Finding Value, Finding Fun / Happenings In The Outhouse 25-Dec-2020

Merry Christmas!

I didn't purposefully intend for this blog post to drop on this blessed day.  Some blogs I plan out a week or more in advance.  Others are more spur of the moment, something that sparked a thought in my mind.  This one was planned.

In fact, I had another one in mind, one that has been generating a bit of news throughout the publishing and financial community, but decided to put that one off for a bit.

If you've been reading this blog for quite some time, you know that once every year or so, I go on what I call a "podcast fast."  This is where I completely distance myself from podcasts--or dramatically cut down on the number of them.  My goal is to be able to listen to all of the episodes that drop in a single week.  But there are only a handful of weeks where I'm able to do this.

Hence, I question on what I find value in.

Finding value is the barometer in which I select not only my podcasts, but even podcast episodes and other content.  Some of a more Christian nature I will listen to the majority of them.  But given how people have become in 2020, especially since late May 2020 and even leading up to the U.S. Election, I have cut out a number of podcasts.  I even tried to listen to a podcast that had a political view much different than mine, just so I could diversify my knowledge.  But when I found their facts as grounded as wet sand, I didn't find any value in it and unsubscribed.

I have two measurements in which I consume content.  Does it have value?  Or is it fun?  Or both?

If it's something I find value in, I will latch onto it.  If there's no value, I question whether or not to consume it.  Chances are, I dismiss it and move on.  There is too much going on for me to waste with mindless drones--can anyone say mainstream media?  Yup.  No value there.

Ricky Gervais and After Life (Netflix) / Happenings In The Outhouse 29-May-2020

About a month ago, I noticed that a Ricky Gervais show on Netflix called After Life came out with its second season.

In early January 2020, I told my wife Melissa about Ricky's monologue as he hosted the Golden Globes.  Here's a link to the entire monologue, which is quite hilarious.  Unless you're a Hollywood snob.  Which, in that case, you may be offended and will probably storm off into the corner to pout.  Anyway, after telling her about what he said near the end, she chuckled, smiled, and said, "I've always thought he was funny."

Hard to believe now on the timing, but she passed roughly ten days later.

Back to After Life.  I wasn't sure what I was getting into, but I wanted something short and light.  Each season had six episodes, and they were less than 30 minutes each.  Perfect.  I wasn't in the right mind for anything less.

It didn't take long for the show to hit me right in the gut.  You see, the main character, played by Gervais, had just lost his wife from cancer.  He was dealing with grief.  Now, as a recent widower, I know that grief takes many forms.  And what Gervais did in After Life was brilliant.  The acting and writing was remarkable, and the storylines took me to places I didn't quite expect--and that's a good thing.  Stories should do that, to be more effective.  I won't spoil anything here.  You have to watch it for yourself.

It didn't take long for me to finish both seasons.  I shed quite a few tears, while at the same time laughed my butt off.  I'm giving myself a little breather before I watch the show again.

And again.

Thank you Ricky.

Why I'm not freaking out (special coronavirus / COVID-19 special)

I read a blog post this morning by a well-known science fiction writer and felt more than compelled to write this post.

First, the author (no, I will not disclose the name nor gender, as this person is fairly smart but seems to be a bit misguided in light of current events) wrote about all of the uncertainty in the world and how the whole coronavirus is impacting the world economy.  No argument there, however said author seemed to imply that the entire global market is on the verge of collapsing and we may never recover from it.

Now, I am not a fortune teller and cannot see the future, but I am not freaking out about this whole mess.  True, I am nearing the close of my second week of working from home, and I am thankful for having this job.  Also, the company I work for is thriving to help bring products to the various manufacturers who are building many of the world's leading edge innovations.  It is also on the forefront of many manufacturers who are changing their business model to help build ventilators and other necessary medical devices to battle this pandemic.  But the world economy collapsing?  I find that hard to believe.

Are you familiar with the book "Who Moved My Cheese?" by Spencer Johnson and Kenneth Blanchard?  It's a quick read that is well worth the time.  The gist of it is the world is always changing and if something disrupts it, we should figure out a way to move with it.  In other words, if we're mice in a maze and our cheese has always been in one particular spot, what happens when the cheese is no longer there?  We go find it in its new place.

Many of our local restaurants have changed their business model to offering curb side service or even home delivery, whereas they never offered it before.  Is business through the roof?  Probably not.  But then again, if you offer excellent service, you never know where this economy will take you.

