Thoughts & Ideas

  In a world dominated by sprawling cinematic universes, reboots, prequels, and endless sequels, one question continues to haunt Hollywood—and every fan who's been burned by a terrible third act: How do you actually make a satisfying movie franchise? A true franchise is more than just a string of box office hits. It's a story-world that grows with its audience , rewards loyalty, deepens character arcs, and sticks the landing . Done right, it becomes cultural mythology. Done wrong, and it dies bloated and forgotten, like so many before it. Here’s how you craft a cinematic franchise that actually satisfies —creatively, narratively, and emotionally. Don’t just write a first film— build a world . The best franchises ( Star Wars , The Lord of the Rings , John Wick , The Matrix ) are rooted in mythic structure and internal rules. Audiences fall in love not just with the characters, but with the systems, languages, codes, and consequences of the universe. Start with lor...

     There’s something timeless about the Western. The dusty landscapes, the lone gunslinger, the standoff at high noon — it’s mythic, raw, and deeply American. Yet the genre has evolved well beyond its black-and-white roots. Today’s Westerns can be feminist, queer, Indigenous-led, or post-apocalyptic. Some are set on Mars. Whether you’re crafting a novel, screenplay, graphic novel, or short story, the Western offers a rich canvas for tales of morality, freedom, and the wild spaces between law and lawlessness. If you’ve ever dreamed of writing your own frontier tale — traditional, revisionist, weird, or modern — saddle up. Here’s your guide to writing a Western that resonates. At its core, the Western is a moral battleground . It’s about survival in the face of scarcity, law in the face of anarchy, and the blurred lines between justice and vengeance. Strip away the cowboy hats, saloons, and six-shooters, and you’ll find a primal human story set at the edge of the kn...