What Works & What Doesn't: 'Badlands'
How effective is the first act of Terrence Malick's debut feature on the page?
Finding Poetry In Computer Code
Is there a linguistic elegance to code? Is it only ever for issuing commands, or can it be for the enjoyment of the programmer?
Making A Murderer: How Good Storytelling Made It So Damn Compelling
By Peter Derk
In:
Character, documentary, Legal, Making A Murderer, Netflix, Plot, Steve Avery, Structure, Television, True Crime
'Making A Murderer' was a fascinating story, but good storytelling made it truly excellent.
Five Literary Sex Scenes You Wish You'd Written
In:
Brokeback Mountain, Chuck Palahniuk, Cormac McCarthy, Elena Ferrante, Jy Yang, List, Sex, Sex Scenes, Structure
Unearned sex scenes are hard to swallow. Here are five writers that get to the guts of what's at stake when we get naked.
Five Ray Bradbury Stories That Tell Us Everything We Need to Know About Writing.
No writer stalked the inherent tensions in fiction with more guts and style than Ray Bradbury. Here are five lessons in conflict from the master of wonder.
What Every Successful Novel Opening Must Do: Myth vs. Reality
It's no secret that agents, editors, and their assistants are looking for any reason to reject a manuscript in the first few pages. But what does it really take to get readers hooked?
Five Ways Scrivener Can Help Your Work In Progress
Why Scrivener? What can it do for your writing? Go beyond the "click here" tutorials and consider how this software can improve your work habits and the quality of your content.
Trash or Treasure? A List of Five Obscure Literary Movements
In:
Hermeticism, List, literary movements, Martian poetry, Poetry, Romanticism, Spiralism, Structure
From to Spiralism to Martian poetry, not every idea finds a solid foothold in history or a wide audience.
Abandoning Linearity and Enabling Shuffle Mode: How to Write Out of Sequence
By writing out of sequence, you no longer have to force yourself to write the boring bits. You are always writing the fun chapters. The scenes that remind you why you’re a writer in the first place.
Screenwriting: The Emotional Spine
Got your three acts, your hero's journey and your turning points sorted? Good. But, what's holding them all together? Take your screenplay to the next level by addressing the emotional spine.
Storyville: How to Put Together an Anthology
Tips and information about how to put together an anthology of short stories.
Storyville: Kill Your Darlings—How 'Game of Thrones' Can Change Your Writing
We can learn some valuable lessons about plotting, characters, and expectations from watching (or reading) 'Game of Thrones.'
Storyville: Three Essential Books On Writing
In:
Character, Craft, Dialogue, Jeff VanderMeer, Plot, Stephen King, Storyville, Structure, Theme, Voice
Three essential books on writing by Stephen King, Donald Maas and Jeff VanderMeer.
Storyville: Dissecting "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates
In:
Character, Joyce Carol Oates, Literary Devices, Plot, POV, Research, Setting, Short Stories, Storyville, Structure
One of the most talked about, published and taught stories, I dissect "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates.
Storyville: 15 Unconventional Story Methods
Here are 15 unconventional methods of telling a story. Why not stretch yourself?
Storyville: Dramatic Structure and Freytag's Triangle
Is your dramatic structure intact? Study Freytag's Triangle to see if it is.
The Best Writers Break the Rules
By Erik Wecks
Young writers shouldn't be afraid to challenge the conventions of storytelling if they have a plot-driven reason for doing so.
Storyville: Ten Ways to Avoid Cliches and Stereotypes
Ten tips to avoid clichés and stereotypes in your fiction.
On Writer's Constipation, The Sophomore Slump and Zombies
By Dana Fredsti
Author Dana Fredsti talks about the trials and tribulations of writing the sequel to her hit book, 'Plague Town,' and all the anxiety and lessons that came with it.
Storyville: Dissecting "Fireflies"
In:
Analysis, Character, Dissection, Plot, POV, Research, Setting, Short Stories, Storyville, Structure
Dissecting my story, "Fireflies," I shine a light on my first attempt at magical realism — craft, process, and structure.
Flash Fiction: The Zorro Circle of Storytelling
By Robbie Blair
Flash fiction can help writers answer vital questions: How can you identify which words to cut? How can you use subtlety to increase the power of your prose? And what's at the heart of a story?
The Art of the Content Edit: 10 Ways To Make Sure You're Doing It Right
By Rob Hart
The proofreading phase is when a book gets pretty--but the content edit is when you really bring the story home. Here's how to do it right.
Storyville: Narrative Hooks
In:
Character, Craft, Dialogue, Literary Devices, Narrative Hooks, Plot, POV, Setting, Storyville, Structure
Writing a great narrative hook isn't easy, but it's one way to grab your audience and never let them go.
Storyville: The Horror of Editing and Revision
In:
editing, fiction writing, Grammar, Plot, Revision, Rewriting, Storyville, Structure, Vocabulary, Workshop
It's been said that the difference between a good writer and a great writer is editing. So let's hop to it.