People talk about this being the New Normal.  Heck, this all started for me on January 16th of this year (11 weeks ago, to be exact), when my wife passed away.  In a way, I am thankful she is no longer in this world because many of the risk factors for COVID-19 was right in her wheelhouse: diabetes, former cancer patient, respiratory complications.  Then again, I have had a whole host of New Normals across my life, even as far back as April 2011 when my wife was originally diagnosed with leukemia.

I get it.  I am not arguing with the fact that the world as we know it will not be like it was.  But I see that as a good thing.  Now I have the ability to work from home if I need to.  Also, when my writing business skyrockets and I am able to do it full-time, I have now developed the habits to make it work whereas I had a difficult time to before all this.

Also, I truly believe that this world is in God's hands.  I have complete faith in God and everything He has done.  Only through my Christian faith has the impact of my wife's passing been a blessing when I know she is in a far better place.

And I will see her again one day.  It's hard for me to fathom a world without such hope.

Lastly, as a writer myself, what made me be more than compelled to write this is due to many of the more vocal writers bitching about not being able to write, bitching about the election and what it does to the publishing industry, and quite frankly just plain bitching in general.  I am convinced the majority of writers may not be in this camp, but when the ones who are more successful seem to be the more bitchy ones, it makes me scratch my head in wonder.  For me, I've been writing more and more each day.

I also think many others are too.  The ones who aren't seem to be spending more time posting their bitchiness online when they could just hunker down and work.

Art is, after all, an essential business too.  Where else are we going to be entertained from, except from the creation that is within our own minds?

So get out there and do it.  Now!

"The Beatles should own the rights to their music. And so should Motley Crue!" / Happenings In The Outhouse 29-March-2019

Dovetailing off of last week's post (if you haven't read it, here's a link to it), last weekend was the premiere of the Netflix movie The Dirt, based on the life of the heavy metal band Motley Crue.  One scene in particular made me think about the post and if one is ready for success.

To paraphrase the scene in particular, Nikki Sixx (bassist for the iconic band) was talking with a record executive about the rights to their music.  The executive said something like, "Not even the Beatles own the rights to their music."  Nikki replied that they should.  And so should Motley Crue.

I won't spoil the ending, but this made me think very hard about the rights to my own writing.  As well as your own writing/art.  If you're not ready for success, you may make stupid decisions and sign away all of your rights--not a good thing!

What I would do, to prepare yourself for success, is to read all you can about the business side.  I know, I know, your art is just that.  Art.  Well, if you want someone to take advantage of you and steal what may potentially be tons of money from your pocket, ignore this advice.  But if you want to be smart, learn what you can about the industry.

Kristine Rusch publishes a ton about contracts and rights--this is primarily for the book publishing industry, but much of her posts are applicable to other industries as well.  Here is a link to her posts, which I highly suggest to read.

Carving out the time for your art / Happenings In The Outhouse 31-Aug-2018

I've talked about time management before, but let's take a slightly different approach.

Writing, for me, is the best therapy.  Whenever I feel down or need to escape, sure I can easily watch a show on Netflix or listen to my favorite true crime podcast.  But when I work on my writing, I'm accomplishing something.  I'm creating something.

What is your art?  What are you working on?

Even if it's time-consuming, work on it a piece at a time. Think of your time like a pie or a cake.  Start out with a sliver of time (10-15 minutes, maybe) and do nothing but your art.  Consume your art like you would the pie or cake.  When you're done, you're done.  It's okay to be done.

But don't be surprised that you'll want another slice . . .

Dipping my toe in the water / Happenings In The Outhouse 24-Aug-2018

I was going to name this blog post "Writer's block is a myth" but went with the current one instead.

A little over a month ago, I published my first novel under a secret pseudonym.  I am currently writing the second novel under the same name, but somewhere around chapter four I hit a small roadblock.  A bump, so to speak.

Yes, it was the middle of the summer and I have some repairs that need to be done on the house that I just don't want to do--honestly, I want to just hire it done and let them do it, even though it would probably take a good weekend to do it--but it needs to.  We're also in the middle of "looking" for a newer vehicle.  The vehicle I currently drive has over 200K miles on it and last winter was horrible on it.

So, with all that in mind, my mind really wasn't into the new book, even though I've been wanting to write it for a while now.  I call it the "Can't Buy Me Love" movie for adults instead of geared toward teens.

