What is an Inciting Incident? The Story Moment That Changes Everything
With storytelling, if your reader isn’t engaged within the first few chapters, you run the risk of losing their attention. So, what […]
Falling Action: The Bridge Between Climax and Resolution
What happens after a story’s climactic moment? What comes after the protagonist wins the girl, or defeats the bully, or triumphs over […]
How to Write a Compelling Climax
The climax. This is the moment your reader has been waiting for. They’ve spent hours immersed in your story, falling in love […]
Story: A Journey of Self-Discovery
Story is always a journey of self-discovery “The unexamined life is not worth living.” – Socrates Embarking on a creative endeavor, especially […]
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 […]
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
Story is the most powerful way we have to express ideas. We can actually see the journey that a human being takes […]
“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 […]
What is Success?
“The unexamined life is not worth living.” – Socrates Years ago, I was on the phone with a prospective student, and he […]
Finding Home
“Home is where one starts from.” – T. S. Eliot There’s nothing more primal than our quest for home. The dilemma is […]
Memoir: Mastering the Impossible
“While they were saying among themselves it cannot be done, it was done.” – Helen Keller The purpose of art is to […]
Stay Curious
“The curious are always in some danger. If you are curious, you might never come home.” – Jeanette Winterson When my son […]
Story is an Argument
(Image from “Big” 1988) Story is an argument. The theme (or dramatic question) is the thesis statement, and the story is the […]
What is My Screenplay About?
When we think of our favorite movies, there is invariably an element that is so novel, so surprising, that it ignites our […]
Choose Love
In every story, love is the mystery that is always on the table. In the beginning of your story, the question may […]
Hope
Have you ever seen a dog waiting for their master at a window — their wet nose pressed against the glass, eyes […]
12 Maxims of The 90-Day Novel
Have you thought about your creative goals for this coming year? If you’re planning to write your novel, here are 12 maxims that […]