The 90-Day Memoir – Intimacy Hangover
In the first day of The 90-Day Memoir workshop the writers often have some major insights and revelations. But it is the second day […]
Begin Your Story
There are as many ways to begin your story as there are ways to procrastinate. Beginning to write your book or screenplay […]
Using Your Credo to Create Story Conflict
(Image from And Justice for All, 1979) You can’t have story without conflict. As writers, it is important to investigate and become […]
Make it Dramatic
“Drama is life with the dull bits cut out.” – Alfred Hitchcock Story moves as the result of complications that arise, not […]
Everything You Need to Know is Within
“If you have a problem with the third act, the real problem is in the first act.” – Billy Wilder The purpose […]
Act One: Maintaining Tension
“A writer writes not because he is educated but because he is driven by the need to communicate. Behind the need to […]
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 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 […]
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 […]
