Conflict is the fuel of Story

Conflict is the fuel of Story

While we usually want to avoid conflict in real life, in fiction, it is what drives the characters and story forward toward the climactic scene. When I do workshops, the first thing we do is get the author to say the core idea of his/her book in one sentence. That can...

Goodfellas; and Barge?

Since every idea has been done, a job of the writer is to absorb as much idea and story from the world around them. Not to plagiarize: it’s research. It’s our job. In the evening, my wife and I, and our dogs, pile into bed and watch TV. My wife always has...

Idea Is Not Story

I often see writers who are concerned about someone stealing their idea. The problem with that is that every idea has been done. I know there’s always someone who thinks they have a truly original idea that has never been thought of in the history of mankind,...