The Writer's Block

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John Stevenson
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  • A Monster Calls: When Stories Speak to Us

    A Monster Calls: When Stories Speak to Us

    I’ve been sitting on this blog post for almost a month, I wrote it immediately after watching A Monster Calls, and the words poured out of me in a way they rarely have. Yet as usual I was afraid to post what I wrote. Normally that just means it gets buried in my ever increasing pile of… Read more

  • The Great Villain of Dragon Age Origins: Loghain Mac Tir

    The Great Villain of Dragon Age Origins: Loghain Mac Tir

    One of the most important parts of crafting a good villain is giving them motivations that make sense to the villain. Granted this isn’t always necessary, sometimes a wildcard villain can be just as memorable, I love Heath Ledger’s Joker as much as anyone. Still, the Joker is the exception that proves the rule. You… Read more

  • The Beginning Matters Too: Rogue One

    The Beginning Matters Too: Rogue One

    When you start writing a story, it’s always important to keep in mind what kind of story you’re trying to tell. Rogue One struggled with this, and as a writer myself, it’s hard not to sympathize. On the one hand they wanted to tell a standard Star Wars adventure story about Jyn Erso and the search for… Read more

  • All that Matters is the Ending: Tyranny

    All that Matters is the Ending: Tyranny

    Tyranny is the latest offering from Obsidian, a company that once produced some of the best video game stories in the business; Kights of the Old Republic 2, Mask of the Betrayer, and Fallout: New Vegas. Pillars of Eternity was a huge disappointment for me unfortunately, and I hoped that Tyranny would restore my faith in one of my favorite… Read more

  • All That Matters is the Ending: Rogue One

    All That Matters is the Ending: Rogue One

    I loved Rogue One. Loved it. Yet even I must admit, I may have oversold it a bit when I tweeted after leaving the theater. Just saw #RogueOne and I say without exaggeration that it's possibly the best Star Wars movie ever made. — John Stevenson (@ThatEndingDude) December 17, 2016 Okay, there might have been some… Read more

  • Westworld: Stories Within Stories

    Westworld: Stories Within Stories

    So the finale of Westworld has come and gone, and I’m even more impressed with it then when it started. For a while now, I’ve been bothered about what I thought was one of Westworld‘s weakest points: Maeve. While every other story gave us a unique look at old ideas, Maeve’s story of becoming sentient seemed so…scripted. Everyone… Read more