Wow. A lot of questions about that last post. Let me answer them here: ============== Course Feedback ============== Some clarification on my “the course will NOT be one-on-one” statement because some is obviously needed. I did not say I wouldn’t be giving feedback. I said I wouldn’t be able to answer individual questions, or to do crits on projects. I … Continue reading →
Thank you so much for the comments on the Think Sideways demo video. Your suggestions have been hugely helpful. I now have an earclip headset with a microphone that only makes me look a little like a Borg. In order to eliminate the handwriting time-lag, I’ll prewrite sections of the whiteboard and do closeups using Photo-to-Movie, which I’ve owned … Continue reading →
I’m testing the tools I’ll be using to put together the How To Think Sideways course. Along with PDFs and perhaps some MP3s, I’m planning on adding video to this course. The following is JUST A TEST. While I hope you find the little clip interesting, and while it does set up one of the three big problems that thinking … Continue reading →
Ben Stein says: A real star is the soldier of the 4th Infantry Division who poked his head into a hole on a farm near Tikrit, Iraq. He could have been met by a bomb or a hail of AK-47 bullets. Instead, he faced an abject Saddam Hussein and the gratitude of all of the decent people of the world. … Continue reading →
When people drop out of the Writing Updates newsletter, (and take the time to tell me why), it’s almost always because I’m sending more newsletters than they can read. As you can see from my 400+ emails post the other day, I DO understand the problem, and I don’t want to contribute to someone else feeling as flattened by relevant … Continue reading →
I am now, officially, 400+ real, genuine, “I need to write to these people” emails behind. It was with the weight of those offers of assistance, requests for help, questions about writing, and so on, that I read this post about the miracle of communication… and its costмебели. And I understand. I damn near cried. … Continue reading →
Have done no writing yet. But my youngest does stop-motion videos, and he and I put together his most recent one–a process that took four days and about twenty hours. … Continue reading →
First a note on “Genie In a Bottle.” I got it wrong, but I was in a bookstore that didn’t have the book, and I was working from memory. I’ve never made any bones about the fact that I’ll learn from anyone who can teach me. There’s a screenplay writer named Blake Snyder who wrote a book called Save The … Continue reading →
Every writer needs to have a secret project, I think. Something that you’re revved about, something that drives you completely crazy, something that you keep on the hard drive and tinker with and dream about and work on when you’re stuck on the things that are paying you money. I’ve had a number of secret projects. One became Fire In … Continue reading →
The course is done, it’s in the shop, and it’s available now. So… what’s in Page-Turning Scenes? The two critical parts EVERY scene must have? (Page 13) The FIVE types of conflict that will make writing your stories easier, and keep your readers hooked. (Page 14) The short, simple story PLAN technique that will keep you from writing … Continue reading →