What are tha main elements of fiction?

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Successful writers will insist that writers are made, not born. Which is very true, as you don’t normally find a child prodigy coming up with fully realized novels, unlike those into other arts like painting, dancing, or playing the piano. This, in effect, shows that everyone can become good writers in time and that a would-be writer simply needs to focus on tools they can master. Below are the elements of fiction for those aspiring to be a novelist or short story writer.

The three main fiction elements go together: plot, character, and setting. Something must happen (plot) to somebody or something (character) at some point in time and place (setting). No story occurs in a vacuum and writers must labor to conjure believable characters in clearly defined contexts.

Of course, someone must tell the story, so deciding on the point of view is equally important. The writer must decide which PoV best suits the story’s subject and best showcases their style. The standard ones are the first person, third person limited, and omniscient (all-knowing) narrator.

Next is the conflict. Why even tell a story in the life of a character if there isn’t a problem that needs facing or addressing? This culminates in the climax and resolution, in which that conflict source is addressed if not necessarily solved.

Again, keep in mind that resolutions don’t mean providing solutions but convincingly showing readers why characters decide to change or not. Unlike bestsellers, true literature does not necessarily need to have happy endings; it merely reflects our humanity, with all our flaws, faults, and small redemptions. This ultimately defines and distinguishes the theme, that unique insight into the so-called human condition.

Hey, everyone. I’m Jeff Mohlman, born and raised in Ohio and currently pursuing a degree in English Literature. Ever since I was in third grade, I’ve wanted to be a writer. When I’m not busy with my lit, comm, and art classes, I share my insights on movies and artwork. Visit this pagefor more info about me.

Easy creative writing tips for budding writers

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Creative writing is a freeing passion that nourishes both the mind and soul. Whether you’re writing a short story, an essay, or poetry, creative writing requires a lot of imagination and mental exercising. Here are some tips on how you can improve your writing without losing your style and voice as a budding writer.

Identify and humanize your characters. It would help if you write the characteristics, behaviors, mannerisms, manner of speaking, and goals of your characters in a table before you start putting them into your short story or poems. Point out what your characters want and how they will react if conflict arises. This way, your characterization will be solid and consistent all the way.

Write and read as much as you can. The only way to get better at writing is by writing and reading as often as possible. Take inspiration from your favorite writers or collect stories from everyone you meet. Your skills will improve as you apply what you have learned with your own personal writing style.

Keep a notebook and a journal. Don’t hesitate to write just about anything that goes into your mind. Keeping a notebook with you at all times prevents ideas from slipping away. This way, you can review all your ideas and decide which ones you want to make into stories, essays, or poems.

Hello there! My name is Jeff Mohlman and I’m an English Literature student from the University of Ohio. While I could have left the state for college, I realized that home is still the best place for me. To hone my writing style, sometimes it’s helpful to be in a familiar and comfortable place. For more articles like this, visit this page. For more articles like this, visit this page.

‘Lethal Weapon,’ the best buddy-cop movie in Hollywood history

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The buddy-cop category is a subgenre of action movies, a subgenre that established itself in the ‘80s. While there have been buddy-c0p films in previous decades, they weren’t as prominent as they were in the 1980s. In fact, many of more modern buddy-cop films such as “21 Jump Street” and “The Other Guys” owe a lot of their inspiration and borrow a lot of their plot to the high-octane titles of the ‘80s.

However, one film stands alone in terms of having an iconic status that has spanned decades. Richard Donner’s “Lethal Weapon” may very well be the best buddy-cop movie ever made, and it even has spawned three feature film sequels and its very own reboot TV series, after more than 30 years.

The success of “Lethal Weapon” can be attributed to a combination of factors. First off, the film is the best example of just how important chemistry is for your top two actors. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover shone in their roles due largely in part to how they played off each other, which is formula buddy-cop movies like “Bad Boys” took and ran with.

Donner also crafted an action movie with a lot more comedic moments than audiences were used to, and it worked perfectly. People were on the edge of their seats with the brutal sequences and big explosions, but also had time to laugh along with Martin Riggs’ quips and Roger Murtaugh’s exasperated outbursts.

Have you seen “Lethal Weapon?” What did you think of it? Let me know in the comments below.

Jeff Mohlman is a college student at the University of Ohio who is currently enjoying his art, communications, and English courses. Similar blogs can be found here.

