Fix Your Internal Creative Marriage
For real creativity, get your conscious mind and your subconscious mind to work with each other, not against each other. Sonnet 116 Shakespeare (or perhaps [...]
We Read Bodies, Not Minds
We read bodies, not minds. Don’t rely on dialogue to express psychological truth; add empathy and projection to your toolbox. Why dialogue is the last [...]
Truth, Reality, and the Story World
Navigating and exploiting the multiple realities of story worlds. The three “realities” Stories sit at the intersection of three “realities.” the world as it is, the [...]
Theory of Mind
Guessing what other people are thinking is an instinctive means of social survival. Co-opt this impulse in your storytelling. Here’s how it works. Humans are [...]
The Kuleshov Effect
How a cinematic experiment led to a fundamental element of cinematic language. The Myth At some point every acting teacher quotes the oft-told story of [...]
Stories without Psychology
The less you explain the underlying psychology behind your characters’ actions, the more the audience will engage. So, keep it to yourself. In 1936, German [...]
Three Flavours of Subtext
Invite your audience to work with you to add layers of meaning to your story through three kinds of subtext. When you are telling a story, [...]
Why Do We Laugh? The Nature of Comedy
What is funny, and how do you make it funny? It’s often said that you can’t explain comedy. Or teach it. If you’ve got the [...]
Do. Understand. Do Better.
Are you a learn‑then‑do person? Or a do‑then‑learn person? Whichever you are, don’t stop writing. Pre-summary How do you get better at writing? When you’re [...]
Give your Subconscious a Playground
For each project, give yourself an imaginary playground in a secret Imagination Book. Messy, private, driven by freedom and obstacles. When you start a project, buy [...]
