Q&A: Hero Needs and Wants
Q: I really enjoy your seminars and writings on story, but I’m still wrestling with this issue: Should the needs and wants of my protagonist arise from the circumstances of the story?
Q&A: Structuring Short Films and Email Stories
Q: I’ve read your article on the 5 Key Turning Points of All Successful Stories, and watched your lecture on 6-stage plot structure that’s part of The Hero’s Two Journeys.
INTRODUCING YOUR HEROES: Julie & Julia
Arguably the most important portion of your story is the opening. This is where you must seduce your readers and audiences as you draw them…
Q&A: Naming Your Characters
Q: When I first introduce a character into a story, must I always give his or her last name? Is the first name enough? Must I name the character at all?
Q&A: KEEPING IT SIMPLE
Q: Having recently completed the first draft of my screenplay, I find the 2nd act is a real drag. The movie is about a person told from three distinct memories.
Q&A: The Ethics of Fabricated Stories
Q: I’m an internet marketer, and during your recent webinar with Andre Chaperon, I heard you say that it’s OK to make things up in a speech or a story.
MISDEMEANOR: Introducing Characters All At Once
Have you ever been the last to arrive at a party and the host introduces you, one at a time, to everyone there? So how many of those names are you able to remember?
THE KEY TO CHARACTER DESCRIPTION: VIVID, REVEALING DETAILS
Your job as a storyteller is to create IMAGES. This is true not just for screenwriters, but for anyone presenting a story to a reader or an audience.
DIALOGUE vs. ACTION: Tell Don’t Show
Writing and storytelling are filled with rules and maxims that are presented as unbreakable commandments – but which should occasionally be challenged.
Arenas and Finish Lines: AVATAR and THE HURT LOCKER
I find it fascinating that Avatar and The Hurt Locker – the two movies that duked it out for the 2009 Best Picture Oscar® – have so many common plot elements.