Tag: Advice

The End

This won’t necessarily focus on one story, or even one series. It will more focus on serials and how the ending are handled. So let’s get to it, shall we? Everyone loves a good ending, everyone. But what makes a good ending and what makes a bad one? Is a good ending the fairy tale happy ending where the hero gets the girl and … Read More The End

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Why do books not always translate well to movies?

It’s not always the easiest question to answer. A lot of things go into making the jump from the written word to the big screen. Sometimes it works well, sometimes it doesn’t. Some stories weren’t ever meant to be turned into movies while others seem like they were made for it. Let’s explore some of the reason why a book may not translate well: … Read More Why do books not always translate well to movies?

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The Villain

What is it about the villain that’s so great? Why do we like villains so much… to the point where we want to see the villain more than the hero? Well originally, villains were just supposed to be a plot device. A simple element that was used to create a plot. There was no rhyme or reason to it. The villain was just a … Read More The Villain

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Can fictional stories be harmful?

Unfortunately, I have to say yes… hesitantly. Fictional stories can absolutely be harmful if taken the wrong way or interpreted incorrectly. A good example would be many of the Bible stories. The Bible was a good written by man for man. I can’t speak to who wrote the old testaments or how, but the new testament, at least as far as the Gospels are … Read More Can fictional stories be harmful?

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Character development progression…

Not all characters come from the same place. Not all are based on a person we know and not all are created directly from our minds. Some characters are taken from bits and pieces of other characters, perhaps a personality trait, internal demon, or other factor is taken from a third party source and incorporated into a brand new character. In a previous post, … Read More Character development progression…

Good Writer =/= Good Reader?

Is being a good reader required to be a good writer? Surprisingly no. You do not need to be good at reading to be a good writing. Some of the most famous writings were the work of people who were literate and passed their stories down through orally. Homer, the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, is considered by many to have been … Read More Good Writer =/= Good Reader?

Plot Contrivance – Character Balance Rule.

Simply put, whenever a character dies or is killed off, usually they need to be replaced. There is rarely a gap. Either a mentor is replaced by a comforting friend, or a family member is replaced by a lover, or a future disciple. While the replacing character doesn’t usually take on the role of the previous person, they are intended to fill the void. … Read More Plot Contrivance – Character Balance Rule.

The Plot Formula

Okay, so today I’m going to go over a few formulas I have for a good story, as well as a couple of character study aspects. Let’s start with the formulas shall we? Dark/Sad ending =/= bad movie. Okay I know a lot of us grew up on Disney stories and fairy tales and are used to the happy endings. So when we get a … Read More The Plot Formula

When is the right time to publish?

The moment a literary agent says ‘yes’ to you!!! IF you are that lucky! In all seriousness though a good amount of authors peddling their works are self published and that decision comes down to them. That said, one could make the argument that the author decides when to seek out an agent as well. So this piece goes out to everyone. When to … Read More When is the right time to publish?

Author’s Advice (Part 1)

The best advice I can give to any new authors out there is probably going to surprise everyone: Completely disregard what your potential audience may want. Yup, you read that right. I’m giving you permission to be completely selfish with your writing, because it’s just that; YOUR WRITING! The characters you create are yours, the world you set them in are yours, you are … Read More Author’s Advice (Part 1)

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To illustrate or not to illustrate?

It’s a question that has plagued many a fiction writer. Should you add illustrations to your novel? Should you include images of your characters on the cover of your book or should you restrict all imagery to symbols and leave the rest to the reader? To be honest, I’ve heard credible arguments on both sides of the isle and they both have good points. … Read More To illustrate or not to illustrate?

Sequels

Lately a lot of remakes have found their way onto the market. For the most part none of them have been any good. Think about it… Most of the Disney sequels… Ghost Rider 2, Everything after Jaws, the supposed new Ghost Busters move (yup, I’m projecting), Men in Black 2, Men in Black 3, The Exorcist 2: The Heretic, Both Matrix Sequels, Pirates of … Read More Sequels