Writing for Your Ideal Reader
Good storytelling is about having at least a somewhat conscious relationship to your ideal reader. It is about understanding the most effective […]
Writing Act Three: Our Hero Accepts the Reality of Their Situation
It can be frightening and exhilarating to realize that our story is bigger than we are, that in fact, it does not […]
Writing Despite Fear of Criticism
In 2017, Gustavo Dudamel became the youngest conductor of a major orchestra of his time. I remember an L.A. Times journalist urged […]
Finding Your Writing Voice
I work with many first-time novelists, screenwriters, and memoirists, and the question of voice always comes up. “Do you think I have […]
The Real Meaning of “Write What You Know”
Write what you know. We’ve heard this so often. But what does it mean? Does it mean that if I am a […]
Writing Prose
“Prose is architecture, not interior design.” – Ernest Hemingway Our words are in service to our story. When we get too flashy with […]
Is It Any Good?
There can be a real desire, especially for the novice writer, to have someone validate our work as soon as possible. Is […]
Story Structure as an Experiential Model
There is a structure to the universe. From the smallest atom to the forces that move the planets, there is a universal […]
Story Structure
Story structure is often taught by story analysts as plot, but it is really the DNA of our protagonist’s internal journey to […]
Overcoming Self-Doubt
I used to be amazed at the madness of my mind. One day, I think my writing is brilliant, and the next […]
The Lens Through Which You See Your Story
“I find that when I am working I become like an antenna, and suddenly everything relates to my screenplay: a mentioned recipe, […]
“What is the Book Market Looking For?”
“What does the market want?” I hear this question frequently from first-time novelists, as if there’s some secret, as if their job […]
