Every Character Needs a Spine

Earlier this year, film-maker Andrew Stanton gave an inspirational Ted Talk on storytelling. One quote in particular stuck with me, and it's this: "I took a seminar this year with an acting teacher named Judith Weston and I learned a key insight to character. She believed that all well-drawn characters have a spine. And the … Continue reading Every Character Needs a Spine

Writing a Novel is Like This

Writing a novel is like all these things: Weaving a carpet Hacking out a sculpture from solid marble Juggling scimitars whose blades have been honed to razor-sharp perfection Getting jiggy with someone you love Embarking on a long journey in a foreign land without map or compass Bringing up a child Building a replica of … Continue reading Writing a Novel is Like This

The DNA of Storytelling

I blame writer and storyteller Damien Walter for setting me off on this train of thought. In his blog post Two. four. Seven. More. How many stories are there? he discusses various theories on the reduction of narrative to its basic building blocks. Paulo Coelho reckons there are four primal plots, Aristotle says two and … Continue reading The DNA of Storytelling

Goodbye Word, Hello Scrivener

Writing's all about the words. It doesn't much matter what tools you use, just as long as you get the right words in the right places. I used to write with pen and paper, and sometimes still do. I've consigned the typewriters - both manual and electronic - to the scrapheap. These days I'm most … Continue reading Goodbye Word, Hello Scrivener

Nobody Knows Anything About Publishing

The publishing arena can be a scary place for a writer. Bestseller trends come and go. This genre's in, now this genre's out. Publishing companies rise and fall, merge and compete. The very medium by which people consume stories continues to evolve, at an ever-increasing pace. Everything changes, all the time. Whenever I need to … Continue reading Nobody Knows Anything About Publishing

What Scares You?

What scares you? It's a question of some concern to the writer of horror fiction, the maker of horror films, the creator of horror art. The really scary thing is that there's no easy answer. Ask the question of a hundred different people and you'll get a hundred different responses. Spiders. The dark. Vampires. Enclosed … Continue reading What Scares You?

Is Creativity a Black Art?

"Where do you get your ideas?" It's the question every writer dreads. The most common answer is, 'I don't know.' I prefer to take it one step further. In truth, I don't want to know. I've often wondered if it's possible to teach creativity. The longer I live, the more convinced I am that it … Continue reading Is Creativity a Black Art?

Ssh, It’s a Plot!

Many writers sneer at plot. Others embrace it. Just as many don’t know the difference between plot and story and, when challenged, take themselves into a corner and mumble. The way I see it is this: Story is a sequence of events Plot is the structure behind that sequence of events It’s perfectly possible to … Continue reading Ssh, It’s a Plot!

Magical Patterns in Stories

I write and read in pictures. For me, all books are illustrated. Yes, it’s the words that do the hard work – God love ‘em. In the end, however, what counts is what those words help me to see. You might think I’m talking about visualisation – reading a scene in a book and having … Continue reading Magical Patterns in Stories

Liking Science Fiction and Fantasy Makes You a Genius

A lot of people are unbearably snooty about genre fiction – especially SF, fantasy and horror. I’m not the first to remark on this – the debate rages daily across the interwebs. It seems there are lots of folk who feel this way, and I think I've finally worked out why. It’s all the fault … Continue reading Liking Science Fiction and Fantasy Makes You a Genius