Writing Better Dialogue Better dialogue can elevate any piece. And it can even help to salvage a bad or otherwise forgettable piece of writing. Consider, for example, the works of Aaron Sorkin or Robert Altman. While these are examples from television and film, they should give an idea. Sorkin is known for excellent dialogue, from […]
Getting story ideas Getting story ideas can sometimes be difficult. Where do your story ideas come from? Harlan Ellison often quips, “Schenectady.” I wanted to use this image for a blog post about getting story ideas because it is perhaps the oddest thing. Because I really did see this dirty plate in the sink a […]
Exposition Exposition works. First of all, exposition basically means a literary device intended to describe a character’s background, or “our story so far”. It can be done elegantly, with flashbacks or dialogue or even a character finding something or other. It can be clunky, like when characters say, “As you know, …” and then proceed […]
Getting inspiration from instances of sexism Sexism remains an unpleasant reality in our world. Since sexism is still with us today, you might see it, or even experience it yourself. However, even an unpleasant experience can inspire fiction writing. Because sometimes, you just want to write a villain. And maybe your villain can eventually see […]
Getting inspiration from injuries and medical care Medical care matters in our lives, so it should matter in fiction, too. Injuries and medical care Medical care might not seem like an inspiring subject. However, doctors naturally witness drama on most days. And some of the most compelling stories can be about that, such as Coma. […]
Writing Better Accents Accents can be tough to write. However, not to worry. Because New York Times bestselling author Dayton Ward has some wonderful advice amidst the humor. Distinguishing Each Accent So, can you tell the difference between someone from the Bronx and someone from Brooklyn? And what about Chicago versus Detroit? Or Swedish versus Norwegian? […]
Getting inspiration from TV shows TV shows can be a great source of inspiration. And they can go beyond TV Tropes and even into something (almost, let’s not kid ourselves, folks) profound. So, what do I mean? TV Shows For the most part, we see three kinds of television programs: Comedy Drama Nonfiction And then […]
Getting inspiration from names Names While names have meanings, you can even get inspiration simply from how they sound. What’s Gertrude like? How about Lakeisha? Or maybe Stefan or Juan? Popularity The popularity of what people call their children changes over time. This can depend upon movie stars, politicians, or even religious figures. When I […]
Speculating about the future Speculating is fun. However, future predictions can be notoriously inaccurate. I’m still waiting for my flying car, for example. However, some predictions have been eerily on the nose, such as cell phones, which are a lot like Star Trek’s communicators. So here’s a few idea on how to essentially build your […]
Getting inspiration from life events Life events Life events can be extremely inspiring for writers. They can range from baby showers to quinceañeras. Or they might be religious commitment ceremonies like confirmations. Weddings and Marriages are a special case I’ll cover weddings and marriages at a later date. They generally entail much greater pageantry. Intimacy versus Spectacle […]