Welcome back… Judging by your responses to this series of emails, the “Joy Ride” video touched many of you deeply. So for my last Story Mastery newsletter of 2023, I’d like to share a couple additional thoughts about why. In case you missed the previous installments of this series, here is the video: watch the…
Welcome Back! It’s time to see the hero of our 60-second story pursue her visible goal. In case you missed my previous two emails (A Perfect Story Introduced, and The Setup) I am breaking down the individual elements that make the Amazon Christmas video “Joy Ride” so emotionally captivating. These are the same elements you…
Season’s Greetings! Are you ready to have some fun? If you saw yesterday’s email, you know that I recently encountered an emotionally captivating, 60-second video that exemplifies all the essential elements of any live, written or recorded story. And based on the many email responses I received, many of you agreed – and, just like…
Not a great recommendation for celebrating the holidays, I know. But if you want to find great stories to tell, this is the key. I first came up with the phrase “follow the pain” during a presentation.
After reading your “Conflict #4: The Nemesis” article and considering the “coming of age/personal development” story I’m writing, you have me wondering what you would think about…
Is there a way to find an original motivation that is also strong enough for an adventure story? I want to avoid clichés: avenging a dead parent; seeking a treasure; winning the love of a prince.
Do you have any advice for people who are good at ideas, plots and dialogue bits but not so good at getting into the heads of their characters?
The most powerful and persuasive stories don’t simply entertain or enlighten – they challenge their readers and audiences to transform.
In the outstanding film HIDDEN FIGURES, screenwriters Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi faced the formidable task of immediately…
One of my all time favorite screenplays (and movies) is Aaron Sorkin’s script for A Few Good Men. So I was honored and excited when Film Courage…
Send your questions to Michael and he’ll create a Q&A Article specifically for your question!