As soon as the iPad inspired a slurry of Android clones I’m sure more than a few writers thought, “Now I can write that novel or screenplay in bed, waiting at the doctor office, or yes, even while sitting on the toilet!” But wait! Not so fast. How does the state of the art stack
Why shower crayons work: Routine. It forces us to focus and make decisions, even if it’s only for a few minutes a day. You don’t need hours, days, or weeks to make a decision. Most decisions can take place within a few seconds. Even the most creative thorny problems. You may not find the best
Novelists usually work by a process of drafting. They write straight through to a 1st draft. Then they change the things they don’t like in the 2nd draft, and iterate into a 3rd, etc. Drafting is a linear process. Plotting, also sometimes called ‘blocking,’ is used by script writers to establish economical scene flow.
Dec
21
Posted by : | On : December 21, 2007
I like scenes where characters talk to themselves. Both as a member of the audience and as a creator. Here are a few reasons why:
Foreshadowing
The character says something out loud to themselves that later comes true, or its opposite later comes true in a way the character couldn’t have anticipated. Which leads to…
Dec
20
Posted by : | On : December 20, 2007
Working on screenplay versions of my stories is teaching me a lot about the weaknesses in my writing and creative processes. I almost regret trying to write a novel first.
Why?
Because in writing a novel, you’re encouraged towards higher word counts, excessive description, and more detail. Word count, description, and detail all steal thunder from the focus of the scene.
“What has to happen in this scene?”
Surely the answer is not, “We need to see the paint peeling from the walls?”
A scene should be simple. There should be a basic conflict in it between two or more characters, or a character vs. his or herself.
Dec
07
Posted by : | On : December 7, 2007
Every story needs a frame of reference. You can write a story told from the perspective of an ant-like alien creature on a far away planet that resembles nothing like our own, but if you can’t find a frame of reference through the familiar, it will hard for people to engage your story.
So what if you do have an ant-like alien creature on a far away planet that doesn’t resemble anything we know?
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