[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] Don’t go bigger. Go deeper. -Joss Whedon.[/perfectpullquote]
WRITING
7 Reasons you need story theory | HELPING WRITERS BECOME AUTHORS
7 Reasons you need story theory | Jus
t as in fiction itself, the writer’s life is marked by several major turning points–perhaps the most important of which is discovering story theory.
Related content:
- Descriptive verbs: 7 tips for avoiding weak adverbs| NOW NOVEL
Descriptive verbs: 7 tips for avoiding weak adverbs‘Don’t use adverbs. Only ever use descriptive verbs.’ This is a writing ‘rule’ often repeated, partly thanks to Stephen King’s strong views on the subject. It’s true that beginning authors often use adverbs to cover 
up bland dialogue or action.
Related content:
The blue book of grammar and punctuation
- Tips for creating voice in your writing | WRITER’S DIGEST
Tips for creating voice in your writing | Ask any agent or editor what they look for in a manuscript and inevitably they’ll say they’re looking for voice. A strong vo
ice. A unique voice. An original voice. A realistic voice. But how do you ensure you and your main character possess this? That’s the billion-dollar question, isn’t it?
Related content:
- How to use question marks with quotation marks | THE WRITE PRACTICE
How to use question marks with quotation marks |W
e’ve covered when to use quotation marks. But when you throw question marks and exclamation points into the mix, things can get a little tricky. Let’s demystify this quotation mark conundrum, shall we?
Related content:
The only grammar book you’ll ever need
- Where does your story actually begin? | ROMANCE UNIVERSITY
Wh
ere does your story actually begin? “Once upon a time” is a nice intro but maybe even fairy tales include too much backstory.
Related content:
Beginnings, Middles & Ends
+ Related books:
- How to write dazzling dialogue
- Writing success: Your book from start to finish to publication
- Outlining your novel
- Writing deep point of view
- The art of memoir
- Reading like a Writer
- Rock your revisions
- The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide To Character Expression
SCREENWRITING
- Actors and actresses who are gone but should come back | KEN LEVINE
There are some actors you never see anymore. (And in some cases that’s fine. Not having a Mike Myers movie every year has not left a huge void.) But there are those actors that I miss.
- Selling your screenplay: Screenwriter Rick Ramage on breaking into Hollywood | SCRIPT MAG
In this week’s episode Rick Ramage talks about how he broke into the business and built a successful screenwriting career. We also talk about his new screenwriting course, The Screenplay Show.
- Alternate Routes: Crowdfunding as networking | LA SCREENWRITER
If you’ve turned on a computer or mobile device in the last five years, you’re familiar with crowdfunding, where creators use the Internet and social media to find audiences and financial patrons for their creative projects.
- 6 Films that explore racism and the experiences of police in America | LA SCREENWRITER
Some issues are tough to narrow down to a sound bite, despite our media’s best efforts. There are matters that shouldn’t be watered down. They deserve a story. The power of story allows us to communicate with each other in ways that defy the articulation of human language.
- Is it okay to take more time than normal to set up the story in Act One? | GO INTO THE STORY
Is it okay to take more time than normal to set up the story in Act One? | First off, despite all the screenplay structure paradigms, theories, methodologies, and approaches floating around, there are no hard-and-fast rules about this stuff.
Related books:
- Super Structure: The key to unleashing the power of story
- Screenplay: The foundations of screenwriting
- Essentials of screenwriting
- Screenwriting: The sequence approach
- 33 Ways to sell your screenplay
- The eight characters of comedy
SELF-PUBLISHING
- 5 Steps to a killer book talk | JANE FRIEDMAN
Every debut author dreams of the moment when she stands up in front of a crowd of admiring fans and talks brilliantly about her new book.
Think long term. Create a body of work | THE CREATIVE PENN
Logically, we know that overnight success is a myth.
8 Ways to use your superpower to market your self-published book | CS LAKIN
As great an accomplishment as this is, publication is not the end of your book’s journey. Marketing your book is the next key to its success.
Become an amazon bestselling author, write 9 books in one year and take control of your writing destiny | JENNIFER BLANCHARD
This is a BIG deal. Not only because I’m a self-published author, but also because authorship is what I’ve spent the last 8+ years of my life writing about. Since the first day I started my blog back in 2008, I’ve been writing about how to be a productive writer.
Book promotion: Do this, not that | THE BOOK DESIGNER
What about you? Have you rushed in when you should have researched? What have you learned from trying to promote your own books?
Related books:
- Self Publishing: My rules to staying alive and making money
- How I sold 80,000 books
- Write. Publish. Repeat: The no-luck-required guide to self-publishing success
- Createspace & Kindle Self Publishing Masterclass
- The Self-Publishing Road Map