But my mind just wasn't into it.  I binged all eight seasons of Blue Bloods on Netflix as well as a handful of movies.  Then something happened earlier this week.  You see, all along, I've been dipping my toe in the writing waters a bit at a time.  This week, I plunged right in.  I said enough is enough and wrote.  Between one night and morning, I cranked out over a thousand words.  I currently have over 5,000 words written so far, with a plan to have it done by the end of September.

Back to the original title: "Writer's block is a myth."  Being creative can be difficult at times.  I won't fault someone for taking a break when life seems to happen, especially when things are out of your control.

But don't let the block rule your life.  You, and only you, control your life.  Take charge.  Today.

So few stories, so much time / Happening In The Outhouse 16-Feb-2018

Nope.  Reverse that, as Willy Wonka (played by Gene Wilder in the 1971 classic movie) once said.

So little time . . . so many stories.

Everyone has the same 168 hours.  Seven days.  Twenty-four hours.

Yet so few accomplish their goals while others do nothing with it.  Oh, sure, they may work their forty-hour a week job, but what about when they come home?  They plop themselves in front of the TV and . . . do nothing.

How much time could you devote to your dream?

Take thirty minutes a day and dive head first into whatever it is you want to accomplish.  Three and a half hours in a week.

The funny thing is, we can all find a bit of time to do something.  Wake up a little early, stay up a bit later once everyone is in bed.  If you work at a job, how do you spend your breaks and lunches?

I am a Netflix fanatic.  I have so many movies, documentaries, shows, in my queue and currently watching list that, if nothing else new ever came in, I'd be set for years.  No kidding.  Years.

But I do limit my Netflix watching.  Because I have stories to write.  It's okay to watch movies and read books, to absorb stories.  But if it gets in the way of actually doing what you should be doing, that's when you'll wake up twenty, thirty, forty years down the road and wonder where your life went.

So get going.

Today.

The world depends on it.

Mindhunter May Be Shifting My Next Project / Happenings In The Outhouse 08-Dec-2017

Strange Birth, the first book in the Repel Trilogy (my first superhero novel), is near completion.
I am speculating a mid-January release date.  Stay tuned.

Then . . . what's next?

I truly want to get this trilogy complete and out into the world, but Mindhunter the new Netflix series has spurred my interest in serial killers once again (honestly, did it ever leave?)

The series is intriguing--enough so that I have watched the entire season twice.  And both times over an entire weekend.  The episodes merge smoothly from one to the next.

Mindhunter has also drawn me back to my Central Division thriller series.  I have an idea for book five as well as . . . at this point, it's a shorter (I think) book that occurs right after the events of book 1: Beholder's Eye.

So I am at a crossroads: do I finish the trilogy or write these others?  Also, there is a horror novel that I am completely rewriting.

Choices . . .

The future is bright, my friend.  There is much work to be done.

The news that is not being reported (but should) / Happenings In The Outhouse 27-Oct-2017

If you watch the news, you'd think all that ever happens is whatever President Trump tweets, whatever celebrity is skirting the edge of sanity in regards to those tweets, and . . . well, anything related to politics or whatever issue seems to get the leftist media (please don't deny they're mainly slanted this way) all up in arms.

I rarely watch the news, except for the local news stations, and even then I limit my consumption.

Because whenever I see the meltdowns (and, of course, everyone with a smartphone and internet access is a political genius and can solve the world's problems in seconds, right?), I ask myself, "What is going on in the world that is not being reported?"

I do, believe, I have the answer.

Human trafficking.

Modern day slavery, in other words.

I first tackled this issue in the third novel in the Central Division Series: Discarded.

Human trafficking is a pandemic of epic proportions.

And it is largely being ignored.

Lately, we've heard about a variety of Hollywood executives called out for sexual harassment and the like.  Is it all related to human trafficking?

Yes.

It all deals with people of power undermining people without.  I will tackle this issue again in later blogs.  If you have Netflix, check out the documentary I Am Jane Doe.  It's only one of many documentaries that examines this issue.  Just go on your favorite web browser and search human trafficking.  You'd be amazed at what you'll find.

A life of its own / Happenings In The Outhouse 15-Sept-2017

Last week, I started writing a new novel in a new series.  This story has been brewing in my mind for the longest time--it's the reason I chose to write it next, after I completed my technothriller series The Shadowkill Trilogy.

This new story is a superhero story.

I've written a few posts where my story ideas look like Morse Code.

Let me briefly explain again: the dots are where this happens and then this happens and so on.  The dashes are scenes where this thing happens.  Together, I write to fill in the spaces.

This new story has been brewing for a long time--and I really mean, a long time.  I'd walk to and from work (the day job), and I'd envision what this superhero would do.

