Books are usually better—at least, that’s the pattern I keep coming back to after years of reading first and watching later. But every now and then, a film breaks the rule…
Books Are Usually Better. Usually. Read More »
Lately, Tracy and I have been watching The Americans, and it has completely hooked us. Not because of the spy story—although that’s excellent—but because everything about it feels real. The relationships are messy, the choices are complicated, and the 1980s setting feels lived in instead of staged. It’s the kind of show that doesn’t just entertain you for an hour. It lingers afterward and leaves you wondering what you would have done in the same situation.
What We’ve Been Watching Lately (And Why I Can’t Stop Thinking About It) Read More »
Some movies adapt a book. A rare few understand it. From Stand By Me to The Bourne Identity, these are five films that prove story always matters more than spectacle, budget, or special effects.
Five Movies That Prove Story Always Wins Read More »
A great story doesn’t just entertain—it pulls you under. Stand By Me still hits because it reminds us of who we were… and who we still are beneath everything else.
The Story That Reminded Me Why Stories Matter Read More »
Ever sit down with a book thinking you’ll read just one chapter before bed… and suddenly it’s 2:03 a.m.? Mark Posey confesses why those “just one more chapter” moments are sometimes a little bit deliberate—and why writers secretly love hearing about them.
Sorry About the Lost Sleep Read More »
Writers spend months — sometimes years — alone in a room inventing characters, places, and entire worlds. It can start to feel like writing is a solitary act. But the truth is, a story isn’t finished when the writer types the last sentence. It comes alive when someone reads it. When a reader laughs, gasps, misses their bus stop, or stays up far too late turning pages — that’s when the story truly becomes real.
Why Readers Matter More Than Writers Sometimes Think Read More »
Ideas don’t arrive fully formed. They start as small, sideways questions — the kind that won’t leave you alone once they land. That’s where stories actually come from.
Where Ideas Actually Come From Read More »
Every December, writers are supposed to talk about numbers and goals. But what really matters is the reader—the person who gives a book their time and lets a stranger’s words take up space in their head. This is a writer’s Christmas list, not of wants, but of hopes: time to read without guilt, stories that feel like company, and the reminder that books matter because they connect us.
A Writer’s Christmas List Read More »
Big explosions are fun, but they’re not what makes a thriller truly terrifying. The real fear hides in the silence—the still moments when nothing’s happening, yet you know something’s about to. From No Country for Old Men to Saving Grace, Mark Posey explores why quiet scenes hit harder than gunfire—and why the pause before the door opens is the scariest sound of all.
The Quietest Moments Are the Scariest Read More »
Mark Posey shares the five thrillers that rewired his brain — from First Blood to Cujo, these are the books that taught him how to build tension, twist morality, and keep readers one heartbeat away from panic.
Five Thrillers That Ruined Me (in the Best Way Possible) Read More »
Why do authors put their characters through hell? Because without conflict, there’s no story. In Confessions of a Sadistic Author, Mark explains why Jacobine, Billings, and the rest of his cast are constantly battered and bruised — and why their scars make them unforgettable.
Confessions of a Sadistic Author Read More »