Tips by MaryAnn Kohl Your Book – the idea – Clearly define your idea Assemble, narrow, and sort material and research Find a system to begin File cards Dummy pages Tape recorder Suggestions from this group Research your unique idea (do not skip this step) Check other books for formats Talk to bookstore owners Talk…
Syd Field, author of Screenplay and The Screen Writer’s Workbook, has outlined a paradigm that most screenplays follow. A paradigm is a conceptual scheme. This paradigm is the structure that holds screenplays together. According to Field, screenplays follow a three-act structure, meaning the standard screenplay can be divided into three parts: Setup, Confrontation, and Resolution….
Hey gang, our new course just came out and it’s already really popular. I guess there was a pent up demand for this subject, as I’ve had many students request it, so we finally put it all together in a mega course that covers everything. As is our promise, we wanted to let existing students…
I’m pleased to announce the culmination of two year’s work with the publication of our fun, new children’s book, Molly Builds a Theme Park! It turned out to be a much bigger project than we expected, but I think it was worth it. When the circus packs up for the season, the animals quickly grow bored. But…
Great dialogue in a novel or screenplay is very different from ordinary conversation. In real conversations, people chatter endlessly and often boringly about nothing. But that’s not something you want to include in your novel! Dialogue in your novel is a form of conflict. As with all conflict, it serves one of two purposes. I…
One of the best ways to create believable fiction is to structure it around believable characters. But how do you get to know your characters well, and give them the depth of real people? One excellent way is to create a list of everything you know about each major character. I’ve created a form you…
Many literary and movie characters have become cultural icons—Atticus Finch, ‘Ratso’ Rizzo, Holden Caulfield and Scarlett O’Hara, for example. A great character name will help make your story clearer and more memorable. The name should also reveal something about your character: who they are, where they come from or where they are going. Here are several tips…
Are you writing a Young Adult novel? Have you finished a Young Adult novel, and are now looking for an agent to secure a book deal and get that manuscript on to shelves? Webook.com’s AgentInbox has agents that specialize in Young Adult/Juvenile fiction. Go here to see the full list of the agents on AgentInbox. Here are a few of…
by Elizabeth Rose Part one My favorite part of writing, believe it or not, is the dialogue. While many authors may feel this is a challenging aspect in their novel, I, instead look forward to the dialogue as I let my characters write the book themselves. Personally, I think dialogue can make or break a…
by Linda McGovern L. Frank Baum Chances are you have seen the 1939 MGM movie, The Wizard of Oz, at one point or another in your lifetime. But the chances maybe even greater that you do not associate it with L. Frank Baum, the author of the book on which the film was based. In fact, most…
Other people may be more like us than we imagine. (The Borrowers) Memories of friendship can last forever. (Bridge to Terabithia) Defending a country requires loyality and sacrifice. (Camp X) Every child is special to his or her family. (The Canada Geese Quilt) Imagination can be a powerful weapon. (Cougar) Jealousy can be destroying. (The Fairest) The power of knowledge. (From the…
In English, only two tenses are marked in the verb alone, present (as in “he sings”) and past (as in “he sang”). Other English language tenses are marked by words called auxiliaries. Simple Present: They walk Present Perfect: They have walked Simple Past: They walked Past Perfect: They had walked Future: They will walk Future Perfect: They will have walked The…