The Inquisitive Inkpot
Exploring Tales and the Art of Telling
Tag: creativity
Ready or not, here goes something
It’s here: the finished, revised, pitch-ready screenplay for my first feature film. Next week, I have three pitch meetings scheduled with different producers at the international NRB convention in Dallas. This is where media professionals from all over the world gather to share ideas,… Continue Reading “Ready or not, here goes something”
Beating the board… and the clock
How screenwriting guru Blake Snyder’s beat board tool has transformed my writing process.
Outlining and Bacon
Outlining will not save your bacon—it will just help you make the bacon in the first place. Every form of writing will have its own outlining standard (novels, articles, dissertations, screenplays, etc.). And within each category of writing, every writer will have his or… Continue Reading “Outlining and Bacon”
Overcoming the Research Roadblock
Research can either make or break a story, so we writers have to get it right. Time periods, cultures, social/government systems, technology—anything in your story that ranges beyond your area of expertise is going to require some intensive research. I learned this the hard… Continue Reading “Overcoming the Research Roadblock”
The Writer’s Creative Conscience: staying Accountable
Every writer has a creative conscience. By “creative conscience,” I don’t mean a moral compass that dictates what we do and don’t create. I mean a still, small voice that haunts us when we aren’t creating and hounds us for not achieving milestones. The… Continue Reading “The Writer’s Creative Conscience: staying Accountable”
YouTube and Inkpots: what they have in common
Starting a YouTube channel can be one of the most motivating or deflating experiences in a writer’s career. Just like writing your first couple of blog posts and waiting for things to happen, you can post your first YouTube video and then… why doesn’t… Continue Reading “YouTube and Inkpots: what they have in common”
Developing New Skills and Defeating Demons
Before developing new skills this year, it’s helpful to take stock of your existing inventory. Basically, before moving forward, you need to know where you are now. Taking a personal inventory is helpful for more than just skill development. Examining our minds and hearts… Continue Reading “Developing New Skills and Defeating Demons”
Creative Projects: the more, the merrier?
Creative projects are like children: the more there are, the harder it is to keep track of them all. For artists, this often leads to a physical mess, where the materials for their various creative projects get all mixed up or scattered around the… Continue Reading “Creative Projects: the more, the merrier?”
Of Saplings and Stories: What We can Learn
When I’m not writing stories, I work with trees. Let’s be clear: I’m not the one cutting trees down or doctoring them up—no, no, you will not see me wielding a chainsaw or fertilizer. Instead, I run the marketing and communications department for a… Continue Reading “Of Saplings and Stories: What We can Learn”
If My Book were a Child
If my book were a child, I would think it most darling for nudging me with ideas while only half-conceived. “I hope you look like me,” I would tell it with fondness. For this unborn book would carry my name. And if my book… Continue Reading “If My Book were a Child”
