(This question was submitted as a comment following my article on credibility. I answer it here because I think the issues of how, when and whether you add fantasy to… read more →
Q: I’ve read your article on the 5 Key Turning Points of All Successful Stories, and watched your lecture on 6-stage plot structure that’s part of The Hero’s Two Journeys. But… read more →
Arguably the most important portion of your story is the opening. This is where you must seduce your readers and audiences as you draw them into the world you’ve created.… read more →
Q: What are the elements needed in a coming of age story? What kind of transformation are we looking for in the hero/main character? A: Almost without exception, coming of… read more →
Q: When I first introduce a character into a story, must I always give his or her last name? Is the first name enough? Must I name the character at… read more →
(Two questions arrived in the last few weeks that have very similar answers…) Q: What do you think about remaking old movies from the 60’s and 70’s and giving them… read more →
In my previous article, “Story Reality vs Real Reality,” I talked about how every story is on some level a fantasy, and what constitutes fictional “reality.” Now I want to… read more →
Q: I’m writing a medieval love story full of intrigue, and the people I’m writing about actually did exist in the 15th century. But the story I am writing about… read more →
In real world conversations, we almost never declare whom it is we’re talking to. So unless a character in your story is searching for someone, shouting at someone, calling on… read more →
I once consulted with a screenwriter who complained when I told him his screenplay lacked credibility. “Movies aren’t ever real,” he argued. “Is it believable that zombies could take over the… read more →
