Preparation is hailed as the most important factor in NaNoWriMo success. Not the biggest problem for folks venturing a fictitious realm. But what of us memoir rebels? Memoir is [based on] fact. It features tales of a person’s life, told as truthfully as memory allows. Preparation, then, seems like it’d be an… Continue reading
Ladies and gents, I’m here to announce that it is in fact possible to craft a work of cinematic art in the span of 48 hours. Sleep of course will suffer, and it might not be the best final product. But the enthusiasm carries you through. The teamwork soaks with… Continue reading
A few years back, I spent NaNoWriMo working on an old story idea. At the time, the story was severely underdeveloped. The characters had no personalities, the plot was practically non-existent. It was an idea that refused to become more. So I set it aside until last year when I tried it… Continue reading
Tell someone you’re a writer, and you’ll get all sorts of questions thrown your way. “What’re you working on?”, “Are you published?”, “Do you know [famous author]?” are ones I’ve encountered. However, this one the other day stumped me: “Do all writers read?” I get that people unfamiliar with the… Continue reading
For the past several weeks, I’ve been attending a screenwriting workshop in New York City. Described as a “fusion” class, participants write and discuss scripts for both film and television. I’m working on a story I’ve struggled to write as both novel and short story. I figured maybe tackling it… Continue reading
Relationships influence and affect how each of us relates to the larger world. It makes sense, then, that stories manifest our relationships. Even the lack of interactive relationships are a fun road to travel in the writing world, as Wilson reminds us every day—though that is a type of relationship in and… Continue reading
Last time, I described the key ingredients to investing in a good hero. Now, let’s flip it around and talk villains. Because creating a convincing villain is, in my opinion, one of the hardest challenges as a writer. That being the case, this might be a big longer than my… Continue reading
Everyone loves a hero, am I right? A story’s centerpiece. The person destined to save the world. Likable. Relatable. Practically flawless at times… Earlier this year, I wrote about a TED Talks video with J.J. Abrams. Around 12:20, Abrams advises us to invest in our characters. He says the focus… Continue reading
About a year ago, I stumbled across this TED Talks video from J.J. Abrams, creator of television’s ALIAS and LOST. He has, and continues to be a positive inspiration to my own writing. This video illustrates a few reasons why he remains influential to me. Subtleties of Film Abrams’ talk epitomizes the impact his creations have had… Continue reading
I’ve reached the end of my college career. I’m shocked to admit, though, that few of the classes I took matched [my] expectations of a “higher” education. In fact, of over fifty courses across four years, I’d say a half-dozen were actually worth my time. How can this be, you… Continue reading