2022-10-24 13:14
BookWalker is a business that has been sending out lots of emails to authors, offering to help them market their books.
The price? A mere $2939.00.
If you are even considering spending that… Read More
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Time To Write Blog
timetowrite.blogs.com
Writing, writing tools, and writing techniques for how to write a novel, screenplay or non-fiction book, and how to sell what you write, self-publish, and build an author platform.
2022-10-05 22:47
It can be frustrating to keep on writing while waiting for your break. Sometimes we wonder whether we're just wasting our time. All those days, weeks, months, years with nothing happening.
O… Read More
2022-01-16 22:11
I’m sure you’ve heard that the way to tackle a big task is to turn it into small chunks. Good advice but I’ve found sometimes I do one or two of the small chunks, get distr… Read More
2021-10-31 06:45
You always hear about how important it is for your protagonist to have a goal. That's true, but equally important is the "why" behind their goal. You'll create a better-defined and more comp… Read More
2021-10-28 08:02
Halloween stories and horror movies are always about making people feel scared, but every kind of writing has the goal of making the reader or viewer feel something. Deciding what that is c… Read More
2021-10-26 07:19
It's a fact of the writing life that at some point you will hate your project and will feel like giving up on it.
It's important to know that this is natural--and not a reason to give up.
T… Read More
2021-08-05 04:01
I see a lot of motivational posters featuring somebody climbing a mountain.
That's great, but some days the mountain is too high.
Some days taking one step is all we can manage.
Some days ge… Read More
2021-08-03 04:37
The other day I ran across this quote from James Baldwin:
"You've got to tell the world how to treat you. If the world tells you how you are going to be treated, you are in trouble."
It rem… Read More
2021-08-01 10:37
It's very difficult to get networks or producers to look at an original TV series proposal unless you already have a track record in TV, but occasionally there are contests for new series p… Read More
2021-07-16 15:29
"Six Minutes to Midnight" is a thriller movie starring and co-written by Eddie Izzard that tells the story of a girls' school in the period leading up to World War II. It's a great example o… Read More
2021-07-08 17:12
Are screenwriters allowed to have a voice or style?
I say yes, and here's how to find yours:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOLHBFi6ExA
That's a link to a 13-minute video that guides… Read More
2021-06-27 16:41
"The cat sat on the mat is not a story. The cat sat on the Dog's mat is a story." - John LeCarre
Most stories have a central conflict. They have the cat and the dog fighting over the mat. Bu… Read More
2021-06-17 04:59
In a previous post, I wrote about how the Oberlo Business Name Generator can be useful for coming up with a fictional name or a business that appears in your screenplay or novel. The same to… Read More
2021-06-15 17:41
I've already posted about using the free Oberlo Business Name Generator to come up with the names of fictional businesses in your screenplay or novel, and for coming up with titles for a non… Read More
2021-06-15 16:59
If you ever need a made-up business name for your screenplay or novel (e.g., the company for whom your protagonist works), try using the Oberlo Business Name Generator (it's free). All you h… Read More
2021-04-09 23:33
There are a few writing contests that garner major attention for the winners (for example, from agents, publishers, or producers) but for most competitions, the reward is the ego boost of wi… Read More
2021-03-10 01:14
2021-02-21 00:08
I'll again be teaching my Script Coach Screenwriting Workshops, this time via Zoom, on five Monday evenings (18.30 to 21.00 London time), starting on March 1.
You can sign up for individual… Read More
2021-02-20 20:55
Publisher Lee Goldberg recently related how an aspiring novelist responded when Goldberg sent him a polite rejection of his manuscript. The author wrote:
"Keep printing the same redundant s*… Read More
2021-02-16 12:00
"You have about ten minutes to act on an idea before it recedes back into dreamland so when you're excited about an idea, start writing about it immediately." -- Buckminster Fuller
Th… Read More
2020-11-29 17:24
The pandemic has gotten in the way of many people's usual means of expressing their creativity. However, it has also prompted some of them to find alternatives.
FROM THEATRE TO SCREEN
The Sa… Read More
2020-11-16 04:36
It's easy to feel overcome with anxieties these days, and often that leads to writers block or just a lack of motivation.
Arianna Huffington has a method that's worth trying. She called them… Read More
2020-11-09 13:36
How annoying is it when people tell you not to worry?
Very, right? It's almost like saying, don't be so tall or so short.
Simply willing yourself to stop sure isn't enough. However, I ran a… Read More
2020-09-21 21:05
A reader who published an article that attracted comments from a few trolls says he made the mistake of trying to argue with them and asked whether I have any advice on the best response--or… Read More
2020-09-09 00:46
It used to be acceptable to start your screenplay or novel with an extended introduction to the normal life of your protagonist before getting the actual story started.
