Bradley Cooper on Concept. Really. Sort of.
Earlier this week Bradley Cooper appeared on The Late Late Show with James Cordon. Among other things (and other guests), a topic of discussion was a new TV series premiering next month called Limitless, which Cooper produces and, we are promised, will feature him as an occasional guest star (he’s not the lead/star of program, however). […]
The Non-Structural Language of Story
Or… How To Get Your Story Written Efficiently and Effectively, Even If Structure Is Not Your Thing. Or maybe… Stop Worrying and Just String Some Pearls Together. Wherein I borrow cutting edge content from frequent Storyfix contributor Art Holcomb (visit his website, as well as the article linked later in this post). He and I […]
An Interview with C.S. Lakin
Author of “The 12 Key Pillars of Novel Construction,” and other craft books and novels. C.S. Lakin and I have a lot in common. We are both novelists who were so inspired by the experience of writing fiction that we decided to write about that – about the craft of doing so – as […]
Story Fix: Transform Your Novel from Broken to Brilliant
Announcing the release of the Kindle edition of my new writing book… two months before the official release date. Nothing is ever precise about the “release date” of a new book. It can end up in a bookstore two weeks before the prophesied “Official Release Date,” or because of the whims of booksellers, gather dust in […]
One From the Heart
Some of you may be aware that I’m now also blogging on The Kill Zone, which for me is like being asked to do a regular TED talk (a goal that remains in my sites, by the way). Nine published thriller/mystery authors post daily (rotating the hot seat) on cross-genre writing topics. Today is my […]
Case Study – The New Writer TRAP That Awaits The Unaware
As readers, we consume a lot of average content. And sometimes average is perfectly fine, it fills thirty blank minutes of staring at a television or 90-plus minutes of munching popcorn in a dark theater with perfectly reasonable satisfaction, an ROI of our time that doesn’t feel like a ripoff. Then again, if that’s the case […]
The Irrefutable Algebra of Story
Don’t be scared off by the implication of forthcoming mathematics. I know, writers aren’t known for their affection for numbers, but I promise you this particular story problem will be right up your alley. This post is inspired by a recent story coaching client who answered this question — What is the core dramatic arc of your […]
Fiction Writing 101: Learning to Skate
And like gravity, the principles of writing effective fiction don’t care what you call them, or even if you believe in them. But they will kill or cripple you if you proceed without honoring them – just like gravity – just as they will elevate you to unfathomable heights, like a beautiful bird, once you understand how to harness their power.
A Post for the New, Unsure, Intimidated First-time Novelist
If you’re considering writing a novel, if you’re serious about it but not certain where or how to start, or you’re simply intimidated by the sheer mystery of the process… I have some good news to share with you: That’s a good thing. You should be intimidated. But you shouldn’t be confused about where and […]
Story Structure, Take One – A Guest Post by Robert Arrington
One writer’s dance with the principles of structure, and an honest self-analysis of the result. Well, it’s been a wild 18 months of effort for me, but I have finally succeeded in putting my first novel, The Wonderland Effect, to bed, and it is out there attempting to make its way in the world. […]