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Imagine you're writing a story. It could be a short story; it could be a novel; it could be a short script that may become a feature length script. But in the process of bringing this story to life, a new scene needs to be added. The beauty of utilizing story structure is that we, as writers, can know when a scene is needed. Do we need to amp up the emotional beats? Reveal character? Push the story forward in a manner that both amps up the emotional beats and reveals characte

Some may say I have writer's block. Lately, I don't feel as inspired as I usually do. I spend more time reading than doing any other writing related activity. I attempt an outline and find myself intrigued by multiple directions a story could take. Perhaps she discovers her husband is having an affair. Perhaps she discovers her husband is having an affair with a python hunter. Perhaps her husband's python hunting paramour is actually someone trying to get close to the main ch

This week, I've been considering the origins of ideas. Where do story ideas come from? Do they emerge organically while buttering toast or doing some other rote action? Or do they require effort? A mining of earth, perhaps. Every writer is different. I know, I know. If I were some guru that knew how to do marketing very well and could easily wield hashtags and capcut in the same way that I approach metaphors and poetic forms, perhaps I'd be in a shifted position. Not theorizi

In this world, the more we do, the more we work, the more money we siphon into our bank account, the more accomplished we can feel. Writing for three hours straight. Working the day job, then writing. Waking up early, before the sunrise, just to write, then putting in a whole day of childcare or desk work or whatever work you need to get done--the more we do, the more we succeed. At least, that's the definition of success in this country. But I would posit that there are some

If you're a writer, you must be on a glorious mind vacation if you've never heard of AI. AI is everywhere. If it's not in the oddly specific, too-perfect, ranging into the uncanny valley advertisements, then it's in the all-hands office meetings in which stakeholders discuss a company's trajectory. It's in cautionary tales of employment seeking, jobs that seem too good to be true and, when the recruiter asks a candidate to complete an AI screening interview, one realizes it i

Imagine your favorite story (mine is a forever toss up between Jurassic Park-- book or movie-- Silence of the Lambs, The Empire Strikes Back, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, or The Catcher in the Rye ). To be honest, I could keep going, but I digress. Take one of your favorite stories, we'll use The Empire Strikes Back for this example. Looking at the story, it is firmly told from Luke Skywalker's point of view. Sure, there are moments where we drift into Princess Leia

There will be days when no words emerge. Writing is a walk, a pilgrimage through the crevices of existence (and learning where your own soul dovetails with them). The walk lasts your entire life, if you choose to accept the journey. So, therein lies that truth: there will be days when no words emerge. When all you have left to show at the end of the day is a blank page. This truth is one that holds nuance. If you battle against that truth, it can be frustrating. If you person

I'm currently reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. That sentence alone should give you insight into my emotional state. I've empathized and connected with the panoply of characters that inhabit this tome. This engaging, dynamic, completely enthralling piece of classic American literature. To be clear: I'm not a fan of Westerns. Even during my decade working in film production, the Western genre was a blind spot in my filmic encyclopedia. I could name the greats, but not t

When starting a new idea, the initial seed of a thought can come from anywhere. It could emerge from an intriguing article. It could be spurred by an odd turn of phrase. It could even appear in the middle of the night from a dream. So after we receive this rush of inspirational energy, what do we do with it? How can we know that we are on the right track in developing an idea? There are some telltale signs. First, it feels good to write it. The words flow with ease, you barel