All Episodes
Episodes
Ep. 52. Author Jennifer Dornbush on Forensics, Story Structure & Character Arc
Jennifer Dornbush talks forensics, story structure and character arc. If you are writing crime stories or not, there are several applicable tools and tips in this interview.
Jennifer is a screenwriter, author,...
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Ep. 50. Not All Stories Need a Happy Ending
EPISODE DESCRIPTION – Are you stuck in the "and they lived happily ever after" zone? Do you wonder if that's really the only way? What if all stories didn't need a happy ending? Would you want to understand why and...
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Ep. 49. Go Organic! Dialogue Your Audience Can Enjoy
EPISODE DESCRIPTION – Dialogue is a fantastic tool to provide clarity and show, not tell. But how do you make sure your dialogue is true to your story? How do you justify the dialogue so it isn't trite and contrived?...
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Ep. 48. Setups and Payoffs - Don't Let Them See It Coming!
EPISODE DESCRIPTION – Ever wonder if you have too many scenes? Want to make sure every one counts? Want to make sure every scene plays into your narrative? How about making sure they all move the story forward? Well,...
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Ep. 47. How to Write Meaningful Scenes That Help Advance Your Story
EPISODE DESCRIPTION – Ever wonder if you have too many scenes? Want to make sure every one counts? Want to make sure every scene plays into your narrative? How about making sure they all move the story forward? Well,...
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Ep. 46. George Lucas Ruined Star Wars by Breaking This 1 Rule for Storytellers
EPISODE DESCRIPTION – Zena Dell Lowe breaks down one rule for storytellers that George Lucas didn't follow in Star Wars Episode 1. Learn how to avoid this mistake in your own story.Free Video Tutorial for...
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Ep. 45. 2 Tips on How to Write Captivating Opening Scenes
EPISODE DESCRIPTION – Opening scenes can make it or break it for your audience/reader. Take too long and you've lost them, go too fast and you'll miss building the story and the moments. So what is a writer to do?...
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Ep. 44. The #1 Skill Writers Need for Conquering Character Development
EPISODE DESCRIPTION – Have an antagonist who feels one dimensional? Your villain falling a little flat? Check out this episode to understand how to develop those characters to new satisfying, three-dimensional...
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Ep. 43. Top 10 Signs Your Main Character is Active - You WANT This!
EPISODE DESCRIPTION – Passive characters are un-engaging and boring. Things are happening to them, whereas an active character is driving the action, they are intriguing, and they grab your audience. Okay, so easy...
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Ep. 42. How to Bring Character Thoughts to Life in Story
EPISODE DESCRIPTION – How easy is it to rely on your characters to extrapolate on their thoughts and feelings? But is that really fair to your readers? I mean, sure, sometimes you can't get around it, but when you...
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Ep. 41. Is Your Hero REALLY a Hero? Or Just a Terrific A-Hole?
EPISODE DESCRIPTION – Yes, we need our characters to have flaws that they need to overcome in the course of the story. The confusion comes when we start writing our characters as morally depraved beyond the realm of...
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Ep. 40. How to Show Character Growth in Story by Establishing a Pattern and then Breaking It
EPISODE DESCRIPTION – Wouldn't it be great to not have to rely so much on clever language to paint the picture of character growth within themselves and their relationships? Yeah, that "show, don't tell" thing again....
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