What IS a story?
Let’s go back to that first film: Here it is. (You might have to skip an ad or two, but the film itself lasts only a couple of seconds). Is it a story? Not really – you get a glimpse of several people walking around, and that’s all. Nothing else...Example: The Teacher
Let’s take the story of the Good Samaritan. It’s two thousand years old, nice and short, and most of us know it. It’s a good example of both why and how you tell a story. We’ll come back to How. For the moment we’re thinking about Why. Imagine the situation: a...Example: The Christmas House
On a family outing to a seaside town, my niece pointed out a house. ‘That place has Christmas decorations up all the year round,’ she said. This was high summer, the sea was blue and the beach to our left was covered with bathers and sunbathers. Yet here, to our...A Good Cry
We like stories about falling in love, being heroic, overcoming danger or climbing to power and riches. It’s easy to see why. We want things like that to happen for us, and the stories let us share these experiences in our imagination. But we also like sad stories. ...Ideas and Where They Come From
A fellow author(i) is preparing to give a talk at a school. (This happens.) He asks for help with some pictures he can show during his talk. (This also happens). What he wants, he says, is that you send him a picture of yourself with a sponge on your head. Just in...Exercise: that first idea
Think of a random word. Last time I did this (it was on a school visit) I came up with “olive-pitter”. Never mind if you think it’s two words. Fit that word into a sentence. The sentence must leave you asking questions. My sentence was “it’s hard to commit...Basic Plots
So you think you’re in control? Think again!
Planning: Three Tools
So we’ve got an idea for a story. We’re excited about it. We know what kind of story it’s going to be. It’s time to start planning out how we’ll tell it. Sorry? Time to do what? Wait a moment… Disclaimer: Writers are Different Some...
The Vulture
A darkly comic little story to illustrate some writing points – and why it’s best not to judge people by their appearance.