In my review of Inside Story: The Power of the Transformational Arc by Dara Marks, we had a brief look at the importance of theme in the creation of stories. Once you’ve identified what your story is really about – or its thematic value – you can begin to build a structure around your characters… Continue reading Inside Story: Notes on the 3-Act Structure
Inside Story by Dara Marks is a book that can help you to write stories with real emotional depth and impact. It’s aimed at screenwriters but the advice can be applied to any story of any length. The transformational arc refers to how your characters change over the course of a story. But it’s not… Continue reading Review: Inside Story – The Power of the Transformational Arc
After my critical review of Becoming a Writer, the self-help book that isn’t very helpful, I wanted to share this short chapter. It’s the least annoying part of the book where Brande discusses the importance of taking a break from writing to renew your store of inspiration. Take it away, Dorothea… Authors are more given… Continue reading The Writer’s Recreation – Dorothea Brande
Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande is a classic in the field of self-help for writers. It was originally published in 1934 and has been much imitated since. It’s similar in intent to Writing Down the Bones and aims to get you writing by tapping into your inner genius. Sounds great, but is it worth… Continue reading Review: Becoming a Writer – Dorothea Brande
Ptahhotep was a vizier during the 5th Dynasty of ancient Egypt, who wrote a book of maxims to instruct young men in various areas of life. This is what he had to say about the noble profession of writing: “Be a scribe! Your body will be sleek, your hand will be soft. … You are… Continue reading Be a Scribe!
Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg is a collection of short reflections on writing designed to help you become a better writer. The advice and inspiration is rooted in the practice of Zen but you don’t need to know anything about Buddhism to benefit from it. There are many similarities… Continue reading Review: Writing Down the Bones – Natalie Goldberg
If you’re bored of making (and breaking) the same old New Year’s resolutions, this may be the solution. Just pick one from each column… I might quit using the term ‘derivative’ during Tom Hanks movies. Or try sobbing when complaining about anything. Post yours in the comments below… Related post: How to Make Your New… Continue reading New Year Resolution Generator
