On Writing “My prescription for writer’s block is to face the fact that there is no such thing. It’s an invented condition, a literary version of the…
Sundays with Stephen King’s “On Writing” A series featuring reflections on writing from the famed author’s memoir.
The Psychological Subtext of the Call To Adventure At the beginning of the story, the Protagonist is just making do. Then something happens which jumbles their life… and their journey…
The Theology of Cinema: Conversion A character transforming from their Old Self into a New Self is a narrative arc we see time and time again, a kind of “conversion”…
The Incurable Disease of Writing “In psychological terms, it seems that drive is more important than talent in producing creative work.”
Black List writers on the craft: Characters “As I pull the story together, the characters start coming to life and each informs the other.”
Great Scene: “Kramer vs. Kramer” Two scenes making french toast provide signposts to measure the nature of a father-son relationship.
The Nemesis as the Protagonist’s ‘Shadow’ Want drama? Ask your Protagonist: What do you fear the most? Then put them in a story where they have to confront that fear: Their Nemesis.
Black List writers on the craft: Characters (Part 5) “I don’t care if your character is likable — I only care if he or she or it is interesting and entertaining and engaging. That’s all that…
How do I know if it’s too much or too little scene description? Reader question via email from Anonymous:
Writing and the Creative Life: Why Staring Into Space Is an Important Strategy for Success “In the shower we are simply staring into space, washing our hair on autopilot. We aren’t checking our messages or Twitter feed, or writing…
Black List writers on the craft: Characters (Part 4) “I will write act zero — what happens to a character before the story in my script begins — so I have a deeper understanding of where this…
Being and Writing in the Moment Time is a mystery, especially in a screenplay. As writers, we can leap through decades from one scene to the next. Or we can stretch a…
Black List writers on the craft: Characters (Part 3) “I approach my characters like I’m writing their biographies. I write up where they were born, what their favorite food is, all kinds of…
