Listening to Music While Writing

I have a Spotify playlist called “In Case of Emergency, Hit Play.” These aren’t Christian songs for when my heart is in anguish. That’s a different playlist. No, this kind of emergency is strictly a writer’s problem. Whether it is writer’s block, or just a tight deadline I have to meet, this playlist has never … More Listening to Music While Writing

What is so Exciting About the Inciting Incident?

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?

Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling Part 4.

It’s the final installment! 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 … More Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling Part 4.

Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling Part 3.

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.

Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling Part 2.

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 … More Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling Part 2.

How Not to Write the Opening Scene of Your Fantasy Book

“The Village of Gorgenon, near Alphigaz, floated above the Hoovah as the Pinkletons swam by. As long ago as eleventy Kikes, had the Moopahs overtaken the Quillerton valley. And now, seventeen-five Kikes later, Cocoyaks were bubbling under the surface.” Before you google who wrote that awful opening line, I’ll confess: it was me. I made … More How Not to Write the Opening Scene of Your Fantasy Book

Don’t Give Children Nightmare Fuel

Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. 1st Peter 5:8 CSB I walked into the kitchen, and there, tied up and in a pot, just waiting to be boiled, was my family. Yoda from Star Wars stirred them with a stick. I ran back … More Don’t Give Children Nightmare Fuel

What Writers Can Learn from Dolly Parton

Okay, you may have been hesitant with my article What Writers Can Learn from Walt Disney. You may have seen the Peanuts comic strip in a new light with What Writers Can Learn from Charles Schulz. But Dolly Parton? Surely, Kyle, you’re taking this thing too far! But hey, a writing job is more than … More What Writers Can Learn from Dolly Parton

What Writers Can Learn from Charles Schulz

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

What Writers Can Learn from Walt Disney

Out of the 62 animated films from the Walt Disney Company, only 8 are original ideas, and 2 of those were propaganda films made during WWII to help strengthen our relationship with South America. Everything else was based on either a book, mythology, poems, folk tales, or a piece of classical music. So why do … More What Writers Can Learn from Walt Disney