[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] I never desire to converse with a man who has written more than he has read. -Samuel Johnson. [/perfectpullquote]
WRITING
How to start a story in first person: 8 pointers | NOW NOVEL
How to start a story in first person: 8 pointers | There is no single ‘right’ approach to how to start a story in first person. That being said, there are s
everal ways to start a story using first person point of view and hook readers from the start. Here are 8 pointers for beginning a book in first person.
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- How to harness the dark side of your impact character | HELPING WRITERS BECOME AUTHORS
How to harness the dark side of your impact characterIf y
ou’re wanting to write an awesome character arc for your protagonist, the “impact character” is going to be a central catalyst in making that happen.
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- How to create legendary villains | KRISTEN LAMB’S BLOG
How to create legendary villains | I
t isn’t until you get a few episodes in that the writers start peeling back the layers and exposing the delicate undersides of the villains…and that’s when you really begin to care for them.
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- Emotional Wounds Entry: Growing up in a cult | WRITERS HELPING WRITERS
Emotional Wounds Entry: Growing up in a cult | 
When you’re writing a character, it’s important to know why she is the way she is. Knowing her backstory is important to achieving this end, and one of the most impactful pieces of a character’s backstory is her emotional wound.
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- How to write spoken word | THE WRITE PRACTICE
You m
ean you weren’t born with an innate ability to write poetry, combine it with performing arts techniques, and rhythmically deliver a piece with clever intonation?
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Take the mic: The Art of Performance Poetry, Slam, and the Spoken Word.
- The portrait of the antagonist as a human being | WRITERS WRITE
La
st week we discussed the protagonist. The protagonist has a story goal to pursue. The character who opposes that goal is the Antagonist. I have said it a million times, but I’m going to say it again: The antagonist does not have to be evil.
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- Creating characters by working backward | GO TEEN WRITERS
Ed
Catmull is one of the founders of Pixar, and I thought his book, Creativity, Inc. about the history and inner workings of Pixar was fascinating. When I heard this insight about animation (I was listening to the audio book), I immediately thought of how that was true for written characters as well. That when a book comes alive for us as readers, it’s when all the characters seem to be thinking beings rather than just words on a page.
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Plot versus Character
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- Outlining your novel
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- The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide To Character Expression
SCREENWRITING
- Rewriting your script | GO INTO THE STORY
Let’s face it: Rewriting is a bitch. Or a bastard. Pick your gender specific invective. Doesn’t matter. The process is a pain no matter how you shake your fist and swear at it.
- 3 Stories that should never be told | LA SCREENWRITER
Everyone has a story. In the business of storytelling, we often spend a great deal of time teasing out stories from people’s lives, historical moments, and universally relatable situations. But, have you ever given any thought to what stories should never be told? Are there any stories that are just off limits?
- What do I do if I’m less interested in my protagonist than other characters? | GO INTO THE STORY
It’s kind of ironic that in many movies, the Protagonist is not necessarily the most interesting character. Per your references, Lecter is more interesting to most folks I would guess than Clarice in The Silence of the Lambs.
- Yippee-ki-say-what? Movie Expectations| SCRIPT MAG
I discovered a sixth installment of the Die Hard series was in development by both reading about it in various news blurbs and the plethora of communication I invariably received from friends and fans with ardent hopes I’d find it either interesting or they’d hear back from me that I was somehow involved.
How to introduce characters | JOHN AUGUST
.John talks with Rachel Bloom and Aline Brosh McKenna, co-creators of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, about how they pitched and wrote their critically-acclaimed show.
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SELF-PUBLISHING
- How to use guest blogging to promote your book | JANE FRIEDMAN
When you create a guest post, you write an article specifically for a site that is not your own. Over the past few years, guest blogging has become a powerful (and free) tool in many authors’ book promotion toolboxes.
- KDP Select exclusivity works–but only for a while | JUST PUBLISHING ADVICE
Enrolling your ebooks in Kindle KDP Select and granting Amazon exclusivity definitely increases sales.
Everything you need to know about book cover design in one graphic | CREATIVINDIE
I talk SO MUCH about book cover design, but I thought it would be easier to just see all the important stuff in one simple book cover design checklist.
CreateSpace title information and the new Amazon Success Toolkit | THE BOOK DESIGNER
Trying to figure out the best way to use the services Amazon offers for ebook and print bookpublishers can be daunting.
Building your professional author website: WordPress vs Squarespace | JANE FRIEDMAN
So, with all the author websites out there, what will make your site stand out?
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- Self Publishing: My rules to staying alive and making money
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