"Not all those who wander are lost."- J.R.R. Tolkien.
Christian. Writer. Martial arts geek.
See pinned tweet for 10 free chapters.
Apr 17 • 51 tweets • 15 min read
🧵
The trope of the fast draw gunfighter is one near and dear to my heart as a writer, martial artist, and guy raised on westerns. So let’s examine the trope and the skill here and see if I can convince you there’s a large kernel of truth to be had. 1
Now the Hollywood type is mythologized of course. The idea of a claw-fingered duo in strained poses like runners at a starting line squaring off in a dusty street as the clocktower ticks to high noon (or some other invisible signal known only to the duelists and cameramen)- 2
Apr 3 • 8 tweets • 2 min read
This is actually an example of what might be called a 'dead unicorn trope'.
People think they're beating a dead horse but it's original existance is rarer than the think.
Ex: Hero slays dragon and gets princess.
Sounds like a common fairy tale right?
Now name one. 1
This particular idea seems to be a mix mainly of St George and the Dragon, Perseus and Andromeda, and classic fairy tale structures.
George didn't marry the princess and while depicted as a knight often was an older sort of warrior while Perseus had a much longer and more-
Apr 22, 2023 • 21 tweets • 7 min read
This is a good time to talk out a habitual weakness I think has harmed fiction and especially the fantasy genre as a whole.
The “hero” who is just kind of along for the ride rather than an active participant in his own story. 1
The setup of fantasy-adventures simply lends itself better to inborn specialness and outside forces conspiring to compel the main character along with no agency or real action of their own. 2
Mar 29, 2023 • 30 tweets • 8 min read
I’m going to be real here. I have some serious issues with Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and they didn’t entirely click into place until reading this. The thread is worth reading, though it goes into meme territory about Gaston
Let me start laying out my case with a hot take.
1
Gaston is a villain despite the fun memes to the contrary.
He’s not a particularly believable villain, being a mixture of traits that do not- repeat not- mesh well.
He’s an egomaniac, a skilled hunter, outwardly charismatic, inwardly not, so far so good-
2
