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…
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.
Q&A: Creating Tension in Your Story
Q: How do you create tension without resorting to action? A: Tension is actually the antithesis of action. Tension is all about creating anticipation.
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.
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.
Q&A: Why Would Anyone Want to Hear About Me?
Q: I am trying to incorporate personal stories into my speeches. But a voice in my head keeps asking, “Why would anyone be interested in hearing YOUR life story?”
STORY MISDEMEANOR: No Invisible Information!
A screenplay can ONLY include what the audience will see and hear on the screen. No background information, no author’s asides, no character thoughts or feelings.
Clothes Make the Girl: WORKING GIRL
Brief, vivid descriptions of the characters and settings in your screenplay, novel or presentation create a vivid movie in the mind of your reader or audience.