I have a small collection of books on writing and screen writing, all of which I have read at least once. One of the benefits of having the collection is going back and reading them again to find a nugget or two that I might have missed the first time around. One of the books …
Tag: fiction
From Hero to Villain
This month I want to discuss villains again. Not all stories contain a villain but for those that do, the villain is the most important star of the story. Why do I say that? Because without the villain there is no story. Villains fascinate us. Why do they behave the way they do? What is …
Story situations
In this blog I want to look at a different way of looking at story structure that is not events-driven (such as the hero’s journey). All stories are by their nature about ‘situations’ that form the central conflict of a story. However, not all situations are big enough or complex enough to drive a story …
Story telling – a time to think and reflect
I have just got back from a holiday in the Canaries. Holidays are a great time to take in the sunshine, relax and yes - read a little. Reading is a wonderful way of relaxing and this time I read three books - two fiction and one factual. I love a good story and Lee …
Continue reading Story telling – a time to think and reflect
Storytelling – the bad guys
Not all stories are about good versus evil. But when you have a super hero or heroine it’s almost compulsory in storytelling. What would Batman be without the Joker, the Penguin and the Riddler; Superman without Lex Luthor; Thor without Loki: or the Avengers without Thanos? Okay these are comic book heroes and blockbuster movies. …
Storytelling – the reveal sequence
Recently, I was reviewing John Truby’s new book “The Anatomy of Genres - How Story Forms Explain the way the World Works,” with a view to using it as material for my latest blog. However, the more I studied the book, the more I realised I needed to go back to Truby’s earlier work, “The …
The secret behind all successful writers
I was wondering this month about what to choose as subject for this blog, so I had a wander about the internet to see what successful writers said on the craft of writing. But first you must try to understand what success means to you. What do you really desire? If it is celebrity status …
Everyone loves a hero (or heroine)
Recently I have been on a Tolkien movie fest. First watching "the Hobbit" series and now getting stuck into “Lord of the rings”. It’s not first time I’ve watched them, I’ve watched them many times. But I am still fascinated by Tolkien’s story telling magic. Of course not all books can be turned into movies, …
Evaluating New Story Ideas
As a writer, the hardest choice to make is what to write about. Ideas for novels are everywhere, but can they be developed into a good story? How do we choose the best ideas for the best chance of success? Way back in 2019, I wrote review of Erik Brok’s book , “The idea - …
Building Heroic Characters
All good stories are about character. The job of a good storyteller is to create an emotional bond between those characters and the reader as they endure the conflict in the story. It’s a vicarious emotional experience where the reader experiences the hopes and fears of their hero or heroine. It's a connection. We don't …
JMJ Williamson 