Writing Without Rules: Deep Dives

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‘The Tourist’ and The Ethan Problem
Sequels can have many afflictions. The side character a writer can’t give up is one of them.
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Assholes All the Way Down
'St. Elmo's Fire' is terrible, iconic, and offers an excruciating example of accidentally dislikable characters.
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‘The Regime’ Goes Zero to Ridiculous Way Too Fast
When you’re satirizing something real, you need to start slow and stay there for a bit. The Regime does not.
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The New ‘Very Special Episode’ and ‘Expats’
A small but unfortunate trend in TV shows is the Lower Decks episode that focuses on the plebs for inclusivity points.
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March 2024

‘Project Hail Mary’: Know When to Fold ‘Em
Andy Weir’s 2021 novel uses a structural technique. And then overuses it.
4
‘It Happened One Night’ and the Case of the Curiously Modern Old Movies
What makes an old movie ‘timeless’? Pretty often it’s simple economics.
‘The Crown’ and Diminishing Returns
Netflix’s series about the British royals has always been transparent propaganda, but historic distance provided some initial heft.
4
‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith’: Comically Bad (at Their Jobs)
The espionage rom-com series is an interesting re-imagining of the concept, especially in the choice to make its spy characters absolutely terrible at…

February 2024

‘Anatomy of a Fall’ and Excruciating Ambiguity
You can create tension and conflict in a story just by refusing certainty.
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‘True Detective: Night Country’ and Slippery Authority
No one is really in charge in Ennis, Alaska, and that has made all the difference.
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‘Loudermilk’: Making an Unlikable Character Work
The obscure series Loudermilk demonstrates the right and wrong way to develop an asshole character within the span of 3 episodes.
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‘Aftersun’: Telling a Story in Details
Aftersun is an incredible piece of film that simply asks you to pay attention so it can break your heart.
© 2024 Jeff Somers
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