Reddit did a two-sentence horror story challenge and got some great micro-fiction, like:

I just saw my reflection blink. -marino1310

(By way of io9.)

I swear, the Doctor’s companions are as doomed as the Bonanza brides used to be.

July 27th is Take Your Pants for a Walk Day.
No, I do not make these up.

Some people (Hi, Pam) have been asking me to post the McDaniel reading list for the first course (521). I’m still rewriting the PDFs for the course and looking for the last novel, and I have to put in the specific chapters from the McKee book, and the internet posts may be changed, but otherwise this is the reading list for the next 521 class. The Burroway, Browne, and McKee books will be used in the next three classes, too. (Note: The chapter numbers shift depending on what edition of Burroway you’re using; read the topic, not the chapter number.) Continue reading →

Yes, I know, we’re skipping a finale. It was depressing even if Martha does finally come to her senses and leave the Doctor flat, and the Master is a terrific Big Bad. Long overdue, Martha, that’s what I say. Instead, we’re doing another Christmas special. Yes, London is under attack at Christmas. Again. It’s “Voyage of the Damned,” aka “The Poseidon Adventure in Space” featuring the pluckiest waitress this side of Pluto. And, of course, the Doctor.

Chuck Wendig is prolific, profane, and profoundly smart about writing. His site, Terrible Minds, has a blog that has filled many books (very reasonably priced so you should buy them). I assign a lot of his blog posts for the McDaniel writing classes with regularity, and they always generate great discussions. Which is why I’m writing this post: I’ve exploited this guy’s work so mercilessly that I need to give back, so please go to Chuck Wendig’s blog and buy his books. I want to keep this guy in groceries and whatever else he wants so he keeps sharing how smart he is about writing story. Continue reading →

Yeah, those guys.

There are many reasons why this is such a great episode, but most of them come down to two words: Sally Sparrow. She’s the Everywoman thrown into the life-or-death situation and only she can save the day. She’s Roger Thornhill in North by Northwest, Joan Wilder in Romancing the Stone, Shaun from Shaun of the Dead, an ordinary person just like us who wasn’t looking for trouble, but it found her, and now by god, she’s gonna step up and save the world. That she’s up against the Weeping Angels just makes this story trope better. The Angels show up again in two other Who episodes, but this is their best outing, trying to outwit a girl who just won’t blink.

July 20th is Ugly Truck Day.
Look, they can’t all be winners.