Why you should study art history

Art has existed long before formal education even began. It was widely used in the ancient times for appeasing the gods, bringing people together, and even for compelling economic reasons. If this piques one’s interest, it might be worth delving on art history than just visiting and appreciating museums and art galleries.

Art history is a comprehensive study of culture and history through the visual arts. It constantly expands, covering practically all forms of artistic expression such as painting, architecture, sculpture, drawing and prints, décor, film, photography, and performance arts. More than discussing these celebrated art pieces, it examines them in terms of aesthetic and historical issues, and delves on the social, economic, and political factors shaping their production and reception.

Studying art history helps one become more conscious of the works in galleries and museums, how they are arranged and maintained, and the visual and textural interpretations behind them. It is also likely to lead to art history jobs that are in demand in different parts of the United States.

The course will also open one’s eyes to his or her surroundings, finding that every artwork has a story to tell, one that’s rooted in a colorful past. This helps every student better understand and make sense of what happened in the past and make use of the knowledge as an artist, researcher, writer, or teacher.

Given the broad historical, cultural, geographic, and methodological range of the discipline, art history serves as a good fit for those who want to specialize in other areas, whether in the museums and galleries or the academe. In fact, it helps develop skills that are relevant to the worlds of business, law, and international relations, to name a few.

Jeff Mohlman is a college student at the University of Ohio who is currently enjoying his art, communications, and English courses. Learn more on this page.

Comparing The Best And Worst Batman Movies Ever Made

There have been a lot of Batman movies and series created throughout the decades including animated ones. There are hugely successful titles and ones that the world wishes never existed. And there are a lot of factors that could affect the success of these movies. From an objective perspective, let’s look at the best and worst Batman movies ever made.

Almost every list ranking the best and worst Batman movies had the same say when it comes to the worst Batman movie. “Batman and Robin” is undeniably everyone’s least favorite. Not even the combined star power of George Clooney, Chris O’Donnell, Alicia Silverstone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Uma Thurman could save the movie from its horrendous state.

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Even though the movie was a box office success, critics hit the movie hard as it dove headfirst into the world of campiness. The whole movie was riddled with gags, puns, and jokes that made the movie more comedy than action. This hindered the movie from telling the tale of the Caped Crusader, and some storylines were just perplexing such as the addition of Batgirl to the team.

On the other side of the spectrum, we have “The Dark Knight” which redefined the superhero genre for everyone. When talking about “The Dark Knight,” we also delve into the impossible performance of Heath Ledger as the Joker. It was dubbed as the definitive Joker portrayal of all time, even besting that of Jack Nicholson. The handling of the theme was precise and the atmosphere created by director Christopher Nolan allowed the characters to shine.

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Hi, I’m Jeff Mohlman. I’m a college student at the University of Ohio. Right now I’m enjoying my art, communications, and English courses. Read more about my hobbies here..

Setting Expectations For Marvel’s ‘Ant-Man And The Wasp’

Ant-Man was nowhere to be found in the last Marvel movie, “The Avengers: Infinity War,” and many have been guessing he will likely appear in the next “Avengers” flick. Scott Lang, also known as Ant-Man, was absent because his own movie, “Ant-Man and The Wasp” will be shown in cinemas this summer. Are you ready for some shrinking and super-sizing? If you’re as excited as I am for Marvel’s newest superhero movie, here are a few things to expect.

The film’s events will take place after’ Captain America: Civil War’: Scott Lang was imprisoned together with Clint Barton, Sam Wilson, and was thought to be rescued by Steve Rogers. Lang will be a fugitive because of his association with the other half of the Avengers.

Peyton Reed directed the film: Ant-Man’s first writer-director Edgar Wright was replaced after a series of not-so-good events. Peyton Reed, who almost did “Guardians of the Galaxy,” takes over the directing duties.

It is a free-standing tale: Just like “Black Panther,” which was released early this year, “Ant-Man and The Wasp” is a free-standing tale. Much to fans’ disappointment but the film won’t give hints to the events leading to the fourth Avengers movie.

Hi, I’m Jeff Mohlman. Let’s talk about writing and the latest movies when you follow me on Twitter.

