The Johari Window can be one of many powerful tools for crafting dimensional characters. It can also help creators develop layered stories (plots) that will resonate long after the audience reaches ‘The End.’ Why? Because great fiction is even better therapy. Too many believe fiction to be a fluff, an escape, a fantasy getaway. Some […]

Wounds matter in life and in fiction. We’ve all been hurt in some way and to some degree. Just goes with being human. Admitting weakness, failure, mistakes, and flaws isn’t always easy. In fact, it can be downright terrifying for even the ‘strongest’ of us. It’s an especially daunting task in a world that idolizes […]

Deception is a marvelous technique for the seasoned storyteller. Once one masters the basic skills (check out my new plotting class), this then frees the artist to begin honing more highly advanced techniques for beguiling audiences. Of all storytelling techniques, I believe my favorite is the unreliable narrator. Deception is key in order to successfully […]

Image courtesy of IMDB and Netflix’s ‘Extraction.’ The story-worthy problem is the beating heart of all superlative fiction. Unfortunately, creating this central core can often be overlooked. This is particularly true for writers relying on school training. English teachers didn’t mind we used twenty-five metaphors on one page because their goal was to teach us […]

The ‘enemy without a face’ is probably the hardest sort for a new writer to wrap his around. If you’ve been following along the recent blogs, I’ve been discussing a concept I developed to help you plot leaner, meaner, faster and cleaner. I call this concept, the Big Boss Troublemaker. Identify him/her/it? And smooth sailing. […]

Introverts tend to get a bad rap. No, we are not ALL serial killers. Okay…known serial killers. They have to catch you first 😀 . Wait, where was I? Oh, yeah. So, first of all, far too many people equate introversion with social anxiety, when those are two totally different topics. One can actually be […]

Last post in our ‘Introduction to Writing’ series, we discussed how stories are namely a collision of IDEAS. I also introduced the core antagonist, what I call the BBT…or Big Boss Troublemaker. Sorry for the delay in posts. This quarantine has been…wow. Who knew March had 666 days? It’s like 2020 was doing just fine, then March […]

Every story begins with ideas. Alas, stories can only be created when at least two vastly different ideas collide. The place where these ideas meet is the BOOM, much like the weather. Storms erupt because two very different bodies of air meet…and don’t get along. Only one idea, however, can win. In the meantime, lots of metaphorical […]

Can I just get off? Please? Quiet. It’s a rather strange experience if one has grown too accustomed to the go-go-go pace of the modern world. Recently—well, not too recently—my grandfather died. I was raised by my grandparents, so when a week and a half before Christmas he suddenly passed away? It was a blow. […]

Story power. Human Power. Black Power. To me, story power, human power, female power, black power, et. al. are all trains that run along the same vast system of tracks known as ‘publishing.’ It’s why Black History Month is such a fantastic time to highlight authors of color, to maneuver otherwise fringe/invisible authors—schedule those ‘trains’—to […]