No Hard Feelings and Modern Entertainment

I watched “No Hard Feelings” with my wife, and I liked the movie. I am always wary of movies these days looking out for any sort of messaging that interferes with the storytelling. This movie actually made fun of the younger generation, which was relatable but showed my age. There definitely is a mentality now of it being better when I was growing up and things from back then being smarter and more creative. I see modern art and entertainment generally with more hesitance, as I see a lot more shock, style and sensationalism overriding a need for good storytelling.

I try to just make a fun, cohesive, and simple story with The Mustard Prince. The Land of the Wooden Statues has a revenge storyline and is much darker, but with all my stories, I try to focus on character over plot. I try not to make a “Mary Sue” female character or the male version of that. I like my characters being vulnerable and relatable instead of having no weaknesses. What I see in modern entertainment is a lack of a hero’s journey and an immediate progression for many characters, especially protagonists.

It would be easy to fall into these modern-day storytelling pitfalls. It is a grind to write about a character starting at point A and ending in point E. However, laziness and comfort do not make for good stories or good storytelling.