Category Archives: Uncategorized

Peter Hixson was a much-beloved client at Writer’s Relief. In his writing, he was never afraid to tackle important issues, but he also had a lyrical and playful outlook. With funding from Peter’s estate, additional contributions from family members, and … Continue reading →

Every story ever written is a conflict (every salable story, at any rate). That conflict is the inevitable result of the crisis faced by the main characters.” Dennis Whitcomb, scriptwriter Sounds pretty basic, doesn’t it? This premise, which Dennis advanced … Continue reading →

“Finish every and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt, crept in: forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with … Continue reading →

“Good timber does not grow with ease. The stronger the wind, the stronger the trees.” We all know there’s a gem of truth to this saying, don’t we? But when it comes to being buffeted by the winds of circumstance, … Continue reading →

All that I hope to say in books, all that I ever hope to say, is that I love the world.”EB White “I think of myself as an enormously lucky person. I get to tell stories for a living.”Kate DiCamillo. … Continue reading →

Dialogue in stories or screenplays can be tricky. It can sound wooden or contrived, or natural and unstudied. As writers, we need it to keep our plots moving and our characters real. A few dialogue tips from pros: “Every person … Continue reading →

Sentences with muscle and verve carry our writing forward. How can we make them work harder and smarter? A few easy-to-apply ideas: Treat a sentence as a mini-story: It can help propel your prose if you think of each sentence … Continue reading →

Robert McKee is considered the master of movie storytelling. For more than 25 years, he’s given a wildly popular three-day intensive seminar around the world, from LA to Lisbon, and coached hundreds of aspiring and veteran screenwriters. His book, Story, is … Continue reading →

To You Walt Whitman Let us twain walk aside form the rest;Now we are together privately, do you disregard ceremony,Come! vouchsafe to me what has yet been vouchsafed to none — Tell me the whole story,Tell me what you would … Continue reading →

I’m betting this sounds familiar to you: Tucked away in drawers or in an almost-forgotten computer file are projects with exciting potential that you haven’t looked at in a while. When I pulled one of these old, and long-languishing pieces … Continue reading →