Q: What are the elements needed in a coming of age story? What kind of transformation are we looking for in the hero/main character? A: Almost without exception, coming of… read more →
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… read more →
(Two questions arrived in the last few weeks that have very similar answers…) Q: What do you think about remaking old movies from the 60’s and 70’s and giving them… read more →
In my previous article, “Story Reality vs Real Reality,” I talked about how every story is on some level a fantasy, and what constitutes fictional “reality.” Now I want to… read more →
Q: I’m writing a medieval love story full of intrigue, and the people I’m writing about actually did exist in the 15th century. But the story I am writing about… read more →
In real world conversations, we almost never declare whom it is we’re talking to. So unless a character in your story is searching for someone, shouting at someone, calling on… read more →
I once consulted with a screenwriter who complained when I told him his screenplay lacked credibility. “Movies aren’t ever real,” he argued. “Is it believable that zombies could take over the… read more →
Q: In Selling Your Story In 60 Seconds, you repeatedly stress the value of including antecedents — previously successful movies or novels that give agents, editors and producers a better… read more →
[Though this question is from a screenwriter, the issue it raises is just as critically important to novelists, speakers and internet marketers.] Q: Having recently completed the first draft of… read more →
Award winning author Kristan Higgins joins Michael during his Story Mastery event for the Connecticut chapter of the RWA to discuss her best selling novel The Next Best Thing. In… read more →
