Daniel Gatlin

(Author’s Note: I did this all on a smartphone because I am out of town for Christmas. Also I had no intention of posting this on the holiday since I started writing this on Saturday. But it took me five days to complete. Phew. BTW, all photos/videos are taken from online. If any of these … Continue reading Ranking the Star Wars Films: From the Weakest to Strongest Films in the 42-Year-Story

Hey gang, At the time of writing this I am enrolled in an online MFA program for creative writing. One of our assignments this week was to write two scenes of a very short story based on this prompt: "A teenage girl, routinely bullied by her peers, finds an artifact that bestows seemingly magical powers. … Continue reading The Red Earring

I wrote this story earlier in the year near Valentine's Day. It deals with some of the characters in my WIP in a way that I've never really used them before. I just entered this for a contest, and I am quite fond of this piece after the rewrites. I don't know if I will … Continue reading Roses are Red and Blood is Too

Yes, this post is going to be discussing the awesome, wildly popular Disney Plus show, The Mandalorian, as well as a few other successful properties that use similar story telling devices. But please permit me to rant for a moment about my writing roommate. Ok, he's not officially a roommate, but he does share the … Continue reading What makes stories like The Mandalorian so great? The trope of Protective Behavior: (Why is this trope so popular/recursive in stories today?)

Another limited word story! This time I stuck to 500 for my own sanity. Why? Because "We're a crazy boys!" The only Pauly Shore quote worth mentioning past 1998. Here it is. I base this story on this picture... Sunflower The hopeful little sunflower on the grass-covered hill woke with the morning and marveled at … Continue reading Sunflower

(Author's Note: Here's a 250 word story I recently entered into a contest. The theme was historical fiction, and I had to use the word flame and have someone sign a document. Enjoy!) P.S. This was inspired by this famous photo... Two for One My big brother, Jimbo, fetched me before the sun rose. I … Continue reading Two For One

Hello all, Back from a brief break so I could focus on my novel. I'm very excited at the progress I'm making with my revamped, debut novel Maiden to None. You can expect a soft release by summer 2020. Please check out my future works page for more info. If only my breaks could look … Continue reading Interview with Forest Wells

Quick! Close your eyes and think of your favorite movie. It's alright, I'll wait. You have ten seconds. Go! "But I only needed threeeeee!" -Forrest Gump, if he existed in my head. Got your movie? Great! Don't tell me. Let me see if I can guess some things about this story you chose. Because that's … Continue reading I Love Genre Blending! Why Romantic Tropes Belong in the Fantasy Genre

Consider for a moment this famous photo taken for LIFE magazine in 1963. No, they aren't celebrating "Free Ice Cream Day." They are watching a puppet show which is retelling the classic tale of "Saint George and the Dragon." Have you heard this story before? The brave saint finds a way to tame the mighty … Continue reading Stop Putting Your Damsels in Distress: Tropes that Could (And Should) Be Reimagined in Fictional Worlds