Author Archives: T.Z. Barry

Social Anxiety and Star Wars: A New Hope

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…

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Star Wars isn’t the first movie you think of for social anxiety. No character in the series actually suffers from shyness or has difficulty speaking—unless you count R2D2 and Chewbacca. However, Star Wars does have a message we can use, considering the Force (mindfulness) and the Dark Side (social anxiety). Continue reading

Social Anxiety in Movies: Inside Out

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Inside Out is an animated Pixar movie that takes place inside the mind of an 11-year-old girl named Riley (Kaitlyn Dias). In the Headquarters of Riley’s mind, we meet the different emotions that make up her personality: Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust. Throughout the film, these five emotions work together to influence Riley’s behavior and her memories. Continue reading

Social Anxiety in Movies: He Was a Quiet Man

Social Anxietyin Movies

He Was a Quiet Man is about Bob Maconel (Christian Slater) a bullied loner who secretly plans to kill his co-workers…until someone else beats him to the punch. Bob saves the day by killing the shooter and becomes a hero at the office. Continue reading

Top 10 Movie Influences for Trick or Zombie Treat

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My novel Trick or Zombie Treat is difficult to categorize. It can be for middle grade readers, young adults, and adults. It has horror, comedy, science fiction, fantasy, action, adventure, and drama. The characters include ghosts, zombies, vampires, werewolves, dinosaurs, basketball players, pop singers, and more. Maybe the best way to give a feel for what my book is like is to list the movies that influenced it. So without further adieu… Continue reading

Social Anxiety in Movies: Dummy

Social Anxietyin Movies

Dummy is about Steven (Adrien Brody), a shy socially awkward almost 30-year-old man who gets fired from his job and decides to pursue his dream of becoming a professional ventriloquist. He uses his dummy to help deal with problems involving his family, friends, and love life. Continue reading

Trick or Zombie Treat: Excerpt 2

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My new Halloween-themed novel, Trick or Zombie Treat is available on Amazon. You can always read a free sample of the beginning of the book there. But the story starts a bit slow, so I decided to post an excerpt from the middle of the book, once the action and horror has heated up. Continue reading

Trick or Zombie Treat: Excerpt

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My Halloween-themed YA/horror/comedy/sci-fi/fantasy/action/adventure novel, Trick or Zombie Treat is now available on Amazon. It’s about five boys who go trick or treating on Halloween and magically turn into actual versions of their costumes. Read below for a sample of the first four chapters. Continue reading

TRICK OR ZOMBIE TREAT: A Humorous Halloween Horror Novel

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Like many writers, I have a list of hundreds of half-baked ideas that I hope to one day turn into full-fledged stories. One such idea was kids on Halloween transforming into actual versions of their costumes. Last September, I decided to write it as a short story, hoping to finish in time for Halloween.

Cut to one year and 66,000 words later, and my short story is now a full-length novel. Continue reading

Book Review: A Guide to the Present Moment by Noah Elkrief

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Social anxiety comes from our thoughts. Negative thoughts we have about ourselves and what others think about us. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has helped me to recognize and change those negative thoughts. I did self-CBT by reading books and listening to audio programs. One such book was A Guide to the Present Moment by Noah Elkrief.

Continue reading