The Epidemic and Systemic Sabotage via Brainwashing of Aspiring Novelists
As a writing coach and author of writing books and articles, I deal in numbers. Volume. Significant databases of writers and stories. Manuscripts, story plans, synopses, samples, story analysis and the hands-on witnessing of stories under development. And I’m here to tell you… … there’s trouble in River City. I see it, I read it, […]
A Better Way to Open Your Novel
There’s always two ways to put something out there. The room divides in terms of which hits hardest… the in-your-face “don’t make this mistake!” approach… or the more positive, “here’s a better way you can do it.” Frankly, I can lean either way. I mention this because today’s headline cuts both ways. I came to […]
Why You Should Be Mercilessly Hacking Apart Your Favorite Stories
A guest post by K.M. Weiland You shouldn’t be reading this blog. No, seriously. As awesome as Larry’s blog is and as generous as he is for sharing his story sense with all of us, this is not the place to learn how to write a story. (This is the part where Larry kicks me […]
A “Story Engineering” Success Story: One Writer’s Journey Into Craft
An Interview with James Williams A guest post by Jennifer Blanchard I’ve been writing fiction since I was a kid. Now, I’m a writing coach by day and a writer by night (and sometimes also a writer by day and a writing coach by night). But I never had anyone else in my family with […]
China, Free Stuff, a New Book Announcement, and a Quick Word About “Battered Bastards”
I’m heading to Beijing next week… … to help launch the Chinese release of “Story Engineering,” and to teach a workshop on how writing is taught in the States. Which is a favorite topic of mine… I promise to be nice. I thought I’d share a couple of things here on Storyfix that might provide […]
Turning Novels into Screenplays – Part 2
Part 2 (of 2) of a Guest Post by Art Holcomb Click HERE to review Part 1… then hurry back here for the pay-off. ***** Welcome back! We’re talking today about adapting novels into screenplays. Last time, we talked about the basics of the art of adaptation that I use with my students and professional […]
Turning Your Novel into a Screenplay, Part 1
A guest post by Art Holcomb Part 1 of 2. In June, I’m speaking at the Greater Los Angeles Writer’s Conference on how to adapt a novel into a screenplay and I’m really looking forward to it. A good part of my practice, both with students and professionals, comes from taking a story from one […]
Case Study: This is What SUCCESS Looks Like
I’m delighted to share a WIN this time. A middle-grade Young Adult novel in the making. Can we learn from a case study that models a solid grasp of concept, premise and the First Plot Point? That sets up a story with the inherent dramatic tension and drama, conceptual appeal and heroic arc that will […]
So Much Social Media, So Little Time
A Guest Post from Mindy Halleck www.MindyHalleck.com I love social media and all its quirks. I even own a Youtube channel for which I get more and more YouTube views from the marketing heaven, as it’s the only company I have found till date who uses the legal form of marketing techniques to get more […]
Every Writer Should Watch This 60 Second Video
Malcolm Gladwell is on to something. He spends a lot of time interviewing successful people to get to the heart of how they got there. What results is some combination of commonality and theme… and inspiration. Jim Carrey, like or love him or not, is one of the most successful comedians in the world. Talk […]