I’ve got about a dozen unfinished stories. When I look back to see why I gave up on the story (sometimes mid-sentence), I discovered most of them died out around chapter three. I was shocked. What was so hard about chapter three? Why would I give up so easily? As I read through the first … More What is so Exciting About the Inciting Incident?
Recently, I was asked if I wanted to pitch a plot summary to a publisher for a potential fiction story for hi/lo readers. I had already written a short nonfiction book for them, but I wanted the chance to work on a fiction book, so I said I would be interested. The problem? I only … More No Time to Waste
If you have ever researched rules in storytelling, you may have come across the famous Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling. This came from a 2011 tweet from a Pixar employee who realized there were 22 written (and unwritten) rules they implemented on every story. While Industrial Scripts does a pretty good job of explaining the rules, I … More Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling Part 3.
Let’s face it. We live in a society where we spend a lot of time waiting. Whether you are at the dentist or doctor, visiting the department of motor vehicles, or getting new tires on the car, we often find ourselves sitting around waiting to be called or waiting for something to get done. Here … More Looking at the Benefits of Waiting
As a “Mimi†with two grandchildren, I am always on the lookout for fun and creative projects for us to enjoy together. When Rowan and Eden come for a visit, one of the first questions they ask is, “What project can we do today?†Recently, we worked on creating books and the outcome was wonderful. … More Creating Books and Learning with Children by Melissa Henderson
I’m sure you have seen one or two old movies or TV shows where someone takes a blank piece of paper, feeds it into the roller of an old fashioned manual typewriter, and begins to peck out a story with gusto (His Girl Friday and Murder, She Wrote immediately come to mind). Even though most … More It’s Not Just a Blank Piece of Paper
We’ve had some unusual weather here in Southern California. We’ve had days of rain. And not just rain, continuous rain. That was what was the most unusual. I had some writing deadlines, but being cooped up at home wasn’t helping me whatsoever. I needed a different environment where I had no distractions and where I … More Change of Scenery
Although I have been published for over twenty years now, my background is actually in film. I have a bachelor’s degree in Cinema, where my emphasis was cinematography. Of course, God had other plans for my life than that of a budding filmmaker. Nevertheless, I learned many valuable lessons from my film school days that … More Set the Scene
Creativity is a journey of discovery … More Creativity Is a Journey of Discovery
By now, you’ve probably seen Linus tell Charlie Brown what Christmas is all about, seen Snoopy reunite with his brother Spike, and felt empathy for poor Rerun who is probably still stuck on that bike. For many, it’s tradition to watch the Charlie Brown Christmas Specials every year. And for many, it is the only … More What Writers Can Learn from Charles Schulz