Justin Kownacki

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villains

Storytelling

7 Tips TV Writers Can Learn from “House of the Dragon” Episode 1

The pilot episode of House of the Dragon is a great example of how to make a complex story with many characters easy to understand.

By Justin, 7 months ago
Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Battany star as Wanda Maximoff and Vision in Marvel's WandaVision on Disney+
Storytelling

WandaVision’s Biggest Question Gets Deep: Who Are We, Really?

From a philosophy perspective, the most important part of WandaVision is what the series makes us question about ourselves.

By Justin, 2 yearsMarch 19, 2021 ago
The season one cast of the Starz series Black Sails
Storytelling

Black Sails: How to Write Compelling Character Arcs

The ensemble cast of Black Sails proves that writing complex characters in pursuit of opposing goals creates highly compelling storytelling.

By Justin, 2 yearsOctober 30, 2020 ago
William Zabka stars as Johnny Lawrence in the hit Netflix series Cobra Kai, a TV sequel to The Karate Kid movie franchise
Storytelling

Cobra Kai: How to Build Character Through Internal Conflict

Cobra Kai’s pilot episode shows why every villain thinks he’s the hero of his own story… and why he’s also his own worst enemy.

By Justin, 3 yearsSeptember 8, 2020 ago
Zachary Levi stars as Billy Batson in the Warner Bros. DC superhero movie Shazam!
Storytelling

The 3 Biggest Storytelling Problems in Shazam!

A hero is only as good as his villain, and that’s where Shazam’s plot problems start.

By Justin, 4 yearsApril 6, 2019 ago
Brie Larson as Carol Danvers on the movie poster for Captain Marvel
Storytelling

Captain Marvel: A Genius Lesson in Story Structure

Captain Marvel offers a smart answer to a hard storytelling question: how do you make a compelling movie about the world’s strongest hero?

By Justin, 4 yearsMarch 24, 2019 ago
Joe Keery as Steve Harrington in Stranger Things 2
Armchair Sociology

Steve Harrington, Jaime Lannister, and the Secret to Writing a Redemption Arc

How did Steve Harrington become one of the most popular characters on Stranger Things?

By Justin, 4 yearsFebruary 14, 2019 ago
Heath Ledger as the Joker and Christian Bale as Batman in Christopher Nolan's film The Dark Knight
Armchair Sociology

Why We Replaced Heroes with Antiheroes

From Superman to Iron Man, the difference between a hero and an antihero was always clear.. until now. Here’s what changed, and why it matters.

By Justin, 5 yearsJuly 12, 2018 ago
Detail of the movie poster for Pixar's Incredibles 2
Armchair Sociology

How the Villains Explain the Point of Pixar’s Incredibles Movies

The Incredibles movies explore complicated themes and complex characters — but are they also full of contradictions?

By Justin, 5 yearsJune 18, 2018 ago
Iron Man 2008 movie poster
Storytelling

How Iron Man Created the Formula for Every Marvel Movie

10 years after Marvel Studios released Iron Man, here’s how that movie’s success has been duplicated in every MCU film since.

By Justin, 5 yearsMarch 26, 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

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