The notion of creating an ideal writing life as an unknown storyteller is something that at first feels incredibly far off.
This is because you more than likely aren’t being paid for your stories, which means other things such as work or family are interrupting what could have been a full day of nonstop writing.
Read MoreFor the majority of my writing life, I had been the writer who does a lot of talking, but not a lot of writing.
However, one day during my junior year of college, my boyfriend said to me, “For someone who wants to be writer, you don’t write very much.”
Read MoreAt the heart of a great story almost always lies a great character. While there are of course exceptions in which the setting or the plot carry the narrative, in most circumstances a great story isn’t without a stand-out character or two.
Because of this, all writers devote time to crafting characters with the hopes that they are unique and memorable.
Read MoreWhen it comes to worldbuilding, I must admit, I usually neglect it, be it on this blog, where I rarely even mention it, or in my own screenplays. Instead, I'm all about characters and getting them "right" so that often I completely forget to think about the world.
For a while, I assumed this was okay and that I was just writing in "reality" – especially for my films. But after reading Morgan's article of worldbuilding I came to quickly realize that all of my favorite movies have a deep layer of worldbuilding, I just wasn't seeing it! In fact, I was often mistaking this worldbuilding for "style."
Read MoreMany novelists dream of seeing their books adapted into films – or maybe they don’t and only accept this proposition later on when the paycheck appears. Maybe it’s so their stories may reach a wider audience, or maybe it’s because a film suggests some sort of higher level of success and validation.
Read MoreMost articles on screenwriting will tell you that to write a script that stands out in Hollywood, you’ll need an addicting plot or solid conflict – though some may even say all you need is some explosions and you’re good to go.
Read MoreAs writers, it is easy to live in the clouds and never start writing. We can sit around imagining about how things will turn out, envisioning an end result that is highly appealing, but when it comes to putting in the work, suddenly we freeze up and get stuck.
Read MoreWithout a doubt, writing the second act of any type of story is incredibly difficult, but writing the second act of screenplay is often even harder simply because every single scene must count. There is no time for dawdling plots or loitering characters – everything must either move the plot forward or reveal information about the character.
Read MoreOne of the easiest traps to fall into as an emerging storyteller is the one you set for yourself – the writer’s comfort zone. The reason for this is simple to understand. As beginning writers, we are obsessed with the idea that we are not “good enough” or still have “so much to learn” that instead of treasuring that new perspective, we focus completely on developing and improving our work.
Read MoreOne of the greatest benefits of writing a screenplay is how quickly you can start and finish a script. This is the case because of the way screenplays are formatted, the words per page being much shorter than they would be in a novel, but also how the pages themselves are spaced. As a result, planning and writing a solid screenplay draft in one month's time is not only doable but far less stressful of a process than it would be to write a novel in that time.
Read MoreEvery screenwriter knows the pressure of getting the opening shot of their screenplay just right, but a lot of times it feels like guesswork. We write what comes to mind and hope that it feels right, then edit it later again and again until we are satisfied with the opening image.
Read MoreOne of the number one things that intimidates people about screenwriting is the format and the rules. As a result, many people who have always wanted to write a script may avoid doing so simply because they don't want to deal with the perceived learning curve that comes with the storytelling medium.
Read MoreCreative Writing Coach and Storyteller | Serving creative writers who want to write novels, movies, plays, and video games – and helping them learn how to write all four.
Hey there—I’m E.M. Welsh and I’m a writer and storyteller based in Texas. In my spare time, you can find me reading books, watching TV and movies, and playing video games. I also cook a lot of food and dabble in a plethora of other hobbies.
I’m currently working on my first book, which I hope to have published in 2024.
This blog is basically a diary of what I’m up to, random musings, and progress updates on my book.
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