Like I suspect a lot of people here, Craig and I ended up mourning the loss of the incomparable Sidney Poitier by watching In the Heat of the Night. I often reference Heat as an example in workshops, but watching it again reminded me of what a great teaching movie it...
I know, it’s SO HARD to get any writing done this time of year. I’m not putting any pressure on you, I swear! But there is something that a whole lot of us do this time of year that we can actually turn into an almost miraculous, (as it were) two-and-a-half hour...
Last week of November—we're into Act III, now! Or maybe, even probably, you're not that far yet, which is perfectly fine. As long as you're writing, it's all good. The book will be done when it's done.But if you are into Act III, here are the prompts for that last...
Nanowrimo Week 3: The Downward Spiral. If you are blazing through #Nanowrimo like a speeding train and are actually working on the third quarter of the story, you have reached what is very often the darkest quarter of your story. And often the muddiest! So let’s try...
Yesterday we talked about general characteristics of a MIDPOINT. Now let's look at some examples.A favorite MIDPOINT of mine (in a masochistic kind of way) is in Brian DePalma’s The Untouchables. It's also a great example of how a main character's PLAN and MAIN STORY...
It’s halfway through the month— but for the vast majority of Nanowrimo writers I would be shocked if you were actually halfway through your book (as opposed to halfway through 50K words!) But it's still a good reason to talk about one of the most important elements...
The first half of Act Two, which we will call Act II, Part 1 (30-60 minutes in a film, pages 100-200 in a book), is the most variable of the four Acts. Yes, for reasons I go into in my workshops and workbooks, the Three-Act Structure of filmmaking actually has four...
Whether you’re doing Nanowrimo or not, this is one of the most important scenes of the Act One of any story. We first see the hero/ine of a story in what mythologist Joseph Campbell called the Ordinary World. That world gives us a lot of essential information about...
So, Nanowrimo, Week 1! (Or for those of use NOT doing Nano, just another fabulous day doing the best job in the world….) I was thinking about what I could post today that would be of the most use. The best thing about doing Nano is that you write so fast you don’t get...
Yeah, yeah, I know. Some writers freeze at the very word, “structure.” But it’s the easiest, fastest way I know to easier, faster, and more salable writing.So in this Nanowrimo/NO Nano series, of all my Top Tricks to Get Yourself Writing Again, my Trick #1 is: ...