In the 19th Century… Read More
2020-09-07 12:18
I ran across an older interview with J. K. Rowling the other day in which she recalled how she felt a week after she got her American deal for the first Harry Potter book. She told The Guard… Read More
2020-09-02 21:04
The stigma of self-publishing and assisted publishing (in which you pay a publisher to produce your book) is long gone. Many good and successful books have been self-published both tradition… Read More
2020-08-25 12:15
The problem with a lot of goals is that their rewards are off in the future. Sometimes it's hard to stay motivated when the prize is far off. To stay motivated, come up with a way to make yo… Read More
2020-08-22 13:13
I don't know about you, but I have days when it's just not happening. Days when I look at my to-do list and get a sinking feeling.
Sometimes the easiest solution seems to be to forget… Read More
2020-08-10 13:52
Decisions, decisions! They can be difficult any time, but is there a best time to make them?
I just read a long article in the newsletter of the Urban Monk, and the research-supported bottom… Read More
2020-08-07 03:16
I just saw an ad for new screenwriting software that says, “Did you know that a typo or an incorrectly formatted montage can make a script reader put your script down?”
Uh, no… Read More
2020-08-06 11:48
Various types of writing can help us get through these tough times. Here are some things you can do:
Write a short story or some flash fiction to turn your frustration into a creative act. T… Read More
2020-07-28 03:52
I noticed a pattern today in the "free reads" books featured by Amazon Prime this month. Here are the log lines of a few of them:
"A novel of secrets, memory, family, and forgiveness..."
"A… Read More
2020-07-28 03:24
One of the most common questions I get is "Do you have any tips for rewriting?" That's because when we've written a screenplay or novel it's really hard to be objective about it.
I've writ… Read More
2020-07-26 02:54
Do you have a panic list? (If not, don't panic.)
As mentioned in an old issue of The Writer magazine I was perusing while procrastinating the other day, author Janet Groene says she h… Read More
2020-07-25 03:43
I love the old screwball comedies like "Bringing Up Baby." The characters in those typically were fast-talking, witty, and playful.
Even if your script or novel isn't populated with th… Read More
2020-07-24 03:49
I happened across a question someone asked on Reddit about what to do when you get stuck in the course of writing a screenplay. The following answer is by "Hotspur Jr", a member of the Write… Read More
2020-07-23 04:06
Screenwriter Michael McDowell said this to his potential screenwriting partner:
"If you’re going to work with me, look at it like we’re working in a bank.
We get in at nine, we… Read More
2020-07-22 03:16
I saw two very wise quotes about the film business by director Gina Prince-Bythewood ("The Old Guard"):
"This industry is about overcoming 'no'."
That's true of the publishing industry as we… Read More
2020-07-21 05:39
There are some scenes in movies that are cliches, or too improbable, or just plain silly. Here are ten to avoid:
An alarm clock goes off, the character wakes up, groans, and feels around to… Read More
2020-07-17 01:41
WHEN NORMAL IS BORING
Act One in a screenplay comprises the first quarter or so of the script and often it is described as relating the "normal world" of your protagonist before they are plu… Read More
2020-07-15 03:46
In Writing Magazine, author Jack Gantos shared a bit about his writing process. These tips are great anytime, but they may be especially helpful if you're blocked or just feeling uninspired:… Read More
2020-07-13 04:40
At the moment our stories about what is normal are in disarray. It doesn't seem normal not to hug your friends, not to be able to go to the movies, not to be within six feet of people in a s… Read More
2020-07-08 21:18
As I write this, there is a great deal of uncertainty about the near-term future of film and TV production. What is certain is that for at least the next year, productions will have to adjus… Read More
2020-07-06 04:33
I had an email saying, "I've done several screenwriting workshops and gained a lot from them. Are there any other courses you think are beneficial for writers?"
Yes! The more you have an und… Read More
2020-07-03 02:56
A former student emailed me the other day with a big question:
"Where's the money in screenwriting?
He added, "I don't mean just hitting it lucky and selling one script, but in screenwriti… Read More
2020-07-01 04:54
In this video, TV producer/writer Dan Harmon shares the "story circle" he uses to structure storylines for his TV series, "Rick and Morty."
As you'll see, it's kind of a simplified version o… Read More
2020-06-29 06:16
The weakness of a lot of screenplays is that the protagonist's central problem isn't big enough. It has to be something formidable enough to keep them challenged for the entire script.
While… Read More
2020-06-26 02:17
If you're low on creative energy right now, you're not alone.
As I write this, we're in the middle (?) of the pandemic and everyone I've talked to says they're feeling lethargic. Most are fi… Read More
2020-06-24 03:42
No, that's not a typo, although "damn task" would be accurate, too.
What I mean is a task that you are avoiding and that gets in the way of doing other things you need to do.
