Aaron N. Hall's Blog, page 5

August 2021 Writing Update

Awakened – ~57,000 words, approximately 1/2 of first draft

July was a productive month! Still had the chance to go back and edit some things that I had written before, but mostly it was a chance to move forward. On some days, I steamrolled and wrote as much as 3,300 words. That’s a new record for me!! I remember writing only 3,200 words on a day when I wasn’t even working last year. So it’s fun to watch myself grow from then until now.

We’re about halfway through the first draft of Awakene...

The 5 best anime for people who don’t like anime

You probably don’t dislike anime at all. You just haven’t given it a decent shot.

I used to be just like you–thinking I was too cool to indulge in the animated absurdity that is anime. Pish posh! Away with such things! I like rock music and business books and being a neat dude! I have no time for this tomfoolery!

But oh, little did I know that there was a plethora of excellent television out there that just happens to exist in the anime genre. I’m here to hit you with the top five that you...

Please avoid Space Jam: A New Legacy at all costs.

Shameless. Wooden. Uninspired. Self-indulgent.

I’m not upset at Warner Brothers for making this film. I’m upset at how Warner Brothers approached it. Because when it comes down to it, Space Jam: A New Legacy is a shameless tour-de-force of IP flaunting and product placement.

The “Old” Legacy

Let’s talk about the OG Space Jam before we dive into the new one. If we’re being completely honest with ourselves (and some won’t be thanks to nostalgia), Space Jam wasn’t a terribly great film. Th...

Black Widow is neat and long overdue

Okay, what took so long?? Black Widow is one of the OG’s! She’s been with us ever since Iron Man 2! She helped the Avengers defend Earth from destruction like a million times. Why did it take so long for her to get her own movie?

I don’t know. But it’s finally here in all its Scarlett glory.

Let’s be real, Black Widow isn’t a fantastic movie, but it’s a pretty good one. There’s a lot of good to be said about it and not much bad. So let’s get down to the nitty gritty.

The Good

David H...

It’s about time skateboarding is an Olympic sport

Skateboarding takes more athleticism and dexterity than most Olympic sports. There. I said it.

I don’t want to sound bitter that it took so long, but from this guy’s perspective, the Olympics could have been a lot more interesting if they added the event years ago. Skateboarding has deserved a spot, too, considering its athletic merit and its impact on worldwide pop culture. A lot of music, fashion, and art from the last thirty years have come tied to the counter-cultural movement associated ...

July 2021 Writing Update

Awakened – ~39,000 words, approximately 1/3 of first draft

Things are coming together. On the surface, it looks like I only wrote 4,000 words over the last month, but a lot of what’s been done has actually been rewrites. I began rehashing things from earlier in the story, only intending to spruce some things up, but found myself rewriting entire chapters and developing characters in different ways than originally anticipated. It’s making for a much better novel.

Additionally, I’ve had the ...

F9 is… certainly something.

I feel like F9 effed nine of my IQ points.

The interaction I’ve had with this franchise has been minimal at most. I saw the second half of 2 Fast 2 Furious when I was fifteen. I rode the F&F rides at Universal Studios. I’ve seen the trailers for each movie, but never ventured to see it myself because frankly, I thought the movies looked pretty stupid.

And you know what? I was absolutely right.

Look, I understand no one should take these movies too seriously. They’re bombastic, huge… bas...

My first pack of Pokemon cards in 20 years

Let’s go back to 1999, shall we?

Back when I was in elementary school, Pokemon was the thing. The question was “Are you Red version or Blue version?” and every kid worth their salt had a Walmart binder stuffed with cards. It was almost a form a currency, and certainly a form of status. Kids got in fights over them, stole them, openly wept in class after realizing they made a bad trade during recess…

Me. That last one was me.

Anyway, that was like a zillion years ago and miraculously, Po...

June 2021 Writing Update

Awakened has been kicking my butt. But less so lately.

I really struggled with where to begin on the third book in the Wevlian Chronicles. I kind of knew where I wanted to take things and had some ideas on what characters should endure along the way, but I didn’t have a clear idea of what the book’s villain should resemble, what her real motive is, and how she’ll get there.

All of that has finally been coming together.

I’ve written about 35,000 words (about 1/4 of the book) but I’ve bee...

A guide to masterful, family-friendly stories

Stories allow us to share our humanity. They help us feel a spectrum of emotions in a place that feels safe because they’re bound within the confines of fiction. This writer’s opinion is that a great story should serve a feast of emotions, ranging from wonder, to delight, to disgust, to sadness… what have you.

There are a lot of incredible stories that are geared toward a more “mature” audience, which basically means that the story contains graphic depictions of violence, sex, drug use, or ot...