The Backbone of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'

If you haven’t watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003), surely you know what I’m talking about. There are not many things in life that stick as much and as long as Buffy did. Michael Jackson is one of those. Madonna too. And hey, Harry Potter’s on the shortlist. Because try as you might, you’d have to dig deep to find someone who has no knowledge of these names. (Maybe find an isolated tribe somewhere.)

You know, I was there when Buffy showed up with nothing but her pretty blond hair and ugly monsters fetish. Honestly, the draw was instant. Sort of like coffee. You make it, drink it, and you’re hooked. Media students look at Buffy to see what makes a program engaging; Psychology majors examine the monsters to see what people are afraid of; and when someone says Joss Whedon, one association comes to mind.

(F2) Storytelling in Video Games

What? I thought it was all about killing monsters and conquering lands! Wait, let's rewind.

J.F. Jenkins is a mother, fantasy writer, and gamer fan. If you ask me, it’s a good combination as any. When she came to me with the idea for the article, I was pleasantly surprised. If you think that gamers are only into their games and don’t have much time for anything else, you’d be wrong. This lady here has published a book called Legend of the Oceina Dragon (Kindle edition), and she is plotting the rest of the saga as we speak. In addition, she gives sneak peeks from Book 2 on her blog, so go check it out. 

X-Men First Class Analysis: Elements of Story

(via bing.com)

Warning: Beware! A few minor spoilers ahead. ;)

This is not a film review; it’s what the title says it is.

My housemates took me out for a cinematic treat today and thank God they did. I’ve watched all X-Men movies of course, but like with almost any other series (film or literature), I grew uninterested right about installment three. Like with any good story, it is hard to keep the interest and original idea without stepping into the cliché pitfall. However, there is one element that, if presented at the right time, can overturn this effect, and that’s the prequel.

Think about it. Everybody resists the prologue in the beginning of books. Why?
Because people like to hear the story without knowing what happened before that. They want to guess at it as the story unfolds. Naturally, if a prologue adds to the mystery element, which is rare, it’s okay to include it or so I’ve heard. More importantly, however, the prequel carries such power with it that no other story element has: the power of REFLECTION.