I won't explain the story nor the powers this superhero has (I briefly told the story to my youngest daughter, who watches a lot of superhero shows on Netflix, and she thought it was very cool!) but I will say that once I sat down to write it . . . the story took on a life of its own.  Some of the troubling areas of the story has worked itself out as I write it.

If you're having troubles starting or even continuing a story that you're working on, go back a few hundred words, read, and then write.  Keep the words flowing.

Publication update:
I am currently working on the covers for the final two books in The Shadowkill Trilogy, my nonfiction book centered around traveling with diabetes, and a superhero novelette.  Once these four are completed, I will share links, etc.
I am also working on putting a box set together for The Shadowkill Trilogy too.  Good times!

Mundane vs. excitement / Happenings In The Outhouse 08-Sept-2017

I recently started watching Ozark, a crime drama thriller series, on Netflix.

Thirty minutes into the first episode, the main character (played by Jason Bateman), is shown to lead a fairly mundane life.  He's cautious, frugal, checks the reports on consumer products, and the like.  He's someone many of us could relate to, in a way.  Then, in the span of thirty minutes, he's confronted by a major cartel drug dealer, whom his financial partner is stealing from, and also has to deal with the fact that his wife is cheating on him.

He goes from mundane to excitement in moments.

This is how good storytelling works.

Take a recent story I wrote--this will be published shortly, as soon as the cover is completed.  We have a young father, working hard as a car salesman, and dealing with a mundane life.  Enter a new co-worker.  He has some unusual powers.

Many stories are like this.  From Breaking Bad and Star Wars: A New Hope to Harry Potter and pretty much most superhero movie or show that goes into their backstory--the (mostly ill-fated) origin stories.

All characters have a story / Happenings In The Outhouse 04-Aug-2017

I recently finished all three (current) seasons of the Netflix show The Ranch.

Reflecting on the show--and many others, from Friends and Criminal Minds to How I Met Your Mother and Orange is the New Black, for example--I discovered that the better shows have stories surrounding each character.

For simplicity purposes, let's focus on The Ranch.  I will try not to spoil anything, but some things can't be helped so be warned.

The father Beau is married to a wife who doesn't live at home, and works on a ranch with his two sons.  Throughout the series, his love for his wife shines through, although circumstances arise that end up with divorce.

The mother Maggie owns and runs the local bar.  She constantly deals with her sons, who aren't treated very well by Beau.  In the divorce process, she wants everyone to be happy and wants to give her half of the ranch to her two sons.  Beau, of course, doesn't see it this way and bucks it.

Colt, one of the sons, is a former high school football star who comes back home.  His fame isn't what it once was, and bounces around between ladies, a high school sweetheart and another attractive blond, one of which he gets pregnant--and that drama is drawn out across several episodes.

Rooster is the other son.  He's had to deal with living in his brother's shadow and running the ranch with Beau while Colt was away following his short-lived football career.  He also doesn't feel he gets the respect he deserves and ends up working on another ranch for a much higher pay.

In the end, each character has their own story aside from the overall stories.  The more one can twist and turn these stories, the better.

Killing off a character / Happenings In The Outhouse 28-Oct-2016

This past Sunday was the season 7 premiere of The Walking Dead.

Normally, I watch The Walking Dead on Netflix, but season 6 ended in such a way that I had to see what character Negan (the newest bad guy) would kill with his trusted baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire.

No, I won't spoil who died.

Was I shocked?

Nope.  Another TV show I watch, Game of Thrones, also kills off several characters--even main characters.  Yes, I've read all of the books so far, and I am eagerly anticipating the next novel to be released.  So the death of a main character isn't shocking to me.

But it must serve a purpose.

And I truly believe the latest deaths in TWD will also serve a purpose.

I'm currently 28,000 words into my newest novel.  It's a stand-alone Christmas-themed drama.  It's been very fun to write.  Then, as I started thinking about the path the book is going to take, I planned on having a character get hurt.  Severely.  Then, I imagined what the story would be like if this particular character died.

Believe it or not, I had tears in my eyes when I thought of it.  I still do, knowing I may have to end this person's life--fictionally, of course, but that doesn't make it any less hurtful.

Will it serve a purpose?

At this point I hate to answer that.  Because I know what my answer may be.

Forget binge-watching on Netflix. Spread the love around (works with books too) / Happenings In The Outhouse 15-Jan-2016

First, the world received some horrible news yesterday morning with the passing of Alan Rickman.  He was a diverse actor and will be missed terribly.

