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Dramatizing Character
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to
December 4, 2023
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Character Development
Most popular posts
If your narrative drive is stalling, your protagonist could be missing the most vital engine for character transformation: a powerful...
A character sheet template can be the difference between a character who feels real on the page and one who...
Have you ever found yourself comparing the length of your manuscript to other books, and wondering if you’ve written too...
Rhythm is one of those craft issues that writers talk around without really discussing. They might lump it in with...
Is there value in joining a critique circle? Writing is one of the most solitary of all professions. You sit...
Avoiding plagiarism seems like a simple task: Just don’t steal someone else’s work. But when you’re immersed in research with...
Tragic heroes are like a falling star, burning, hurtling to their doom, but are a sight to behold all the...
Usually when you open a book and you’re embarking on a new adventure, you believe what the narrator tells you...
Stories that endure tend to tap into something deeply human. Philosophers, mythologists, psychologists, and more have theorized about different ways...
Do character arcs matter? Here’s an important lesson to remember: No matter how elaborate your plot is, if your reader...
The characters we write in our stories play a central part in the audience’s engagement. Understanding your characters and why...
The “dark night of the soul” is that moment in a story where all seems lost. It is the biggest...
Blog
Taking Off the Mask
“Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace.” – Amelia Earhart In Jerry Stahl’s memoir, Permanent Midnight, he shares
May 1, 2023
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Blog
Who is My Protagonist?
Some of you may be writing ensemble screenplays with multiple storylines and scratching your head wondering who your protagonist is. The key
February 1, 2023
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Blog
Blind Spots in Your Story
It is human to have blind spots, and often convenient to be in denial about certain aspects of ourselves. This is natural,
June 17, 2022
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Blog
The Power of Curiosity
Story creation often begins with an idea or an image that ignites your imagination. You become curious, wanting to know more, to
April 1, 2022
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Blog
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
August 6, 2021
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Blog
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
June 25, 2021
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Blog
Shedding the Idea for Truth in Writing
It’s not just first-time novelists or screenwriters that struggle with getting their story from the imagination to the page. Every writer struggles
June 4, 2021
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Blog
The Protagonist’s Experience
Regardless of the medium, your reader is not interested in what your character is feeling. Seriously. In fact, if you tell your
June 18, 2019
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Blog
Our Characters are Malleable
“Nothing changes more constantly than the past; for the past that influences our lives does not consist of what happened, but of
December 26, 2017
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Blog
Narrative Drive
“The purpose of narrative is to present us with complexity and ambiguity.”— Scott Turow If you’re rewriting and a point in your
November 20, 2017
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Recent posts
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it...
“Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace.” – Amelia Earhart In Jerry Stahl’s memoir, Permanent Midnight,...
Some of you may be writing ensemble screenplays with multiple storylines and scratching your head wondering who your protagonist is....
It is human to have blind spots, and often convenient to be in denial about certain aspects of ourselves. This...
Story creation often begins with an idea or an image that ignites your imagination. You become curious, wanting to know...
(Image from And Justice for All, 1979) You can’t have story without conflict. As writers, it is important to investigate...
“A writer writes not because he is educated but because he is driven by the need to communicate. Behind the...
It’s not just first-time novelists or screenwriters that struggle with getting their story from the imagination to the page. Every...
Regardless of the medium, your reader is not interested in what your character is feeling. Seriously. In fact, if you...
“Nothing changes more constantly than the past; for the past that influences our lives does not consist of what happened,...
“The purpose of narrative is to present us with complexity and ambiguity.”— Scott Turow If you’re rewriting and a point...
