5 Writing Tips You Can Learn About Tension From “The Lion King”

5 Writing Tips You Can Learn About Tension From “The Lion King”
Creating the proper tension for a scene is one of the most difficult challenges a writer can face. Providing all of the proper elements that culminate in a nerve tightening sequence of suppressed anticipation takes skill, precision, and proper planning. When it comes to kids’ movies, these challenges increase tenfold. While adults may be willing...

5 Writing Tips You Can Learn From BBC’s “Sherlock”

5 Writing Tips You Can Learn From BBC’s “Sherlock”
All the cards on the table: I’m a huge Sherlock Holmes buff. Ever since I read The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes in grade school, I’ve been a diehard aficionado of the detective in the deerstalker. When BBC released Sherlock, I was skeptical about the concept of placing the famous sleuth and his equally famous sidekick...

5 Writing Tips You Can Learn About Comedy of Manners From “Frasier”

5 Writing Tips You Can Learn About Comedy of Manners From “Frasier”
There is no TV show that quite makes use of fast moving, high level, intellectual bantering as “Frasier”. Perhaps one of the most successful spinoffs of all time, “Frasier” took a beloved character from an equally beloved tv show and built a small and lively world around him. If there is one area where “Frasier”...

Worldbuilding Part II: Anchor Points

Worldbuilding Part II: Anchor Points
Every fictional reality needs anchor points; symbols, objects, or landmarks to remind and reinforce to the audience the nature of the reality you are building in your story. This article acts as a follow-up to my previous worldbuilding post “The Five Levels of Reality”. If you haven’t already had a chance, you can read that...

Nolan’s “Dunkirk”: 5 Writing Tips You Can Learn About Stories Based on Historical Events

Nolan’s “Dunkirk”: 5 Writing Tips You Can Learn About Stories Based on Historical Events
Recently, I had a chance to see Christopher Nolan’s latest epic “Dunkirk”. As I was watching the film, it occurred to me that there was much to be learned concerning writing about historical events. Now before I go any further, I think I must point out that I will be mentioning key aspects of the...

5 Reasons Your Novel Needs a Developmental Edit

5 Reasons Your Novel Needs a Developmental Edit
So you’ve FINALLY completed that novel you’ve been working on. After months, maybe years, of slaving over scenes, subplots, and character development, you have finally perfected your baby. There’s just one problem. You’ve missed something. Now you may be thinking that after all of the time you’ve put in, all the reading and rereading, writing...