Now, on to the topic of the week.  Someone asked me the other day what I watch on Netflix--this same person also asked me what I'm currently reading.

This is a difficult question to answer because I like a lot of different genres.  My current Netflix queue range from the TV show Person of Interest to movies like The Rite and The Shining.  I've watched several documentaries (don't get me started on Making a Murderer - although most of the time I side with law enforcement, I can't say so in this Netflix show - and, as Forrest Gump would say, "That's all I'm gonna say about that."), TV shows, and movies.  The other night, I started four different movies.  I watched 5-10 minutes of each one.  One reason I do this is go weed out my current list.  A few months ago, I had troubles adding more shows/movies to watch.  Then, after digging into it, I discovered Netflix has a limit one can put in their "My List."  And I did it.  I hit the maximum.

I won't watch a show that's boring, so after a good twenty to thirty minutes I will quit watching if I'm motivated to finish it.

The same goes with books.  I will start a handful of stories (I read mainly ebooks on my Kindle, however I am thoroughly enjoying the hardcover of Chuck Wendig's Star Wars: Aftermath - kudos for Mr. Wendig!) and will go through the same process.

My reading/watching process allows me to spread the love around to various artists.  It works for me.  Does anyone else do this?

Jessica Jones vs. Star Wars: The Force Awakens / Happenings In The Outhouse 08-Jan-2016

The Saturday after Christmas, I took my three kids to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens at a movie theater in East Grand Forks, North Dakota.  The first two shows were sold out, but we were one of the first ones to see it for the next one.

I won't do a formal review of the movie (there's plenty of that out there as it is, good and bad and indifferent) but I will say this.  I loved it.  My three kids talked about it non-stop all the way home.  Hats off to J. J. Abrams.  What he did to Star Wars is what he also did to Star Trek.  He made the movie franchise for each series fun again.  Into Darkness is my favorite Star Trek movie next to The Wrath of Khan.

Yes, I loved the new Star Wars movie and am disappointed so many people have ripped on it.

Well, here's one for you.  The same people ripping The Force Awakens have also been praising the Netflix series Jessica Jones.  Again, no formal review, but I will simply say it was boring and it just wasn't right for me.  The last 3-4 episodes were mildly entertaining but that's it.  It took me over a month to slog my way through it.

Not every movie or TV show or book or work of art is for everyone.  Critics will line up to spew their opinion.

Frankly, I don't give a damn what you think.  Everyone is entitled to their opinion and most of the time I keep it to myself.  Star Wars isn't for everyone.  However, there are people who don't normally watch science fiction or fantasy movies, will watch Star Wars and love it.

The same goes with Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, or even Harry Potter.  The masses love these movies/books.  Instead of criticizing them, find out what it is that people love about them.

Again, it may not be for you.  And that's okay.

But not everything you like is for others either.

As an aside, the first draft of the third thriller novel in the Central Division Series is complete.  I will keep you informed as I am temporarily slating this for publication by the end of January 2016.

Get your Netflix fix: Criminal Minds - why we love it vs. the "other show"

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!

TODAY, WE HAVE A SHOWDOWN BETWEEN "CRIMINAL MINDS" AND "CRIMINAL MINDS: SUSPECT BEHAVIOR"!

Honestly, the truth is in the numbers on this one.  The original show Criminal Minds seems to be far superior to the Suspect Behavior spin-off.

Why, you might ask?  For crying out loud, it's even got Forest Whitaker in it.  Sorry, my friends, not even he can pull this one out of the primal ooze.

I think it can be summed up by what Janeane Garofalo said near the end of episode seven, titled "Jane."  In the episode, a number of women went missing.  Women no one seemed to care about.  Janeane's character told Whitaker's character (see, I can't even remember their names) that the In Case Of Emergency contact on her employment records is blank, and if she ever went missing who would miss her.

Bingo!  From minute one, we did not care of any of the characters in Suspect Behavior.  In the original series, we loved them all.  They were like family.  In the other show, they were distant and it was too plot-driven.  There was no human interest in their personal lives.

And that, my friends, is why Criminal Minds wins with a TKO!  We care about Morgan and Reid, Prentiss and Penelope, Hotch and Gideon, and even the lovely J.J.  We know about their personal lives and they work as a team.

So, be sure to catch all 9 season of Criminal Minds on Netflix.  The one and only season of Suspect Behavior is on Netflix too.  If you care to comment, please do so below.

