have meaning, though, and it’s useful to peruse through a list of them to find the one that jumps out at you.

Q: How long should my scenes/chapters/book be?

The answer to this is, “it depends.” Depending on the genre you’re writing in, the book could be long (high fantasy), or it could have short chapters (thriller). A lot of this comes down to what the natural breaks of the story are. I don’t suggest forcing yourself to write an exact amount of words or pages. Instead, let the story flow and then worry about cutting it up into smaller pieces during the editing phase. After all, you can’t edit what you haven’t written, and once it’s written, you can tweak the flow so it’s paced well.

Q: I’m terrible at grammar/style/editing. How can I get better?

At some point, you’ll finish your first draft. It’s essential to do some self-editing before letting others see it (mostly because they’ll pick up on little errors instead of the bigger picture). While the best way to get better at grammar and style is to read well-established authors (and even independent authors, to see the errors in other people’s writing), sometimes finding your blind spots as a writer can be difficult. This is where feedback from others is useful. Before you hand it off to them, though, try running it through the grammar checker on Microsoft Word. It’s not perfect, but it has gotten better over the years. Additionally, while it does cost a little bit for the Premium version (but is only about $6 a month if bought on sale), I have found that Grammarly has been useful in identifying some of the more complex errors in my writing. It is also not perfect, but it gets you closer to something polished enough for someone else to read.

Q: Where can I get a cover for my book?

While a quality cover will often cost a few hundred dollars to create, this question is aimed at getting one for free. I’d urge anyone looking for images to use for their cover to be careful that these images are available for you to use. Often, the pictures that show up in a Google search are from stock photo sites or other websites that license these images for commercial use. If you don’t pay for them, your book could be in trouble, even if you aren’t selling it. With this in mind, I do suggest using Canva.com to create a cover that looks better than the ones provided in “cover creator” online software. Some options in Canva do cost money (again, buying the rights to the pictures), but there are also plenty of free styles.

Q: My book is done! Where can I get it published?

OK, so you wrote your book, self-edited it, and even gave it a cover. At this point, you can self-publish. I’d still suggest hiring a professional editor and getting a professional cover made up if you want to sell it and have it taken seriously. If you don’t care about that, then you can use Amazon’s KDP to get an eBook out there to the world (just be prepared for any negative reviews it might receive). If you’re looking to be traditionally published, then your journey just got a lot longer. The first step in this process is to find an agent, and I’d suggest using QueryTracker.net to help you in your search. A lot of agents can sometimes take up to a year to respond, so if you have the patience to go this route, be prepared for a lot of rejections and (possibly) the delight of eventually being traditionally published.

 

These are just some of the questions I’ve seen over the years. I might add to this list as I see more common questions, but I hope that I’ve provided a few resources for new writers to get started.

 

Are you a new writer?

What questions do you have about writing?

If you’re an experienced writer, what common questions do you see?

2020, Looking Forward

It’s always nice to see everything I accomplished, and December was a good time for that. However, with resolutions hot in my mind, here’s what I have planned for 2020. There are plenty of projects that I want to see coming to fruition, so this post is to help keep me accountable this year.

Buried Colony

Despite no agents having an interest in the hard science fiction manuscript I wrote for 2017’s NaNoWriMo, I still plan to self-publish this book in the coming months. As I see the advancements in technology happening right now, I know I need to get this book out as soon as possible. I need to show how viable it can be to get humans out of our solar system with current technology (and slightly refined advanced technology) in the next 15 years or so. Since there are some final edits that need to take place, I haven’t picked a release date quite yet. Just know that it will come out this year, and be sure to subscribe to my newsletter to receive updates for when that will happen.

This is Not a Drill

Even if I didn’t receive any agent interest in Buried Colony, I’m still not deterred from trying the traditional publishing route again. This time, I’ll be querying my children’s picture book, This is Not a Drill. This book details how to make a birdhouse and includes tips on tool safety that any child can understand. Much like Buried Colony before it, if it doesn’t receive any traction with agents, I plan on self-publishing this book next year so that all you lovely people will still get a chance to read it.

Welcome to the Alpacalypse (Be Fruitful…)

Some of you might be wondering what happened to my short story, Be Fruitful…, which I wrote some time ago. After a few delays and progress in fits and starts, the Welcome to the Alpacalypse anthology that it will appear in is coming closer to being completed. The Midnight Writers plan to publish this anthology sometime this year, and hopefully within the next few months. Keep an eye out in my newsletter to see when this book will be available.

The Ascent of the Writer

In November, I wrote about how I realized I had been writing well before I even started my first novel in 2010. Over the years, I have had a lot of short stories and poems published in newspapers and anthologies. Some of these stories have even placed in (or won) writing contests. Other stories have evolved into larger pieces like novels. As a reflection of my growth as a writer, I will be collecting these pieces together and publishing them in The Ascent of the Writer. Look for this book around the end of September. As an additional bonus, if you’re signed up for my newsletter (final plug, I promise), you’ll receive a FREE eBook version of The Ascent of the Writer as my thank you gift to you.

Your regularly scheduled content . . .

National Novel Writing Month for 2020 will see me writing the conclusion of the trilogy of books known as The Slumberealm Saga. Nightmare’s Endgame will finish out the story I started back in 2018. I’ll also be posting regular blog posts here, including a few tutorials that some other authors have asked I make in regards to creating promotional materials with a program you might already have installed on your computer (there might even be a video involved, so subscribe to my YouTube channel to see it there first).

There’s a lot planned for 2020, and hopefully, you’re as excited about it as I am!