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"Writing How-To"
My first Write-O-Rama workshop was “Pare It Down” with Anne Leigh Parrish. A workshop to get us to write simply and therefore strongly. Think Hemingway. Not one of my favorites. Not as pathetically macho as Mailer, but too focused so-called “masculine” values for me.
The idea was to choose strong words; words of one syllable. [...]
Continue Reading →These are some more tips from romantic travel writer Janice MacDonald’s on First Chapters.
Don’t sweat it initially, it will change. When you’re ready to return to it, consider the following: start as close to the end without leaving out important information open with action quickly establish: who, what, where, when and why [...]
Continue Reading →The essential elements of a marketable novel author Janice MacDonald teaches in her writing course are:
Hook Sense of place Interesting characters Compelling dialogue (she’s English) Strong storyline (one with a logical pattern) Appropriate pacing Distinctive voice Particular point of view Slowly revealed secret or answer (the presentation of information)
Ms. MacDonald refers to these [...]
Continue Reading →John Truby’s screenwriting courses and software are a staple of screenwriting classes worldwide. His book,The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller
, presents his “Twenty-Two Building Blocks” plot structure is a classic. I purchased one of his first video writing courses mumblety-mumblety years ago when I was writing [...]
While taking a workshop with author Janice MacDonald on developing a traditional fiction story plot (the kind with a beginning, middle and end), I decided to modify one of the templates that came with my Pages program into a set of worksheets. These worksheets can help you outline your fiction plot and [...]
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I’ve seen dozens of variations on fiction writing plot development arcs through the years (and I’ll be posting at least 3). I read fiction writing books and went to classes and workshops to avoid facing the muddle that was my middle, but somehow Janice MacDonald’s version clicked. I then joined NaNoWriMo [...]
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