In about a week, I’m heading the Puerto Rico for a Superdraft retreat. Delta? Yeah, it’s a concern…except that the awesome citizens of Puerto Rico are more vaccinated than all but 4 of our states. They’re doing better than we are! I’m bringing 4 other writers with me, and in Read more…
So I read a lot of projects-to-be. These are scripts, outlines, treatments, etc, etc, etc. These are sometimes based on pre-existing stories, sometimes not. Sometimes these are written by pros, sometimes not. But if I had to say what the #1 failing of these documents is, over my career? Meanness. Read more…
What do these famous movie lines have in common? Titanic: I’m king of the world Dazed and Confused: Alright, alright, alright The Shining: Here’s Johnny! Jaws: You’re gonna need a bigger boat Warriors: Warriors, come out and play! A Few Good Men: You can’t handle the truth! Goodfellas: I’m funny Read more…
True stories. Truth really is stranger than fiction. A great true story is often the best story of all, but also the hardest to craft. Craft? Yeah, craft. True stories, life stories, autobiographical stories need MORE crafting than fiction. Why? Because it is an extremely rare thing for a person Read more…
Deep Story thought of the day. What’s the hardest part of a story? Most writers would say the middle. The second act. We even have a phrase for it: The Trough Of Hell. But is that true? Sure, the beginning of the story, the first act, is pretty easy. It’s Read more…
There’s a screenwriting book called “Save The Cat.” It’s called that because the author, a screenwriter, talks about how every script should have a “save the cat” moment, where the audience learns that their protagonist is a good guy or gal. Now that’s not bad advice, but it is a Read more…
“A leopard can’t change its spots.” It’s a surprisingly prevalent attitude. That people don’t change. Maybe that’s why one of the most powerful story structures is the character change arc. Not every story has one. Not even close. But those that do have a tendency to pop up on the Read more…
Deep Story thought of the day. Surprise. Surprise in some form is intrinsic in story. “I went to the grocery store and I bought a gallon of milk.” That ain’t a story. That’s a flat line. When that line bends, the story begins. “I went to the grocery store, and Read more…
Deep Story thought of the day. Every story has a focus. No matter how short or how long. I think of a story focus kind of like a story’s flavor. And I describe stories as though I were describing wines. This wine is heavily tannic. This one is fruit-forward. Stories Read more…
Today’s Deep Story moment. Why story? Why does it matter so damn much? Sure, there are many studies showing that storytelling skyrockets engagement, facilitates learning in nearly every kind of learner, and generally is the key to deep communication and persuasion. But still, why? Okay, so bear with me for Read more…