The various thoughts of J. Dan Goodberry, writer and occasional philosopher.
Goblin Opinions, The various thoughts of J. Dan Goodberry, writer and occasional philosopher. Greetings! Chances are if you’re seeing this, you’re new to the Goblin Opinions site. Either that or you’ve just stumbled upon an update conducted to (hopefully) improve the site in some way or another. Well, either way I’m happy you’re here. With... Continue Reading →
Greetings! While this may be coming a little late, I did want to touch on some of my favorite books of 2021 before taking this site into the new year. This was a huge year for me in terms of reading, and while several of my reviews have made it onto this blog, I thought... Continue Reading →
Note: While still a part of my public "Unfinished Stories" collection, Old Home is rather disconnected from the main overarching plot. At some point it will tie in, but likely not until the overarching story is better defined. Consider it an interlude, a snippet of a tale that takes place in a different location, at... Continue Reading →
Greetings! It's that time again—I've finished a selection of books, and I'm sharing my reviews of them on the Goblin Opinions blog. You can find more reviews, as well as a list of favorite readings, on my goodreads account. This past month, I finished several books, all by the wonderful author Brandon Sanderson. I've spoken... Continue Reading →
Worldbuilding—the act of creating a fictional setting, usually for fantasy—is something that has always fascinated me. The possibilities are endless: your world can vary from our own, it can have its own weather patterns, geographical features, species, and nations. Worldbuilding is a creative art, and it presents no limit. However, there are certain aspects of... Continue Reading →
Recently I finished Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, and it got me thinking about the role of dystopias in fiction and worldbuilding in general. Atwood's futuristic dystopia features a totalitarian regime that has taken control of a failing United States. The new state enforces rigid social roles, enslaving its inhabitants and providing only bare essentials... Continue Reading →
In writing anything fiction—a short story, a novel, what have you—it is important to keep in mind the significance of utilizing sensory details for the benefit of the reader. Even if your plot is centered around something far outside the realm of perception—and please enlighten me if this is your plan—you'll still want to try... Continue Reading →
“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”—Stephen King Too often, a fledgling writer will acquire the mindset of "no use reading, that's just wasting time when I should be writing! " Or it will go something like that. While the logic is... Continue Reading →
Recently I've been thinking about writing a novel. Not the novella kind, or a collection of my short stories, but a full-length book that introduces a basic plot and multiple viewpoints. Also recently, I found out about National Novel Writing Month. While you can discover more about the project on its website, I'll give a... Continue Reading →
In my time as a general fan of fantasy literature, I have come to appreciate the character development and lessons of personal experience that can be portrayed within. When searching for examples of character work done well, especially in the foundational days of the genre, it is easy to point to The Lord of the... Continue Reading →
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