We are a pattern that changes slowly but has stability and continuity, even though the stuff constituting the pattern changes quickly.
~RAY KURZWELL, author of How to Create a Mind: The Secret of Human Thought Revealed
WRITING & SCREENWRITING
An issue we hear a lot about these days is that of strong female characters. A lot of people argue that strong female characters are under-represented in modern books and movies.
→Strong Female Characters (Busy Writer’s Guides Book 1)
- How to write a story 101: Conflict, The Write Practice | Tweet
You desperately want to write a story. You carry a pad of paper with you in case you get an idea. You can’t decide if your main character should have short hair or long hair. But for now, put aside what your character looks like and think about what they want.
→Elements of Fiction Writing – Conflict and Suspense
- Deep POV. Part One. What is it? How do we do it?, Kristen Lamb’s Blog | Tweet
Writing is like anything else. The trends and fashions change along with the audience. For instance, Moby Dickspends an excruciatingly long time talking about whales, namely because the audience of the time probably had never seen one and never would. If we did this today? Sure, feel free to walk around in a literary gold-plated cod piece, but er…
→Dive Deep: Exploring the Depths of POV
- Is it worth submitting a first draft into competition?, Go into the story | Tweet
Short answer: No. Unless God Him/Her/Itself has reached down from on high and anointed your first draft words with final draft quality.
→The 90-Day Screenplay: from concept to polish
- Be your script’s God–5 Keys to building your world, Script mag | Tweet
As you start creating, outlining and writing your first pages, I want to share some tips that will help you create a visual, compelling and cinematic world that could help make your script even more heavenly.
→Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting
SELF-PUBLISHING
Facebook advertising is a marketing technique that is rising in popularity among many independent authors. As any other technique, it takes time, testing and iteration to produce results. And as for any other technique, it works better in certain genres and for certain books than others.
→Facebook for Authors: Avoid Deadends and Market Effectively
- How to find the right critique group or partner for you, Jane Friedman | Tweet
Finding a writing group or partner is a lot like dating. There’s an element of searching and an element of matching. You’re looking for people you can share a piece of your creative self with, for people you want to spend time on, for people who can help you become a stronger writer—a tribe or community. So a good fit is important.
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CREATIVITY
- Where good ideas (really) come from, Creative Something | Tweet
Invention–the mere concept of invention–is a peculiar thing. Because it’s not true that until Einstein showed that E=mc2 or until Edison figured out the best filament to put into a lightbulb electricity, those truths hadn’t already existed.
→Ideas: A History of Thought and Invention, from Fire to Freud
HEALTH
- The painful science of hangovers, The Atlantic | Tweet
The cause of hangovers isn’t what you think—and other insights from a new group that researches a very old problem.
PHILOSOPHY
- The problem with patterns, Philosophy | Tweet
If you you seek knowledge that you already believe you possess, then that’s often the most you will ever find.
→How to Create a Mind: The Secret of Human Thought Revealed
LEADERSHIP
I’ve been coaching a young, freshly-minted executive who has been selected for a high-potential development program. Recently, we’ve been exploring what it truly means to be a leader.
→Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
SOCIAL MEDIA
- How to use videostorytelling in your social media marketing, Social Media Examiner | Tweet
Do you use video on your social channels? Looking for ways to connect with your audience? Telling stories with video increases engagement, triggers social sharing and gives people a reason to talk about you online and offline.
