This week, we delve into the power of setting and the intricate details that breathe life into your narrative.
Blog
Raise the Stakes
11/15/2023
The Crucial Role of Stakes in Storytelling
Writing is a captivating art form that enables authors to transport readers to different worlds, evoke emotions, and challenge perspectives. Among the myriad of techniques and tools at a writer's disposal, three fundamental elements stand out for their significance in crafting compelling narratives: Depth, Detail, and Deception.
If you have never worked in a restaurant, you may have heard it's like a ballet, or at least a noisy play. In the kitchen, the pans sizzle. In the dining room, the servers dance. I spent a decade of my life immersed in the vibrant ambiance of restaurants, an experience that left an indelible mark on my storytelling.
The Plot Point
07/13/2023
The man at the bank has a gun. The girl is about to tell the man of her dreams she loves him, the child is about to fall from a cliff. Aliens contact earth. The fundamental concept of plot boils down to the sequence of events within the story. It's not an account of what happened; it's a cause and...
Introduction: The Power of Stories
It All Starts with Character
05/10/2023
What does it mean to say it all starts with character?
What Do Stories Do?
04/10/2023
When my daughter was two years old, still grasping at the concept of creating her own stories, she still understood their power. I know this because she would sit on her bed at story time, hold the book in her lap unopened, and turn to myself and her mother saying, "scary story." She would annunciate the scary, elongating the...
Writing is Practice
03/10/2023
Your first draft is not your final draft.
Don’t Lose Childlike Wonder
02/08/2023
My three-year-old tells me stories about crocodiles. She loves them. Not as though she wants one as a pet, but she loves using them as villains.