The Price of Joy is Grief
As human beings we tend to seek positive experiences, but as writers and storytellers we understand that the purpose of story is […]
A Spark of Madness: The Secret Ingredient to Creative Brilliance
“You’re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.” – Robin Williams In the realm of creativity, there’s a […]
Getting Notes – Ten Things to Consider
I got an email this morning from one of my students who just received a pile of notes on her work-in-progress and […]
Why Writers Should Embrace Doubt
Doubt exists in each of us much of the time. We are unsure about our futures, our relationships, our new tile in the bathroom, our car insurance, etc. Doubt is the cradle of conflict, both internal and external. In the heart of every character lives a dilemma. As you become curious about that dilemma, it will lead you to what is universal in your story.
Transformation
A fundamental understanding of transformation is crucial to having anything more than an intellectual relationship to structure. You’ve probably read books on […]
The Value of an Outline
What’s the point of an outline? Whether consciously or not, every writer is in search of a process. A lot of writers […]
How Do I Begin?
“How do I begin?” The process of story creation is mysterious. Where do your story ideas come from? From where do your […]
“Why Do I Get Stuck?”
When writers come to a dead stop there can be a tendency to panic. It’s important to remember that your idea of […]
Stepping Into Your True Power
What does it mean to trust yourself? It sounds like a good idea, but it is often a counter-intuitive process. It is […]
The Internet: A Writer’s Worst Distraction
Sometimes the deeper we get into our story, the more we seek distraction. The internet will suck the life out of any […]
What is Success?
“The unexamined life is not worth living.” – Socrates Years ago, I was on the phone with a prospective student, and he […]
