Skip to content

Writing Academy Blog

Writing Tips & Links

Menu
  • Home
  • What is Writing Academy?
  • The Write Stuff Blog
  • Topics
    • Children’s Books
    • History
    • Marketing
    • Mysteries
    • Non-Fiction
    • Romance
    • Screenwriting
    • Self-Publishing
    • Traditional Publishing
    • Young Adult Books
  • Writing Tips
    • Beginnings & Endings
    • Characters
    • Dialogue
    • Scenes
    • Setting
    • Structure
    • Wordcraft
  • Classes
Menu

Author: Dani Alcorn

Why Write Screenplays?

Posted on April 29, 2020April 28, 2020 by Dani Alcorn

I was a novelist before I was a screenwriter. And, like most novelists, I firmly believed the book was always (well, okay, almost always) better. So why write screenplays? I found my answer when I had an idea I was convinced was going to be a novel. It had a great protagonist and an interesting…

Analysis: Moana (2016)

Posted on April 28, 2020November 20, 2020 by Dani Alcorn

Moana has been on my mind recently thanks to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s adorable video singing his rap to his one-year-old. Like most kid’s movies, Moana’s structure is impeccable. And, like most musicals, some of the nine story structure checkpoints even get their own song! Here’s how this movie breaks down: Act 1 Hook The…

Tips for Working/Writing from Home

Posted on April 28, 2020April 28, 2020 by Dani Alcorn

Right now, many people are in the unexpected situation of having to figure out how to effectively work from home. Those who don’t work (or can’t work from home in self-quarantine ) are also facing the prospect of figuring out how to live, pursue hobbies, and relax in the same space with minimal or no…

Analysis: The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

Posted on February 3, 2020November 20, 2020 by Dani Alcorn

Like many romance novels, this book has two protagonists. That means there are two complete sets of story structure checkpoints woven together. First, here’s a quick summary: Stella Lane is a smart woman. She loves numbers, statistics, and algorithms. She has very little dating or sexual experience because, frankly, she doesn’t find it that appealing….

Free (and Lower-Cost) Alternatives to Final Draft

Posted on June 24, 2019June 24, 2019 by Dani Alcorn

Formatting a screenplay is A LOT of work. Theoretically, I suppose you could do it in a word processor, but it would take ten times as long and drive you crazy. That means screenwriters rely on software to do the heavy lifting so we can focus our energy on the important parts (you know, character…

Advanced Twitter

Posted on February 19, 2019February 19, 2019 by Dani Alcorn

Since my last post about Twitter I’ve learned A LOT! Hashtags Hashtags make the Twitter-world go round. A hashtag is something that “tags” a post. It’s preceded by the pound symbol (#) and cannot include any spaces. You can search for hashtags on Twitter and also use them to help people find you. I’ve added…

Thinking Like an Entrepreneur

Posted on January 31, 2019February 1, 2019 by Dani Alcorn

You need an email list of potential customers to market your book(s) to. Surprised? You probably assumed email lists were just for businesses. But you are a business now! (PS That’s true even if you’re planning to go the traditional publishing route – agents and publishers will be very interested in you if you already…

3D rendered image of twitter icon

Setting Up Twitter

Posted on January 24, 2019 by Dani Alcorn

Today I focused on laying the groundwork to attract and connect with my audience for Structure Your Screenplay.​ Even though I’m a millennial I’ve just never warmed up to Twitter. I had an account I created years ago at my first job to retweet a handful of articles my boss asked me to… to all four…

Dani Alcorn headshot, white woman, 20s, short asymmetrical red hair

Getting Book Blurbs

Posted on January 24, 2019January 25, 2019 by Dani Alcorn

Getting your book blurbed by the right person can have a huge impact on the success of your book launch.​ The right blurb can increase your sales and go a long way toward legitimizing a self-published book.  But, first, what is a book blurb? A book blurb is a short quote (usually just one or…

Categories

  • Classes (7)
  • The Write Stuff Blog (6)
  • Topics (56)
    • Children's Books (18)
    • Critiques (1)
    • History (4)
    • Marketing (20)
    • Mysteries (4)
    • Non-Fiction (5)
    • Publishing (18)
      • Audiobooks (1)
      • Indie (1)
      • Self-Publishing (11)
      • Traditional Publishing (10)
    • Romance (3)
    • Screenwriting (5)
    • Young Adult Books (9)
  • Writing Tips (56)
    • Beginnings & Endings (3)
    • Characters (9)
    • Dialogue (3)
    • Editing (1)
    • Grammar (3)
    • Keys to Success (2)
    • Scenes (3)
    • Setting (4)
    • Structure (12)
    • Wordcraft (10)

Recent Posts

  • Hook Kids’ Attention With Your Writing
  • Hook Your Readers With Tension
  • 9 Tips for Writing Stories
  • Three Act Structure Chart
  • Intensive Research Is Important for Children”s Nonfiction
  • Why Write Screenplays?
  • Analysis: Moana (2016)
  • Tips for Working/Writing from Home
  • Analysis: The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
  • Free (and Lower-Cost) Alternatives to Final Draft

Archives

©2021 Writing Academy Blog | Built using WordPress and Responsive Blogily theme by Superb