Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “writing”
Over at Scott Myers’ blog, I read this quote from filmmaker and screenwriter Robin Swicord (pictured). She describes my writing practice when she says: “I think that all [good] dialogue comes out of the characters themselves. What happens… there’s a kind of mystical transference that happens when you’ve done this very deep thinking and feeling about your character. You begin …
… is my drag name. Seriously, I do like to write while listening to ambient noise, and there is research suggesting ambient noise cranks up creativity. For example, this study, which appeared in the University of Chicago Press, says so. But here’s the thing: 50 decibels or less isn’t enough to boost creativity. 85 decibels or more actually can reduce …
The things we want to be disciplined at are actually fairly simple in a lot of ways, writes Leo Babauta. We want to be consistent with the journaling habit, or meditation, or writing? Just start, as simply as possible. Do that again the next day. If you miss a day, no problem — just start again. Over and over. All …
Ever wish you had a personal coach or even a personal nag who would stand behind you and make you write when you don’t want to? Maybe I do, too. I’m sometimes good at self-motivating … and sometimes terrible. That’s why I’m glad I came upon the idea of a “commitment device.” A commitment device is different than a motivation …
One of the things I love about Tennessee Williams is how his plays use metaphor. His play titles are nearly all beautiful, evocative metaphors, and his plays are infused with rich symbols and metaphors. Many people think of metaphors simply as figures of speech. That is one form of a metaphor. Another form is to have one thing represent another. …
I really enjoy the blog “Go Into the Story” by Scott Myers. He has an entire series of posts applying Aristotle’s Poetics to screenwriting which is fascinating and insightful. Scott writes, Plot goes directly back to character. Each character, and in particular the protagonist, has a destiny. What they do derives from the probability of the choices they make. What …
Irony is powerful in creating a satisfying story. I came across this idea of the “ironic skill” of the hero and it’s a fantastic concept to play with. In the film “Get Out,” Chris (Daniel Kaluuya, pictured above) ends up two-thirds of the way into the movie strapped to a chair, outdone by a villain who has been way ahead …
I remember reading an interview with Sarah Ruhl a few years ago where she confided that she never uses subtext. Her characters are flatly honest. My characters, on the other hand, are devious manipulators who are never, ever honest until forced into a corner. As a result, they use subtext all the time. That is how they speak: in subtext. …
Tom Wells offers a simple model for planning one’s play. A character wants something, and sets out to get it; Things go well – the character manages to get a bit nearer to the thing they want; Things start to go badly – the character comes up against obstacles, but keeps going; Things go very wrong for the character – …
I was fascinated to read a Medium post by Alisa Wolf on the topic of group freewriting. She notes that freewriting in a group is “like going to a yoga class versus doing poses on your own at home.” It creates a structure that limits distractions and pushes you to do more than you might do on your own. I …