"Garcia, you're on speaker." Get your Netflix fix for Criminal Mind's Penelope Garcia.

I like practically all of the characters on "Criminal Minds", however one of my favorite two is the quirky, electronics-saavy Penelope Garcia--played by Kirsten Vangsness.

Garcia is like the Wizard of Oz, in her own special way.  She's the woman behind the curtain, with her fingers flying across the keyboard and a ton of information to be had at her fingertips.

Early on in the series, whenever anyone would call her--she was typically back at the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) headquarters while the team was out in the field--it was usually Special Agent Derek Morgan and she would say something odd and unprofessional if you didn't quite know her.  Morgan, when he did call her, would call her nicknames like Sweetness or Baby Girl, which she completely ate up.

Over time, whenever they would call and put her on speaker for other agencies to hear, they would say, "Garcia, you're on speaker."  This was her clue to speak more professionally.

Throughout the seasons, she has fallen in love, been asked for her hand in marriage, been shot, and has had friends pass out of her life.  She loves anything that has to do with technology and was even recruited by the FBI due to her "hacking" abilities.

So get your Netflix fix by watching "Criminal Mind" and Penelope Garcia.  Her loving wit will make your smile and laugh every time.

Get your Netflix fix: Tom Clancy and Jack Ryan (review of Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit)

I grew up knowing one man as the face of Jack Ryan: Harrison Ford.  Yeah, I know Alec Baldwin was in The Hunt For Red October, but it was only one movie and, even though he did a good job, Harrison Ford is the one I think of.

I was a little taken aback at the opening scene of the 2014 movie Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, for he started down the path towards becoming a CIA analyst based on the attacks of 9/11.  However, I then looked at it through the lens of a new generation (in much cases, it's like James Bond--Roger Moore is the one I think about for that cinematic character, even though several more have played the role), and came to accept the concept.

Chris Pine did a fantastic job of playing the lead role, and both Kevin Costner and Kenneth Brannagh filled the rest of the cast nicely--oh, and Keira Knightly, as Jack Ryan's future bride-to-be, was superb.  Their courtship and her discovery of what he really was made for a fantastic plot thread.

The movie had a great blend of rapid action, sinister suspense, and slower scenes that allowed one to take a breather.  I certainly hope they continue on with sequels.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit isn't the only Tom Clancy/Jack Ryan movie currently on Netflix.  Of course, Netflix is known for taking movies in and out of their streaming movie list, so currently there are:

The Hunt for Red October

The Sum of All Fears

Clear and Present Danger

Get your Netflix fix: serial killers, as far as the eye can see

I must say, if you love serial killer TV shows, movies, and documentaries, Netflix has got your fix on the serial killer bug.

Of course, we have to start with TV shows, and with that: Criminal Minds, CSI: Miami, CSI: New York, Bones, Dexter, The Killing, and The Following.  Then, we have a variety of documentaries: Carl Panzram, The Jeffrey Dahmer Files, Serial Killer Culture, CNN's Crimes of the Century, Catching Killers, and Forensic Files Collection.

Then, of course, there are movies.  Silence of the Lambs, Along Came a Spider, Zodiac, and Se7en.

My personal favorites have been the documentaries by John Borowski: Carl Panzram and H. H. Holmes: America's First Serial Killer.  The movies listed above are also favorites, along with the TV shows Criminal Minds (the original series, not the spin-off--that's an entire blog post where I'll dedicate for that) Dexter, and The Killing.

There are also various movies on individual serial killers Ed Gein, Jeffrey Dahmer, Henry Lee Lucas, Richard Ramirez, the Hillside Stranglers, Richard Speck, Ted Bundy, David "The Son of Sam" Berkowitz, and Aileen Wuornos.  Just to name a few.

So, as you can see, there is much to choose from if you have an itch for serial killers and you have Netflix.

Get your Netflix fix: Criminal Minds (preview of all 9 seasons so far)

At the time of this post, the TV show Criminal Minds is on Netflix.  I am currently in season 7.  There are 9 seasons on Netflix so far.

I have binge-watched Criminal Minds ever since it came on Netflix a few months ago.  I love watching how each character grows from one season to the next.

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to delve into each season, to dissect what works and how Criminal Minds can be set apart from several of the other similar shows--oh, who am I kidding, there really isn't anything else like it (and don't get me started on the one season off-shoot).

I will try be as spoiler free as possible, but I must warn you.  It may be hard.  In fact, I may have to divulge plot points, however I will try keep them across an entire season instead of individual episodes.