A spectre is haunting Singapore—the spectre of racism. A recent spate of racist incidents have hit the news. The Singaporean social media sphere is aflame, with bloggers and politicians and influencers jumping in to condemn racism and drive the conversation. Voices cry out for collective action, social justice, education. And there is me, wondering when […]
The Fight Scene is the Last Scene
Action scenes are the most memorable aspects of any fiction. Fast-paced and intense, they sear themselves into the audience’s memories. Battles between the hero and the lesser mooks punctuate the plot, while the final showdown between the hero and the villain serves as the climax of the story. And that is what action in storytelling […]
The Secret to Writing Powerful Action Scenes
Action scenes are the bread and butter of pulp stories. When the story threatens to get too boring, throw in a fight scene and you revitalize it with fresh energy, stakes and momentum. When the hero finally confronts the main villain, readers expect a climactic battle to wrap up the book. The art of the […]
Tired Tropes: It’s Only A Flesh Wound
You’ve seen versions of the scene a hundred times before. Our Hero is engaged in a gunfight with The Villain. The Villain takes a potshot at Our Hero. Our Hero staggers. When his sidekick catches up with Our Hero and asks after him, Our Hero declares, “It’s only a flesh wound”. In the next scene, […]
How to Bring Out Your Characters’ Personalities in Action Scenes
Everybody loves action scenes. The thrill of the fight, the kinetic spectacle and suspense combine to create a high emotional beat in the story. Action scenes are also a great way to show the reader what kind of person a character is. To elevate action scenes to the next level and integrate them into the […]
The Boston Tea Party and the Washington Riots are Not the Same
Washington Post reporter Wesley Lowery attempted to draw moral equivalency between the Boston Tea Party and the Washington riots. They are not the same. I can’t tell if it’s willful ignorance of history or deliberate distortion of the record, but when dealing with the far left, there is no difference. By drawing comparisons to the […]
How many guards does it take to restrain a threat?
Activists are trying to link police brutality with outnumbering a threat. This post explains the rationale behind sending large teams against a single threat.