40. Common Mistakes that Writers Make: Missed Opportunities & Tangential Content

EPISODE DESCRIPTION:     

This episode presents two more major mistakes that Zena has been seeing lately in the work she's been reviewing for clients. These are:

3. Not milking every moment for what it's worth.

Every time your character is in a scene, that scene should reveal character, show the complexities of essential character relationships, and/or reveal your main character's internal emotional state. Too many writers show the essential story elements (She walks from point A to point B), but fail to maximize each scene to its fullest potential.

4. Including content in a scene (through dialogue, action, or otherwise) that ultimately doesn't come back to play in the narrative in some way.

Every single thing that your character says, does, or notices in a story is ultimately a set-up. Any time you set something up, it needs to come back into play down the road. You can't just include stuff that has nothing to do with the rest of the story. Anything that you use in your story ought to be regarded as a set up that ultimately must be utilized by the time you reach  the climax of the story.

UP NEXT
'Tis the season for wonder and reflection. To that end, next week Zena will discuss one of the biggest A-ha moments she's ever had as a writer and artist. 

QUESTIONS OR TOPIC REQUESTS? 

If you have a question about this or any other episode, or if you have a specific topic that you would like Zena to address, click on the link below to leave a voicemail recording with your problem, question, or issue.

https://www.speakpipe.com/ZenaDellLowe

SPECIAL THANKS

The Storyteller’s Mission with Zena Dell Lowe would like to thank composer Carla Patullo for the original music she graciously permits us to use in the intro and outro of this podcast. To find out more about this amazing talent, go to  www.carlapatullo.com

Tags: Artist, Artists, Writing tips, Writing Advice, Writing Podcast, Crafting a Story, Writers, Writer, Author, Novelist, Screenwriter, Story, Storytelling, Storytellers, Zena Dell Lowe, Mission Ranch Films, The Storyteller's Mission, The Mission with Zena Dell Lowe