J. E. Hunt On Writing

Feb 19th, 2011

Flaws and public perception

This blog is more a source of frustration to me than anything else, because I want to post, to make my thoughts known -- but not as much as I want to preserve a fabricated image of unfailing strength and maturity.

Feb 2nd, 2011

The Witches

I didn't think I was going to like this book, but after the vicious first chapter, which launches into a hectic witch scare and details how these 'very real' women 'who could even be your teacher' like to boil children alive and murder them in other creative ways -- a chapter that quickly established that my 4 year old would not be listening to it, and after the slow, obvious setup, I found the heart of the story to be quite good, and there are things about it that I love.

Aug 30th, 2010

My Office on the Yellow Line

It's Monday morning and I'm going 60mph between the King Street and Braddock Road stations. This means that I'm writing. Others know this place as the loudest and dirtiest part of the metro car--that 2-seat bench at the far end where people can be found sleeping or carving graffiti into the wall. Welcome to my office.

May 24th, 2010

Traveling with a Magical and Revolutionary Device

My life is terribly imbalanced, and for that reason, every segment of my day is rationed. You may imagine how I welcomed the prospect of 7 days almost completely to myself. The problem was how to squeeze as much living as possible out of the experience. You may imagine how I welcomed the prospect of 14 hours of flying time, plus 8 hours on a train and even better, 7 days almost completely to myself. The problem was how to squeeze as much living as possible out of the experience.

May 14th, 2010

Four Writing Tools I Can’t Live Without

Freemind, iSpeak It, Mac OSX text to speech, and a custom built program make up a set of tools that make writing easier for me.

May 13th, 2010

Just Another Joe

A friend, Phillip Kelly, showing some range in this fun short film from Red and Tan Productions.

May 13th, 2010

Why ‘The Hulk’ is a Wayward Transformation Myth, and How I’d Retell It

The idea of the Hulk should terrify us. Banner is an interesting and compelling character exactly because the consequences of his faults are so enormous. Instead, the villain is usually externalized, and his internal struggle is responsibly and predictably channeled. This changes the premise entirely. Rage is replaced by strength, and we’re left with He-Man–a nice guy who needs a slap to get his fight on, and a kiss to turn him back. It’s suddenly a weak story about Superman’s glasses.

May 12th, 2010

What I [Don’t] Like in a Novel, or, I Hate Sun-Warmed Flagstones

I marveled at perfect metaphors and watched the verbal cinematics unfold, but in the end, I found myself frustrated and praying for the sun to set on those "smooth, dusk-warmed flagstones that cooled like the color of a whispered memory ..." and let me get on with my life.

May 11th, 2010

Why Avatar was Significant, and Not a Simple Guilt Fantasy

Whether Avatar will reach the status of Star Wars or The Matrix is doubtful, but I do think it represents a significant milestone in our shifting cultural values. Our thinking is changing, and the themes of popular movies, including this one, give us a way to measure those changes.

May 10th, 2010

How to Write a Story (If You’re Me)

... the problem wasn't that I didn't have any ideas–it was that I was trying to force a story for the sake of writing alone. One might as well insist on cooking any object close at hand–you'll eventually get something, but what? The important thing here is that I had nothing to say. When attempting to write a story, solving that is the first step.