Improving Your Fiction: The Relationship Chart – Part 2
Part 2 of 3, from guest blogger Art Holcomb By now you’ve had some time with the Relationship Chart for your own story and the example I gave from the movie DIE HARD. Hopefully, you’re beginning to see some of the depth to be plumbed by truly understanding our characters. Before we move on, I […]
Improving Your Fiction: The Relationship Chart – Part 1
More goodness from guest poster Art Holcomb. ***** Relationships are at the heart of all great stories. They bond the reader to the work by giving them someone to root for (or against). They are the foundation of the subplots which broaden and deepen our novels and films. And they supply the emotional reactions that […]
The Rule Book — by Art Holcomb, Part 2
Part 2 of 2 Okay, you’ve had some time with the Rule Book Relationship Chart … Remember: you can substitute your characters’ names for the character type across the top, and the change the emotions listed along the side as well. Once you’re finished making the initially pass, we can start having fun! #1: Look at […]
The Rule Book — by Art Holcomb, Part 1
(Quick aside… a few days ago you received a post from me entitled, “Are You the One out of Ten?” It may have looked familiar… and it should have — it was originally posted on June 24th. Thing is, I didn’t send it. I haven’t opened up my WordPress dashboard since well over a week ago. Some […]
Saturday Morning Version of “The Hero’s Journey”
Two words: hand sock. You’ll see. Really, we need to take storytelling more seriously than this… which in an ironic twist means, this IS serious. Even when it’s hilariously rendered. It’s also potentially confusing as hell. Which is why I write about it using what I believe to be more accessible, clearer terminology and modeling. […]
When Words Get In Your Way
Okay, that title is my way of creating some sort of linkage between the brand/mission of this website and the content of this particular post. I get about three emails a day from SEO guys telling me I suck, so this is for them. Then again, the post itself is really for you. We’re word […]
A Case Study in Concept: A Story on the Brink
One of my favorite story coaching clients is a guy named Kalvin. He’s prolific, he’s brought me a half dozen story ideas at various stages of development, each offering something tasty with significant upside. In each case, the process has given him an expanded and illuminated platform to continue to grow his story. That’s why […]
Motivation for Writers… Wet or Dry
How hard are you working? I mean, really working. Not just working hard… but working smart? “Welcome to the grind.” Sometimes it’s tough to get up and write. Or simply to square off with the keyboard at any time of day. Athletes have coaches. We, on the other hand, are quite alone with the task […]
The Absolute, Non-negotiable Truth About Writing and Selling Your Fiction
Imagine a room somewhere, a hotel conference center perhaps, full of 46 professional types who have flown in to commiserate with their esteemed peers. They preen and sip coffee as they eyeball each other’s name tags, casually dropping names while waxing eloquent and wistful about the lack of great stories out there. They are literary […]
Story Physics: The Interview
This is a bit of a mash-up between a guest post and an interview. I’m not interviewing Randy Ingermanson, he’s interviewing me about my newly published writing book, Story Physics. The guy’s a Ph.D., so the word “physics” had him at hello. It’s an except from Randy’s monthly Advanced Fiction Writing Ezine, which is the most popular digital publication […]