Getting Off the Storytelling Dime — How to Start NOW
“Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it!” A writer friend and Storyfix.com regular recently contacted me off-line for some advice. With a year-off from work on her hands and a strong desire to improve her writing, she asked me how I would spend […]
Scene Writing: One Writer, Two Killer Examples
Nothing clarifies a writing principle like a shining example of perfection. I offer up two for you today. Plus a little surprise ending that I dare not label as perfect. You’ll need a DVD player, a trip to Blockbuster and an afternoon at the local Cineplex. Because both are from iconic films, one sixteen years […]
The 6 Most Important Words in Fiction Writing
Allow me to confuse you for a moment. But only for a moment. This one is complicated, primarily because it looks so stinking simple. If you’ve been here even a little while, you’ve heard me refer to The Six Core Competencies of Storytelling, and perhaps you even know what they are (if not, hit the […]
Story Structure vs. Story Architecture: “Dude… what’s the diff?”
I’ve been hearing that question a lot lately. Story structure is old news, and frankly it rubs some writers the wrong way. It shouldn’t – that’s like saying gravity and taxes rub you the wrong way. Deny them all you want… they’re always there, inescapable, sucking you in. Story architecture, on the other hand, isn’t […]
Why We Should be Thankful We Are Writers
This morning I wasn’t so sure. But tonight I thank God I am a writer. And not just because I pretty much suck at most everything else I’ve tried, either. Earlier in the week I posted a guest blog on a very Big Deal writing site you’ve probably heard of. It was on my thing, […]
Tip #63 – You Won’t Break In To the Business By Imitating Published Authors
Yeah, we’re giving away the farm here on Storyfix. The following is one of the 101 Tips in my new ebook, 101 Slightly Unpredictable Tips for Novelists and Screenwriters. This is the fourth time I’ve served up one of these tasty little tips, ala carte and for free. At this rate you’ll get the whole […]
Selling Your Story: The Thing About Theme
Writing/critique group members: when you’re done reading today’s post — you won’t want to miss it, either — slide down to yesterday’s entry for a special group offer. Now for today’s post… buckle up, it’s a monster… The Thing About Theme As one of what I call “The Six Core Competencies of Successful Storytelling,” you’d […]