Passion For Your Project

May 6, 2026 /

My new video is about passion for your novel/series over the long haul, when the typical “just write!” advice doesn’t cut it.

Here are my secrets to staying motivated on long projects (2–20 years)!

⏱ Chapters:
00:00 What does an “excited author” look like?
00:16 Why passion matters for long-term creative projects
00:38 The two extremes: “navel gazing” vs. mercenary writing
01:28 The balance between loving your work and thinking about audience
01:50 The joy of writing novels (worldbuilding + characters)
02:29 Storytelling as taking your reader on a ride
03:06 Mastery: controlling emotion, pacing, and reader experience
04:21 Where passion really comes from (themes, exploration, obsession)

Completing a big project is not just a matter of slavish discipline. At the core of it all, you need passion for the project.

Daydreaming Is A Writer’s Superpower

April 4, 2026 /

 

Do you daydream so much it feels like a problem? What if it’s actually your greatest writing superpower?

0:00 Introduction: Vivid Imagination as a Creative Superpower
0:16 What Is Maladaptive Daydreaming?
0:41 How Daydreaming Fuels Epic Storytelling & World Building
1:24 The Daily Walk Method: Visualizing Scenes Before You Write
1:54 Crafting Emotional Waves in Your Story
2:18 Building Characters You’re Obsessed With
3:07 Using Music Playlists as Creative Cues
3:33 Keyword Triggers & Getting Into the Zone
4:12 You Don’t Have to Walk, Other Routine Activities That Work
4:27 When Daydreaming Bleeds Into Lucid Dreams
5:18 Keeping a Healthy Boundary Between Fiction and Reality
5:47 Let Excitement & Characters Lead
6:08 Pantser vs. Plotter: Why Daydreaming Is Both

Are you a creative with a vivid imagination, or maybe even a daydreamer who can’t seem to turn it off? In this video, author and artist Abby shares how she transformed her lifelong habit of intense daydreaming into a powerful writing tool. From daily walk-and-daydream sessions to mood-cueing playlists and lucid dreaming, she breaks down her exact process for visualizing scenes, building emotionally resonant story arcs, and crafting characters you can’t stop thinking about. Whether you’re a pantser, a plotter, or something in between, this video will help you unlock the storytelling superpower hiding inside your own imagination.

FIRESTARTER Book Review: Childhood Wonder vs Adult Analysis

January 20, 2026 /

Rereading FIRESTARTER. Does Stephen King’s Classic Hold Up?

00:00 Some casual sexism, a bit dated due to it being published in 1980
01:10 When the ordinary is horrific
01:34 When supernatural superpowers was weird and inconceivable
02:32 SPOILERS from here on out!
02:43 Setting audience expectations astronomically high, and ratcheting up the tension
03:06 Stephen King’s self-insert, and who the story is really about
04:06 Overcoming addiction as a mental trick
05:33 Acting like a stoned idiot as an act of heroism
06:08 Government agency versus a normal father and daughter
07:00 Overreliance on a computer instead of using common sense
07:41 It’s one of my favorites by Stephen King

Here’s a literary analysis of the novel “Firestarter,” reflecting on its themes, its era, its audience, and its impact.

Why people hate the final season of STRANGER THINGS

January 9, 2026 /

Here’s my take on Stranger Things, spoiler-free… from an author who vaguely remembers the 1980s!

This video examines the divided reception of the show, acknowledging criticism for characters Eleven and Will Byers while praising interpersonal dynamics and side characters with strong personalities.

The Author Gap: What Happened to the Next Harry Potter?

December 16, 2025 /

Ever wonder why we’re not seeing new ‘mega-name’ authors like Stephen King or J.K. Rowling? This video explores the current state of the book publishing industry and mass media, covering contenders such as Brandon Sanderson and Sarah J. Maas, while also questioning the absence of global superstar authors in contemporary literature and books. It’s a critical discussion for anyone invested in writing and reading.

PLURIBUS explained: Author Vs Hive Mind

December 5, 2025 /

Vince Gilligan has a new sci-fi show on Apple+ TV, PLURIBUS. It gets to the heart of originality, creativity, and individuality … versus populism. Here is why the hive mind is so relevant and frightening.

00:00 Abby studies hive minds and the relevant social aspects of the individual versus the collective
01:28 How the friendly hive mind is like an LLM, aka A.I., and how sinister false flattery can be
02:24 Abby’s impression of the Pluribus hive mind and Carol’s suspicions
03:08 SPOILER ALERT for Pluribus episode 1, and why it’s plausible
05:10 Why this show touches a cultural nerve
06:10 The choice to make Carol a best-selling author and misanthrope and how that affects the story
08:27 How Pluribus measures up to other shows and Vince Gilligan’s other works

▸Why is Breaking Bad So Good?

Tribute to Robert Jordan

October 2, 2025 /

Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time book series had a huge influence on my story crafting techniques and the importance of research and world-building. Here I reflect on my personal memories of rereads, and also of meeting the influential fantasy author in person.

Here’s my old Wheel of Time fan site.

Here’s my POWER CHART for the Torth series

September 25, 2025 /

The Torth universe has a hard magic system, similar to superpowers. Here I walk through the power chart I created as the basis for the system in my 6 book sci-fi fantasy series.

Is The World Economy Propped Up By Artists & Writers?

August 5, 2025 /

Our entire global economy is bent around people’s passion for becoming creators. Strip away the financial and tech bro jargon, and this is the truth laid bare, as Abby sees it.

 

00:00 The global economy is driven by creative content (producers and consumers).

02:30 Not just professionals, also hobbyists.

03:02 Creatives are motivated to become influencers.

03:58 Creatives buy expensive computers and graphics cards and software and digital ads.

04:23 Students, midlife crisis adults, retirees… people underestimate the vast numbers of dabblers.

06:02 And then there’s the self-help gurus and scammers incentivizing creatives. 06:31 Examples of how amateur creatives prop up the megacap companies.

07:32 Everybody wants to be a creator. Is this sustainable?

Review: The Wheel of PRIME (ugh)

July 24, 2025 /

Book fans hate the show with good reason. The Wheel of Time TV show could have been SO MUCH BETTER.

  • 00:00 Abby’s credentials as a bona fide Wheel of Time fan.
  • 01:04 The root of the show’s failure: they forgot to make the main characters compelling and likable.
  • 02:29 It wasn’t just the inaccuracies.
  • 03:18 The most generous interpretation of the show’s fan base, from Abby’s perspective.
  • 03:52 Bad adaption cases in point.
  • 04:35 A better Wheel of Time remake is within the realm of possibility.
  • 04:57 Low quality sets, costumes, and visual effects were part of the problem.
  • 06:01 They got the vibe of the series wrong. It was never grimdark.
  • 06:50 Abby’s season 1 watch experience.
  • 07:26 Why Game of Thrones was so much more successful as a show.
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© 2026 Abby Goldsmith DBA Fiery Press