Here, from my P… Read More
2020-06-22 05:16
Screenplay and novel plots are ambitious, complicated things. I've found that making sure you know the answer to two questions is helpful from start to finish.
What's the story about?
What'… Read More
2020-06-19 05:09
In his book, Creative Mischief, advertising genius Dave Trott writes:
"I hear people complaining that there are no opportunities.
That no one will give them a chance.
There's nothing they ca… Read More
2020-06-16 05:22
In the time of the Caronavirus, it has never been more obvious that we crave certainty.
The uncertainties of the creative life aren't at the level of life and death (except in some tot… Read More
2020-06-15 11:06
One thing that makes a character in a screenplay or novel interesting is their secret.
If you need proof of the power of secrets to attract us, notice how often people trying to sell you so… Read More
2020-06-14 17:22
"In large measure becoming an artist consists of learning to accept yourself, which makes your work personal, and in following your own voice, which makes your work distinctive."
from "Art… Read More
2020-06-12 14:19
The script pipeline is clogged not only with bad scripts but also with OK scripts.
An OK script is the right length, has a story that hangs together, is populated with mostly believable char… Read More
2020-05-31 13:49
"It's not about the setback, it's about the comeback" is a phrase I saw the other day and it really stood out to me.
Some people have used this weird time to double down on their writing, bu… Read More
2020-05-19 06:23
The first page of your novel or the first scene of your screenplay is really important--it can make the difference between somebody immediately being hooked or breathing a sigh of 'been ther… Read More
2020-05-18 18:23
Pixar may be the most successful production company in terms of number of hits per number of films made. One of the most beloved franchises is the Toy Story movies, Here you can read the scr… Read More
2020-04-21 05:32
The first thing that attracts people to your book is the title. Here are a few guidelines for coming up with a title that will grab readers of fiction (these also work for screenplays):
Mak… Read More
2020-04-20 10:32
I had an email asking me for any tips I could offer for how to become a writer for video games. This is one arena in which I don't have any personal experience, but I found this excellent ov… Read More
2020-04-18 17:05
Writer and producer Andrew Yang told Fast Company, "You should be surprising yourself. You should be challenging yourself. Playing within the bounds of what everything you've seen before has… Read More
2020-04-11 04:35
Most of us can identify one or more turning points when we redefined who we are or at least who we want to be.
I think we get one free shot at this in our early 20's.
After that, it usually… Read More
2020-04-10 05:14
Writers are advised to "find your own voice," meaning, express yourself in a way that is authentic and unique to you.
One who managed that is Ira Glass, the creator of the radio series, "Th… Read More
2020-04-09 05:37
Although most communication these days is digital, there are still times when you give someone a document. It might be a business proposal, a brochure, a letter, even a business card. Here's… Read More
2020-04-08 05:20
One person wrote a prose poem about the other side of the dark times we're in right now.
He wanted to turn it into a short film.
250 filmmakers from around the world contributed clips and p… Read More
2020-04-07 04:30
Top 3 Mistakes You Make When Pitching is the title of a short video by independent producer Tom Malloy, featured on the FilmmakingStuff.com website of my friend, Jason Brubaker.
The fi… Read More
2020-04-06 04:45
If you are interested in writing screenplays it's always worthwhile studying ones others have written.
Recently, Spike Lee released the screenplay for his unproduced film about Jackie Robi… Read More
2020-04-04 22:38
"Shadowed" is a short (three-minute) horror film made with minimal elements: one actress, a couple of rooms, some shadows and a few special effects (visual and audio).
It's worth a look if y… Read More
2020-04-03 16:06
Do you want to write an autobiography but you're not sure your life has been eventful enough, or that you want to dedicate the time it would take?
Preparing a course on making short films ga… Read More
2020-04-01 19:17
We all need help at times, but sometimes we are reluctant to ask for it.
We don't want to be needy or annoying, or maybe we don't like admitting we're not totally self-sufficient.
The prese… Read More
2020-03-29 18:13
So you want to write comedy?
Here's the problem: humor is subjective. What makes one person double over with laughter just elicits a groan from another. That's why writing comedy probably r… Read More
2020-03-28 02:55
There's a Zen saying, "Out of the mud grows a lotus."
As I write this, we're in the mud. The coronavirus is still spreading and millions (including me) have been instructed not to leave our… Read More
2020-03-25 02:01
Someday we'll look back on this extraordinary time, and perhaps the people who come after us may find it hard to believe...hard to believe we were so poorly prepared when we had ample warnin… Read More
2020-03-02 12:07
Do you ever agree to do something or go somewhere in the future, only to find that when the time arrives to do it you wish you hadn’t?
