Justin Kownacki

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Dune 2021 cast promotional poster
Storytelling

Worldbuilding and Exposition: 7 Writing Tips from Dune

The most impressive thing about Denis Villeneuve’s Dune might be the way it makes a complex story understandable without dumbing it down.

By Justin, 1 yearNovember 6, 2021 ago
Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) and Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) watch the armies prepare for the Battle of Winterfell in "The Long Night" on HBO's Game of Thrones
Storytelling

Why Game of Thrones’ Battle of Winterfell Is Such Disappointing Storytelling

In “The Long Night,” Game of Thrones — a story built on unpredictability, mystery, and sacrifice — has now completely diverged from what made it great.

By Justin, 4 yearsApril 29, 2019 ago
Avengers: Endgame movie poster from Marvel Studios spotlighting the six original Avengers: Black Widow, Iron Man, Thor, Hawkeye, Captain America and the Hulk / Bruce Banner
Storytelling

How Avengers: Endgame Fulfills the Emotional Arcs of Marvel’s Characters

Avengers: Endgame owes its success to one word: character.

By Justin, 4 yearsApril 28, 2019 ago
Chris Hemsworth as Billy Lee in Drew Goddard's movie Bad Times at the El Royale
Storytelling

What Went Wrong with Bad Times at the El Royale?

This caper flick wants you to believe it’s full of twists and turns… but it’s frustatingly empty.

By Justin, 4 yearsNovember 5, 2018 ago
The cast of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Storytelling

25 Reactions to Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again from a Guy Who Never Saw the Original

We could do worse than an extended cinematic universe of ABBA musicals.

By Justin, 5 yearsJuly 30, 2018 ago
Danaerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) and Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) in HBO's addictive, must-see TV series, Game of Thrones
Storytelling

What Makes Game of Thrones So Addictive?

Every “must-see” TV show uses some of these addictive story tricks, but only Game of Thrones combined them all to create a runaway hit.

By Justin, 5 yearsJuly 26, 2018 ago
Armchair Sociology

Sollers Point: Unraveling Masculinity Onscreen

Sollers Point has its finger on the pulse of a huge American problem: masculinity in crisis. Writer-director Matthew Porterfield is a dedicated chronicler of Baltimore’s lesser-told stories, and in Sollers Point he finds a true diamond in the rough. The story follows Keith (McCaul Lombardi), whose life after house arrest Read more…

By Justin, 5 yearsMay 25, 2018 ago
Jimmi Simpson as William and Tallulah Riley as Angela in HBO's Westworld
Armchair Sociology

Westworld: Reality, A.I., and the God Problem

When I was about 5 or 6, I had a thought that both exhilarated and terrified me. I was riding in the car with my parents, looking out the window, and I thought… How do I know if I’m real? Beyond that… how do I know if “reality” even exists? Read more…

By Justin, 5 yearsMay 15, 2018 ago
Storytelling

Scandal, Star Wars, and Being “Out of Character”

Why some choices can seem so out of character, they leave fans of stories like Scandal and Star Wars feeling betrayed.

By Justin, 5 yearsApril 24, 2018 ago
John Larroquette, Markie Post, Richard Moll, Harry Anderson, Charles Robinson, and Marsha Warfield as the cast of Night Court
Storytelling

In Defense of Night Court and Other Guilty Pleasures

Here’s why some media gets called a “guilty pleasure,” and why we need to stop saying that.

By Justin, 5 yearsApril 17, 2018 ago

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Popular Posts

  • • What Makes Game of Thrones So Addictive?
  • • This Storytelling Flaw Ruined the New Star Wars Trilogy
  • • Why Does Every Marvel Movie Tell the Same Story?
  • • Cobra Kai: How to Build Character Through Conflict
  • • How Iron Man Created the Formula for Every Marvel Movie

Latest Posts

  • • Worldbuilding and Exposition: 6 Writing Tips from Dune
  • • Writing a Perfect Scene: Bunk vs. Omar in The Wire
  • • Screenwriting Lessons from ALIENS
  • • The Story Problem at the Heart of the Snyder Cut
  • • WandaVision's Biggest Question Gets Deep
  • • Why The Queen's Gambit Is Such Smart Storytelling

Frequent Topics

  • • DC
  • • Game of Thrones
  • • Marvel
  • • Star Wars

What Writing Skill Do You Want to Improve?

  • • Character
  • • Pacing
  • • Plot
  • • Story Structure
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