Every writer needs inspiration. I’m known for getting mine as a voyeur at my Panera office. However it is you get inspired, there are tools that can help you organize your ideas and keep them at your fingertips for easy reference. 1. Inspiration Software: Inspiration makes it easy to create webs, idea maps, mind maps, concept [...]
For those who’ve followed my writing on Balls of Steel, you know how I love crawling into my characters’ heads. This week, I want to share with you a FREE download to help you find plot points that fit with your characters’ story arcs! Get your FREE Structure Grid of Character Development and Plot as [...]
There’s no question, writing is rewriting. Quitting too early is the death of a script’s potential sale. Here are some tools I use to help me get my scripts to a polish as close to perfect as my imperfect self can accomplish: 1. Rewrite by Paul Chitlik If you’re writing a spec, you don’t want [...]
To celebrate the launch of Jen Grisanti’s new column Story Structure, I’m sharing my top picks for screenwriting structure and writing style products at The Writers Store: 1. The Screenwriter’s Bible by Dave Trottier – Dave’s book was one of my very first screenwriting resources, and is still one I turn to when I have [...]
Story structure constantly evolves and grows as the stories being told do the same. The traditional approach, “who wants what and what is getting in the way?” is still there; however, it has evolved and expanded to include so much more. I am going to describe two tools that are examples of how it has [...]
I love hunting for treasure. In fact, I grew up with a mom who was a thrift store junkie. Once, she even bought a van full of dungarees for $100. Again, you see why my therapy file is so big… To honor my family tradition of treasure hunting, each week I’ll share with you my [...]
Whether you’re a feature or TV writer, actor, or novelist, The Emotion Thesaurus is an indispensable tool for your arsenal. Find out why, in this week’s insightful interview with co-author Angela Ackerman! Click image to play video; more details are below. Angela Ackerman lives in Calgary, Alberta with her husband and two teen boys. A [...]
When I decided to become a full-time writer, my mind was boggled at all the resources available online. With thousands upon thousands of sites, books and podcasts, who could I trust? After all, my career was on the line. One wrong move, and it could cost me months (or years!) of writing time. We asked [...]
How close am I? How many more drafts? Am I there yet? These are the burning questions I’m asked all the time. And I get it. Most writers are anxious to be finished. They want to get their material out there so they can line up an agent and land that seven figure spec sale. [...]
