Just like life, some stories are difficult to understand. Whether you are reading a novel or watching a play or film, there are times when you have to apply certain methods to better understand what you are reading or watching. Gustav Freytag, a German novelist and critic of the nineteenth century, observed the similarity of…
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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….
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…
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…
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…
This article, from Laura Backes, originally appeared in the February 2010 issue of the Children’s Book Insider newsletter and is reprinted here in its entirety with the CBI’s permission. While the CBI newsletter is primarily aimed at authors of children’s books, the advice given here is applicable to any work of fiction. If you’re writing a…
A SIMILE is a figure of speech where X is compared to Y , using the words AS or LIKE . For example: “My love’s LIKE a red, red rose.” “He was AS cold AS ice.” A METAPHOR is a figure of speech where X is compared to Y, and where X is said TO…
In the plotting and storyline process of writing, often times the term, ‘Scene and Sequel’ is brought into play. This is a very important aspect of the writing process, as the entire structure of your story rests on the way you compose each of these elements in your work. The scene and the sequel are…
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