Every Story Asks Questions
Not the obvious ‘how does it end?’ but something more basic; every story asks questions. ‘What’s is about?’ isn’t really […]
Writing
Posts on the craft of writing
The Trouble with Prequels
Amazon’s Rings of Power demonstrates the trouble with prequels like no other. When the outcomes and consequences don’t matter, how
Endearing Female Protagonists
Every writer these days seems focused on endearing female protagonists. Let’s compare the wildly popular Black Widow and the not
The ‘All-is-Lost’ Story Beat
The ‘all-is-lost’ story beat is obligatory in just about every story structure from the Hero’s Journey to Save the Cat.
Completing a Character Arc: Misbelief
This week I found the key in completing a character arc: misbelief. It followed two years of writing, ignoring that
The Art of the Long Con
Posting a short story to my writers’ group this week, I’m exploring the art of the Long Con in Selling
Everyman Saves the Day
Why do we so love the stories in which Everyman saves the day? Recalling a previous post, the Everyman –
Writing
The Rules of Good Dialogue
Forget my English degree, the last three years of webinars, classes and craft books have taught me about the rules
Anticipation mingled with Uncertainty
“Drama is anticipation mingled with uncertainty.” So said British playwright William Archer back in the Edwardian era. A definition that
Six Essential Questions For Writing
Emmy-winning screenwriter, script doctor, and writing coach Glen Gers sums up twenty-five years experience with his six essential questions for