Islands of Adventure Islands of Adventure By Megan Cutler | March 11, 2013 | Comments 1 comment My fall trip to Florida included my first trip to Universal studios. I’ve heard a lot about the parks from others who’ve visited, and I know a lot of the history, but I’d never experienced it myself. Of course, Universal’s newest and most popular attraction is the Harry Potter themed park where they recreated Hogwarts … Read More Read More
Three by Three Three by Three By Megan Cutler | February 25, 2013 | Comments 3 comments Awhile back I wrote about my favorite books. I was careful to choose books which stood alone. Books in a series tend to have different qualities. And while they can stand tall on their own, most are stronger if taken in context, with the series treated as a whole. I’ve always intended to write about … Read More Read More
Life-Shaping Experiences Life-Shaping Experiences By Megan Cutler | February 4, 2013 | Comments 3 comments I’m relatively young. I’m not sure if I’ll say the same in a few years, when I turn thirty, but at the moment I don’t feel old. I’m probably too young to write blogs including life-changing advice, but I’m going to attempt it anyway. Because I can. And because, though I’m still fairly young, a … Read More Read More
Influence Maps Influence Maps By Megan Cutler | November 19, 2012 | Comments 1 comment Influence maps are a popular exercise among artists. The basic concept is to make a collage of all the art and artists who have influenced and inspired your work. A friend of mine made a book cover influence map to show the authors and series which have influenced her writing. I suppose an equivalent exercise … Read More Read More
Lasers, Phasers and Blasters, oh my! Lasers, Phasers and Blasters, oh my! By Megan Cutler | October 29, 2012 | Comments 2 comments I recently wrote about my favorite magical doodads, which are a staple of fantasy fiction. My other favorite genre is science-fiction. I don’t need magic. If it gets me far enough away, or has interesting enough mechanics, sci-fi keeps me just as entertained. And hey, science! Bonus! Much like the fantasy genre, what you tend … Read More Read More
Moonbeams in a Jar Moonbeams in a Jar By Megan Cutler | October 15, 2012 | Comments 1 comment One of the greatest things about fantasy settings are the magic thingamabobs floating around making the world interesting. One of the best moments in a video game is discovering an item with a magical effect. It’s even better in D&D, where magical items are often more difficult to find, despite the impressive list you can … Read More Read More
Gotta Raise ‘Em Right Gotta Raise ‘Em Right By Megan Cutler | September 10, 2012 | Comments 0 Comment People often say ‘they don’t make them like they used to.’ They usually say it in reference to anything from houses to cars to headphones. I usually say it in regards to cartoons. In the west, we have this idea that cartoons are for kids (that’s the topic of a whole other blog post). Now … Read More Read More
Here to Stay Here to Stay By Megan Cutler | August 20, 2012 | Comments 7 comments I’m probably treading dangerous water with this topic, but I’m going to dive in anyway. Internet piracy is a hot-button topic. It has been for a long time. It probably will be forever. Because it’s not going anywhere. As the Internet seeps deeper into every aspect of our lives, more services crop up which allow … Read More Read More
Addicted to Love Addicted to Love By Megan Cutler | August 13, 2012 | Comments 1 comment I’ve mentioned before I’m a stickler for a good love story. I’d call it my guilty pleasure, but I don’t feel at all guilty about it. Give me a good, heart-rending power ballad any day. And to go with it, give me a book that’s going to make me cry. The eye-rolling may have already … Read More Read More
A Time to Say Goodbye A Time to Say Goodbye By Megan Cutler | August 6, 2012 | Comments 4 comments After the post I wrote recently about my favorite books, I started thinking about a post for long-running book series. A series is a different beast from an individual book, after all. They require long-term plans from the beginning. Sometimes a long string of loosely related stories in the same world works (Xanthe and Discworld … Read More Read More