We often think of creativity as mythical and mysterious—it’s no wonder that creative types are often portrayed as isolated and socially disconnected in films. Certainly, the image of the mad creative genius dominates popular consciousness. But those of us who work in a creative field recognize that creativity relies as much on process and skill as imagination and magic. STORYTELLING IS, AT ITS VERY CORE, A CRAFT. And storytellers have been sharing their techniques ever since our ancestors told the first story. The craft of telling stories is a tradition as old as the human race. Oral storytellers have, for as long as we can imagine, learned stories from their elders and shared the tricks of the trade among their contemporaries. The art of telling stories is, by its very nature, social, and the best stories arise from the conflict of our shared experiences. WITH THAT IN MIND, IT’S ESSENTIAL THAT WE LEARN FROM OTHERS. No matter the medium with which we work, we storytell...
1. Write In One Sitting Write the f i rst draft of your story in as short a ti m e a s possible. If you’re writing a short story, try to write it in one sitting. If you’re writing a novel, try to write it in one season (three months). 2 Don’t worry too much about plotting or outlining beforehand. You can do that once you know you have a story to tell in the first place. Your first draft is a discovery process. You are like an archeologist digging an ancient city out of the clay. You might have a few clues about where your city is buried beforehand, but you don’t know what it will look like until it’s unearthed. All that’s to say, get digging! 2. Develop Your Protagonist Stories are about protag onists, and if you don’t have a good protagonist , you won’t have a good story. The essential ingredient for every protagonist is that they must make decisions. Victor Frankl said, “A human being is a deciding being.” Your protagonist m 3 ust make a decision t...
Ideas for “Best of” posts: 1. The best blog posts you’ve read the past week or month – with links. 2. Writers (or authors, teachers, industry leaders, philanthropists) who inspire you. 3. Your favorite blogs. Example: Belinda Pollard’s 4 useful blogs to get you started in self-publishing . 4. Helpful tools and resources you depend on. 5. Your favorite (or most-viewed, or a group of related) posts from your blog. 6. Who to follow on Twitter (Facebook, Pinterest, whatever) – and why. 7. The best free apps online. 8. Links to articles on a particular topic – “what people are saying.” 9. Best tutorials on a subject of interest to your readers. 10. A mash-up of all guest posts, interviews, etc. where you’ve been featured on another blog or website. Essays – personal Everything you think, remember, feel, or do is fair game – as long as your treatment of it entertains, inspires, or generates a positive emotion in your reade...
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