Years ago I learned the surprising history behind a certain English word. (It’s in the list below…can you guess?) The curious story of its evolution stuck with me. Almost without looking I came across more such words, each with strange origins. Since you too enjoy a bit of the curious,…
It’s the beginning of a new year. We’re all trying out new things, looking to improve life a little more. Yes, even me. I know it seems odd for such a perfect specimen to ‘improve’…but one can try. To such an end, let’s finish January with some pithy sayings for…
How’s this for a name? Yes, we’re talking about “Zwarte Piet” today. That is an actual name for an actual legend. He’s a companion for St. Nicholas, like Krampus, but in different countries than where you’d find Krampus. Zwarte Piet shows up in the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and surprisingly, Indonesia. (Old…
Well, I said last month that plenty of material existed for a discussion on “The Witch,” didn’t I? Might as well hop straight to it! The concept of the Witch is, arguably, more modern than that of the Wizard. It has endured the ages a little better, and I think…
It’s time for another archetype discussion! Last time we discussed the Fool. This time, we’re talking about the Wizard. When you read that term, an image popped into your head right away, didn’t it? I could even guess what it was. An old man with a long beard, wearing a…
Writers sometimes struggle with sayings. By ‘sayings’ I refer to proverbs, quotes, pithy comments, and the like. Do we use them in a story? Not use them? Use a bastardized or hilariously-twisted version of them instead? In some cases a good saying can draw the reader in. Other times, a…
The Ancient Traditions that Somehow Combined (Voltron-Style) into Modern-Day Christmas Few things are more hilarious than misinterpretation. And you know one thing we love to misinterpret? The holidays! Christmas wasn’t always a giant commercial-fest loaded with toys, high-powered lights, and furious sale-hunting. It’s only the latest incarnation of a long,…
The popularity of Tom Hiddleston’s Loki character amuses me. Not for the acting (he does a fine job!), but for the attention it’s brought Loki. You probably knew this, but Loki didn’t start out as a Marvel villain. He’s an actual god from Norse/Viking mythology. Of what is he the…
Let’s take a brief excursion into the Wrong Writer’s inner workings. Don’t worry, you won’t need a drink (or a lobotomy) after this. It’s relatively tame for me. I want to share a little about my motivations. While I appreciate the readers, the feedback, and the nice reviews on my…
What is the horror genre known for? Tropes like: Good guys don’t always win. In fact they rarely do more than survive. Survival/Escape is enough. Someone dies, or goes mad. The monster is still out there. A truth discovered is too dark/horrible to accept. In fictional terms, what are all…
