Q&A: Daily Revisions or Forge Ahead?
I am finding that when I sit down each day to continue my writing, I read everything I’ve written so far in order to get back into the flow. When I do this I have the tendency to…
CONFLICT #1: Tiger
Last month (at the time I’m writing this), Tiger Woods won the Masters Golf Tournament for the 5th time in his career.
What’s at Stake?
The simplest way to understand the idea of STAKES for the hero (or for any character in a story) is to ask, “What will this character lose if he fails to achieve his goal?”
Increasing the Impact of Surprise
The film THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI includes an early scene where the hero, Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) is confronted by…
Writing from Your Essence
Last week I once again was part of a wonderful, almost indescribable experience. I had the privilege of joining World Champions of Public Speaking.
Delivering a Powerful Theme
The most powerful and persuasive stories don’t simply entertain or enlighten – they challenge their readers and audiences to transform.
Vulnerability & Courage
This is a story about another story – one that my client James Stafford recently wrote and posted to his website, and sent out to his subscribers.
Make Your Characters Distinct
In the outstanding film HIDDEN FIGURES, screenwriters Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi faced the formidable task of immediately…
No More Description!
My previous article, “Don’t Summarize!” had one of the strongest reactions of any I’ve done. I got lots of positive comments.
Don’t Summarize!
A common weakness among all storytellers – screenwriters and novelists as well as marketers and presenters – is the tendency to summarize.