Amazing sci-fi films of the 1990s

The ‘80s was a tough act to follow in terms of filmmaking. One particular genre – science fiction – grew by leaps and bounds in that decade. Hollywood delivered classic after classic, from titles such as “The Terminator,” “Aliens,” “Back to the Future,” and “Blade Runner.”

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But the ‘90s were up to the challenge. Here are just a few of ‘90s sci-fi worth watching.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Improving on the first Terminator film, “T2: Judgment Day” was a fantastic action film led by Arnold Schwarzenegger. The film was also the debut of one of the most memorable bad guys ever: the T1000.

Jurassic Park

Steven Spielberg set the standard in adventure with “Jurassic Park.” Audiences had never before seen CGI has clean and as convincing as the dinosaurs in the movie.

Dark City

Alex Proyas’ masterpiece combined a lot of elements from different film genres into a mind-bending sci-fi mystery. Everything about “Dark City” is impressive, from the plot to the performances to the set design.

The Fifth Element

No other sci-fi film in the ‘90s was as fun and as colorful as Luc Besson’s “The Fifth Element.” With the universe at stake, leave it to Bruce Willis and his reluctant ragtag supporting cast to save the day.

The Matrix

To this day, “The Matrix” is the gold standard in stylish filmmaking. It’s ridiculous how many movies tried to imitate this groundbreaking film. And the plot wasn’t chopped liver.

Hi there! I’m Jeff Mohlman, an English Lit major at the University of Ohio. Read more about me and my many interests here.

Capturing Breathtaking Water Sports Action Shots

Sports photography is a different realm from nature and wildlife photography, even when most subjects for both are constantly on the move. Athletes display their strength and emotion, giving their best in every pull, push, hit, and breath. Through sports photography, audiences far from the action can experience the same heart-pounding energy felt by those near it.

For water sports photography, be prepared and remember you’re shooting on water. To get the best shots, you’re relying on boats, jet skis, people, wind, weather, and outdoor lighting settings. As an example, shooting for wakeboarding would require you to have at least two boats, and a jet ski or another boat for a chase. This would cover almost all the areas you can to take pictures of the athlete in action.

The boats are driven by others, and lighting setup is installed in each to provide adequate lighting for the athlete. The key to getting the different styles is having the ability to move around the flashes on the water, and turning them on and off, and learning how to keep it down. Yet even with all the equipment available and in place, you won’t be able to get a decent shot if you have no knowledge of the sport and the athlete.

It’s important to know the style of the athlete to know where you would best take their tricks from. Have a few points of reference to ensure you get the athlete and the trick in an excellent position. Study and ask the athlete what should be found in that certain position to get the desired results.

Hi there! I’m Jeff Mohlman, English Lit major at the University of Ohio. When I need a break from my readings, I grab my trusty camera and see the world through the lens. If you want to read more about me and my many interests, subscribe to my blog.

Pop Art Movement: A Quick Glimpse

Pop art is an art movement that sprung in the ‘50s and flourished in the ‘60s in the United States and Britain, drawing ideas and inspiration from popular and commercial culture. Various cultures, as well as countries, contributed to the thriving movement in the ‘60s and ‘70s – here’s a quick overview.

Pop art began with New York artists Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, James Rosenquist, and Claes Oldenburg. Following the rise of the Abstract Expressionists, it reintroduced identifiable imagery, such as that from mass media and popular culture, a major shift in modernism’s direction. It’s a far cry from traditional “high art” themes involving morality and classic history, for instance, and it celebrates commonplace and every objects and individual. Probably due to the accessibly of commercial images, pop art became a widely recognized style of modern art.

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Although they were inspired by similar subject matter, American and British pop are seen as distinctive entities. American artists in this movement embody a return to representational art and the use of hard edges and distinct forms taking after the painterly looseness of Abstract Expressionism, and the impersonal and mundane imagery sought to represent a movement away from personal feelings and personal symbolism. British pop art, on the other hand, is rather more academic in its approach, employing irony and parody and focusing on what American popular imagery stood for.

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Perhaps the most important work in pop art is Campbell’s Soup Can (1962) by Warhol, who co-opted universally identifiable imagery such as a Campbell’s soup can, Marilyn Monroe, or Mickey Mouse. He depicted these images as a mass-produced item but within a fine art context – a commentary on how they are perceived as commodities.

Jeff Mohlman is a college student at the University of Ohio who is currently enjoying his art, communications, and English courses. For similar reads, click here.