Show and Tell
by K.M. Weiland @ Word Play storytellingArguably the most important rule of fiction is the age-old Show, don’t tell! Sounds simple, right? And yet many inexperienced (and some not-so-inexperienced) writers struggle with this foundational principle. After all, isn’t all of writing telling? Every word we write is for the express purpose of telling the reader what he’s supposed to imagine. Right?
The simple answer is yes. The not-so-simple answer is yes and no. Personally, I’ve always thought that the “show-and-tell” aphorism was a poor statement, simply because, for a writer, showing and telling both amount to the same thing: explaining a story to the readers.
So what’s the difference?
5 Ways to Pace Your Story
by K.M. Weiland @ Wordplay storytellingPacing is like a dam. It allows the writer to control just how fast or how slow his plot flows through the riverbed of his story. Understanding how to operate that dam is one of the most important tasks an author has to learn. Without this skill, we end up writing stories that variously lack momentum, feel uneven, become anticlimactic, and seem melodramatic. Following are five tips for taking this important plot skill beyond instinct to conscious action:
Never Name an Emotion
by K.M. Weiland @ Wordplay storytellingwriting techniques and stylesVivid writing demands more than just telling a reader how a character is feeling. As readers, we don’t care what the characters are experiencing so much as we care what we experience through the characters. But that’s easier said than done.
3 Elements of the Story: Humor, Action, & Relationships
by K.M. Weiland @ Wordplay storytellingstructureAllow me to be radical for a moment, and reduce the art of story telling to three basic components. Take a gander at your bookshelf, maybe even pull a couple titles, and see if you can’t pick out the common threads. (Presumably, your personal library of favorites doesn’t contain any shoddy writing or weak themes, symbolism, or dialogue, so we’ll just take those necessities for granted.)
Don’t ignore the elephant in the room – a law of description
by Roz Morris @ Dirty White Candy storytellingwriting techniques and stylesA common problem in novel manuscripts is that writers don’t use physical description enough. We don’t know what it’s like to stand next to a particular character. Not just their eye or hair colour, which actually makes little difference. I’m talking about how they make the other characters feel. That’s one of the things that makes a character real.
The Do’s and Don’ts of Internal Monologue
by K.M. Weiland @ Word Play dialoguestorytellingInternal monologue is one of the many necessary ingredients used to concoct a complete, well-rounded story. Unfortunately, it’s all too often one of the most abused and overused ingredients.
What Coraline and Kids Taught Me About Storytelling
by Jesaka Long @ Aka Writer storytellingSomething amazing happened this weekend: one movie kept four kids and two adults (including yours truly) completely spellbound. The kids are ages two, three, eight and thirteen – and while they range in ages, they are all imaginative, creative and energetic. It’s rare to see them sit still – and certainly not for 101 minutes.
The Necessity of Conflict
by K.M. Weiland @ Word Play storytellingWho says conflict is a bad thing? Who says world peace is the most important goal of humanity? Who says arguing with your little brother when you’re a kid means you’ll grow up to be an ill-mannered ruffian?
Obviously, not a writer.
Genre and Expectations
by Laura Cross @ About a Screenplay genresstorytellingAll successful scripts evoke an emotional response from the reader. Your screenplay’s genre helps inform a potential reader what to expect emotionally and structurally. Genre, then, creates a set of expectations and it’s your job as the writer to know what those expectations are and deliver them in a familiar but unique way. Successful genre writing is not about clichés and formulaic choices – it is about understanding what makes a particular genre satisfying to the viewer.
Baby You Can Drive My… Screenplay (Or, Why You Must Know What’s ‘Driving’ Your Script)
by Laura Cross @ About a Screenplay charactersplotstorytellingWhat’s driving your screenplay? And why do you need to know?
Understanding what drives your script helps you determine the essential foundation of your story (or throughline) and allows you to strengthen the script by incorporating elements (scenes, sequences, and characters) that “serve” your story.
5 Simple Storytelling Techiques
by Brad Shorr @ Word Sell storytellingStories are an incredibly powerful way to get your message across. Most people would rather go to a movie than attend a lecture. Most people would rather hear about your trip to Easter Island than have you refer them to a series of Wikipedia articles.
How to End a Chapter
by Bill Henderson @ Write a Better Novel storytellingstructuretechniquesIn a novel, in a memoir, a good chapter is structured like a complete narrative: it begins with a situation, complications are introduced and build to a head, and…
How to Use Detail to Create Great Moments
by Bill Henderson @ Write a Better Novel storytellingstructureEvery novelist has heard the mantra from Day 1. “Good writing is rich with detail.” And this is true.
To Write a Better Novel – Build a Stronger Story
by Bill Henderson @ Write a Better Novel storytellingtechniquesAs a story teller I’ve always had trouble staying on track, and so every telling differed, wildly. The King would be an important plot factor in one; in another, hardly a presence at all. Sometimes the ugly sisters got a little sympathy, other times they were irredeemably awful. I would bungle the order of things, assign important actions to the wrong characters, even leave out key plot points.
What is High Concept? And Does That Mean My Little Character-Driven Script is Conceptually Low?
by Laura Cross @ About a Screenplay charactersstorytellingThe term ‘high-concept’ may fall in and out of favor, but it remains the standard for what Hollywood looks for in a film premise. ‘High-concept’ basically means the concept is the highest appeal. It is easily understood and creates immediate excitement. If a film executive hears your idea and asks you what it’s about or has no emotional reaction, then your script is not high-concept.
How To Write For The Hollywood Reader
by Laura Cross @ About a Screenplay storytellingYour “spec” script (short for speculation script) must pass the infamous Hollywood reader before ever being considered for film development by a studio executive. All screenplay submissions are read and evaluated by a reader or story analyst who produces a “coverage” report.