Aaron N. Hall's Blog, page 3

The ingredients to Wordle’s success

Crossword? No. Word search? Try again.

The hottest word game of 2022 is Wordle. And rightly so.

In late January, Wordle was purchased by the New York Times from its creator, Josh Wardle, for a low 7-figure deal. Rumor has it that homeboy just wanted to make a fun word game for his partner to enjoy, but it caught on and became so incredibly popular, the New York Times turned him into a millionaire.

But how do you make a word free online word game so successful? There’s got to be hundreds...

A hate letter to traditional publishing

Okay, okay, the title is a little harsh. And clickbaity. I apologize for that. And this isn’t even written as a letter, either. So I apologize for that, too.

The truth is, I don’t hate traditional publishing. I think it’s just fine, albeit fraught with its own set of problems. It’s kind of like Marvel movies. Some people prefer to watch Marvel movies over anything else. Some people think Marvel movies are a dark pinnacle of corporate greed. But most people don’t think about it either way.

...

It’s time we accept that New Year’s resolutions are stupid

“New year, new me!” “2022 is gonna be my year!”

Are you, though? And is it?

Look, can we be honest with each other? I think it’s safe to say that most of us will look back and realize that we bombed on our New Year’s resolutions before March even rolled around. Lose weight. Quit smoking. Finally start that interpretive dance studio. We get going and stick to it for a few weeks, but crash because change is hard.

Here’s the thing, if you’re going to make a change, make it now. Right now. ...

No Way Home is great, but isn’t the best Spiderman movie

I can feel you bristling through the phone/computer. This title got you heated. You’re probably reading this because you’ve already seen Spiderman: No Way Home and decided it was one of the best movies you’ve ever seen.

And I respect that. But you’re wrong.

Look, I’ve heard so many people say that Spiderman: No Way Home is Marvel’s best movie. No way. It’s not even the best Spiderman movie. That title belongs to either Spiderman 2 or Into the Spiderverse. Third place would probably be Home...

Halo is back and our lives are blessed

It took months of prodding before my parents allowed me to get the original Halo for XBox. I was about fourteen at the time, a little angsty, a little irritating, growing up in a conservative and religious home where R-rated movies and M-rated video games were usually shunned if not frowned upon.

It took the supportive words of the local GameCrazy general manager to convince my parents that I was okay playing Halo. And that Christmas, I got my copy. That led to hours of multiplayer matches, c...

It’s 2021 and I finally beat Banjo-Kazooie

Banjo-Kazooie reentered my life when I bought an XBox Series S and signed up for Game Pass. I was tickled to see that a remastered version was available on the library, especially since I had the game as a kid but never managed to beat it.

But now I’m 30 years old, renting a townhouse, and writing novels. Not a kid anymore. So I guess it’s high time I conquered this game, right? Here are my takeaways.

The Pros

First off, this game is just oozing with charm. Everything is bright, colorfu...

TikTok is a GREAT place for writers

I was a little hesitant about TikTok at first. Maybe it’s a sign that I’m getting old and uncool, but I thought the last thing I needed was another social media account. As if I don’t already spend too much time scrolling through Instagram and Facebook.

Besides, TikTok is a place full of teenagers doing cringe-worthy dances and lip syncs. I don’t have a sufficient command of the English language to describe how little I’m interested in that kind of content.

Turns out TikTok has much, much ...

Advice to my 20-year-old self at age 30

I’ve been a little depressed the last couple of weeks. Maybe it’s because I’m turning thirty and life didn’t turn out the way I expected.

I don’t own a home. I don’t drive a fancy car. I don’t have a wife, kids, or a dog. I’m not a New York Times-bestselling author.

Instead, I rent a townhouse with some friends. I drive a very economical car. I don’t have a steady job. My books sell okay. No wife, not even a girlfriend.

As I reflected on these things, I felt like a loser.

I expressed...

Want to look cultured? Own these books.

Some books just stand head and shoulders above others. And frankly, having some of these books on your shelf makes you look smarter.

Here are some books that are absolutely worth reading and will fool houseguests into thinking you’re a cultured person. There are two caveats to this list. One, this list isn’t comprehensive, so don’t get mad at me if your favorite book isn’t included. Two, I have not read all of these books, but are simply parroting the recommendations of others.

Because I’m...

Dune is simply spectacular.

There’s not much I can say that will prepare you for Dune. But I will say this:

If Part 2 is as good as this Part 1, we’ll have a sci-fi Lord of the Rings on our hands. When it comes to scope, artistry, and quality, it can only be compared to Peter Jackson’s seminal work.

Usually these reviews are formatted with The Good, The Bad, and The Verdict, but there isn’t enough bad to necessitate writing an entire Bad section. Anything that could possibly be improved with Denis Villeneuve’s adapta...