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: Can an Adult “Come Of Age?”
Q: Your Q&A article on “Coming of Age Stories” was a great help. But is it possible to have a coming-of-age story for a middle aged man?
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: Coming of Age Stories
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?
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?
Kristan Higgins & Michael Hauge Analyze her Best Selling Novel
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.
Q&A: Character Arc in THE BOURNE IDENTITY
Q: I can’t identify Jason Bourne’s arc in THE BOURNE IDENTITY. He abhors the realization that he was an assassin working for Treadstone…
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.
Q&A: LOVE STORIES AND OUTER MOTIVATION
Q: I’m writing a love story and have already developed the hero’s inner motivation and inner conflict, but I’m worried about her visible goal.