←

JWTroemner.com

The Blog

  • The Labrador Test

    The Labrador Test

    I’d like to propose a new test. We’ve got a slew of them already. I’d like to add The Labrador Test: In which a female character can’t easily be replaced by an adorable dog that a male character is just so gosh-darn attached to. And dear God, I’m so sorry we still need for this… Read more

  • Exploring the California Nite Club

    Exploring the California Nite Club

    I was running errands when I passed a pair of workers heading in and out of an abandoned building in my area. I won’t pretend I wasn’t giddy. Men at work means I can usually ask nicely and get permission to wander around inside, so I officially won’t be trespassing (it also means that the… Read more

  • Why secret identities make me see red

    (Note: there are some vague spoilers for Daredevil and other titles in the MCU. I don’t get into too many specifics, but you have been warned.) I was watching the most recent season of Daredevil, and something struck me as off. It was surprising– I really enjoyed the first season, and I thought it was… Read more

  • Characters: too many or too few?

    A well-respected bit of writing advice says you should limit the characters you introduce to your reader. Some have argued that you shouldn’t introduce more than five in the first chapter; others say you shouldn’t introduce more than two or three at any given time. It’s good advice. Having worked in the food industry, I’m… Read more

  • Progress Update

    After some minor SNAFUs, Urban Dragon is back on track with a new cover artist. Due to the changes, I’ve also been able to iron out a plan for print. Because UD is on the longer side of serials, it’s too big to reasonably print as a single book (we’re talking the 900-page range). So… Read more

  • Stories for your ears

    I’m a big fan of podcasts. I especially love them while cooking dinner, walking the dogs, driving places, etc– all those places where my eyes can’t be plastered to a page. As it turns out, it’s really dangerous to handle books and knives at the same time. Who knew? I could give you lots of recommendations… Read more