Character, Argument and Story Structure
Craig Mazin argues that main characters shape a satisfying plot by testing a central dramatic argument, not by following a rote story structure.
Write This Now
The Take Away: Cathy Yardley’s Writin...
To kick off our new strand, The Take Away, let’s take a look at an excellent piece over on Writer Unboxed in which Cathy Yardley describes her writing proces...
Site News: The Take Away
The Take Away is a new blog strand that builds on the Essential Craft Books series, but widens it to take in podcasts, articles, tweets, in fact anything t...
Essential Books: Story Maps: TV Drama
If you’re planning a TV pilot episode then this book, Story Maps: TV Drama. The Structure of the One-Hour Television Pilot by Danial P. Calvisi packs a far g...
Essential Books: The Last Draft
How do you get from a sloppy first (or second or third) draft to something approaching a publishable manuscript?
After the Draft #1 – Make a Master Map
After your first draft, let your manuscript breathe for a week or so then properly assess your work. You need to know where you truly are to determine where ...
Image of the Week #2
This might make a good prompt for the journey and for the people in the boat – their relationships, their stories. In truth, on a day of chill and rainy murk...
Image of the Week #1
When this image came up in my morning free write, the sudden chill that shivered through me had nothing to do with the miserable November weather. What’s goi...
This week in writing prompts – life i...
That moment when you realise you are utterly alone. You reach to hold a hand that isn’t there, and cast about then and see only strangers. WTN #pr...
This week in writing prompts – your o...
If, like me, you’re wrapping up a major project, you may be casting around for some new ideas. Even when I’m deeply embedded in something, though, I often ...
Write This Now! – Questions to Ask Ab...
These questions are designed to help you define the essence of a scene you are writing or rewriting. They ask you to consider the function and structure of ...