Yeah, me, too, but the other day I found a good t… Read More
2020-02-24 06:40
In a previous post, I shared some questions that Hollywood script readers ask in order to tell whether the big idea of a story will work. In this post, we look at the questions that apply to… Read More
2020-02-22 19:11
Do you get stuck when you set out to do another draft of a screenplay, novel, or other creative project?
Albert Einstein allegedly said, "We cannot solve our problems with the same level of… Read More
2020-02-19 23:29
It's hard to be objective about your own work, but a good start is knowing what questions to ask.
A few years ago I came upon a Hollywood script reader's checklist--the questions they used… Read More
2020-02-15 00:12
I'm always on the lookout for tips that can help those of us who suffer from clinical depression--or just bouts of lack of motivation.
One I was reminded of recently is the mantra, "Just do… Read More
2020-02-12 11:33
If you're writing a screenplay or novel, you may want to opt for revenge.
According to Science Daily, "When it comes to entertainment, people enjoy seeing bad guys get their punishment more… Read More
2020-02-10 08:11
Once we start to procrastinate, we tend to keep procrastinating.
A common refrain is, "I don't have much time left today to work on that task, so I'll make a fresh start tomorrow."
Of course… Read More
2020-02-07 17:52
According to Science Daily, "Studies have linked prolonged sitting with health concerns such as heart disease, cancer, depression, diabetes, and obesity. Research shows that breaking up long… Read More
2020-02-05 11:19
Most writers would agree that while writing can be a great joy, it also carries its share of dark moments. When we're in the middle of one, it's easy to assume that we're alone feeling that… Read More
2020-01-27 12:03
If you want to write screenplays and are able to get to central London, come to the Script Coach workshops I'll be teaching at Raindance for five Monday evenings, from 6:30pm to 9pm, startin… Read More
2020-01-27 11:44
If you made some writing (or other) resolutions at the start of the year, the odds are that you haven't been able to carry them out as planned. One study says that 80% of resolutions fail… Read More
2020-01-15 08:10
Writers tend to be hopeful souls eager to get our work seen, which also makes us vulnerable to scammers or people selling services unlikely to help you sell your script. Here are a few thing… Read More
2020-01-11 15:04
Dana Terrace had an idea for an animated magical comedy-horror TV series. She told the LA Times, "I was working with someone at that time who kept discouraging me from working on it."
Her c… Read More
2020-01-11 08:04
What if your weakness could also be your strength?
In the previous post, I wrote about Dana Terrace, who persisted with an idea for a TV series that her colleague called dumb. The Owl House… Read More
2019-12-28 00:27
"Most daily tasks, if it be really daily,
will beat the labors of a spasmodic Hercules."
- Anthony Trollope
I'm no Hercules… Read More
2019-11-17 23:02
An old friend who teaches at a performing arts school recently asked me to look at a script for a short film, written by one of his students, that they are planning to film. It's the story o… Read More
2019-10-18 00:43
I just read an article about Stephen King's new book, The Institute. The person who wrote the article admires King's novels but in this one he got to chapter 7 and there was still no story… Read More
2019-10-11 23:27
Actually, nobody IS watching. So for your first draft, feel free to be as clumsy, daring, or crazy as you like.
Put it aside for a while.
Then look at it.
What were… Read More
2019-10-07 04:05
The web is full of good advice. It's also full of bad advice.
Here's some bad screenwriting advice:
"Quite frankly, Hollywood people don't like to read; the first time they see so much as a… Read More
2019-10-05 15:26
The internet is full of tips on how to learn from [name of successful person]. The implication is that if you just do things their way, you'll have their success.
Usually, these tips are too… Read More
2019-10-04 18:05
One of my favorite brainstorming strategies is imagining how another person might solve the problem or approach the task.
I'll give you a personal example. I'm thinking of writing a film or… Read More
2019-09-30 06:11
Sometimes when I'm supposed to be doing something, I find I'm drawn to doing something else--usually something easier and less important. Entrepreneur and writer Peter Gasca discussed a simi… Read More
2019-09-27 04:33
A man who's collected 21,000 rejections? What a loser, right?
Nope, very, very wrong.
Jacob M. Appel is a doctor, lawyer, bioethicist, author, professor, and tour guide. He has seven master'… Read More
2019-09-25 07:17
Some people never get around to writing because they don't know whether their idea is good enough to succeed in the marketplace.
Welcome to the club!
Every book, poem, short story, and scre… Read More
2019-09-23 07:11
An excuse that sometimes comes up for not writing is that you have so many ideas and you can't decide which one to write.
First, congratulations on having a lot of ideas!
There are two main… Read More
2019-09-20 11:11
One of the most common reasons that comes up when people say they want to write but they aren't is "I don't have time."
Really? Do you watch TV, go to the movies, use social media? I’m… Read More
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