Mirriam Neal's Blog, page 8

Good Guy Week — Newt Scamander: The Wizard

Newt Scamander, easily my favorite big-screen hero of 2016, is something we don’t see very often. He’s a ‘straight-up good guy’ whom people don’t happen to like very often, through no real fault of his own. On the surface he seems like a very simple, almost self-absorbed kind of guy, but Newt is a highly complex… Continue reading Good Guy Week — Newt Scamander: The Wizard →

Good Guy Week — Michael Scofield: The Engineer

When I began Prison Break I expected many things, the least of which was a main character who was decent, sweet, and downright good. A good man who was interesting, compelling, and fascinating (and played by Wentworth Miller, to boot). It was everything I’d ever wanted served up on a silver (iron?) platter. Now, Michael goes through… Continue reading Good Guy Week — Michael Scofield: The Engineer →

Where Have All the Good Men Gone?

I watched the first episode of Netflix’s new show ‘Frontier’ the other night. I was disappointed. (Me? Disappointed in a show? PERISH the thought.) I’d like to make the disclaimer that I only watched the first episode – I’ve been informed of Declan’s motivation, of his reasons for being ‘the way he is,’ and I don’t… Continue reading Where Have All the Good Men Gone? →

What a Bunch of Losers: How to Write a Motley Crew

It’s no secret that I have a favorite kind of cast, be it a book, a movie, or a television show. My favorite ensemble has always been the ‘Dirty Dozen’ idea of a motley crew, people who couldn’t be more different from one another but are thrown together anyway. This has always been my favorite,… Continue reading What a Bunch of Losers: How to Write a Motley Crew →

January Giveaway!

For a while in 2016 I had a sketch giveaway for all my blog followers at the end of each week. While I loved the idea, it became too much – I would get caught up with writing, art commissions, editing, and life in general and before I knew it, I’d completely forgotten about the… Continue reading January Giveaway! →

Writing Hack #3: The Reversal

From time to time I get emails from new novelists, usually with questions about their characters. (We all know that I ain’t the person to call when you need help plotting or worldbuilding; I have enough problems of my own.) Usually new authors find themselves with one of two problems: either their character is a… Continue reading Writing Hack #3: The Reversal →

A Thought About Opinions

Do you feel like everyone on your Facebook feed is angry? Is everybody you follow on Instagram posting empowering quotes with political hashtags you may or may not agree with? Do you feel like people who used to be fun are now social justice warriors who – let’s face it – won’t shut up? I’m… Continue reading A Thought AboutOpinions

Interview with the Author

When I first met Eli online several years ago, he became one of a very select group: those whom I immediately like. He’s an intelligent, friendly, well-read conversation partner and has proved himself an excellent friend, and I am incredibly proud to know him. Through the years we’ve shared bits of writing with each other… Continue reading Interview with theAuthor

Ten Tips For Budding Bloggers

A question landed in my inbox a couple weeks ago. An acquaintance wanted to start a blog, and wondered if I had any tips. I told him I’d write a blog post about it as it was the second time in a week I’d been asked that question. If you’re thinking about starting a blog… Continue reading Ten Tips For BuddingBloggers

Writing Hack #2: The Ultimate Question

I’m picky. And I don’t mean mildly picky. I don’t mean ‘Yeah, the acting was lame but the movie was fun anyway’ kind of picky. I mean the kind of picky where one bad plot twist can totally ruin a story for me. I mean the kind of picky where two slow episodes out of… Continue reading Writing Hack #2: The UltimateQuestion