My conversation with Angie Powers, co-host of Story Makers Show, began with the process and pleasure of telling yourself a story. We discussed what she did and did not get from her MFA program, including an understanding of structure and revision, which led us into the art of revision and the relationship between revision and planning or structure. There is a balance between finding the story as you go and outlining the story for yourself. We talked about finding that balance even within the process of outlining. Also discussed: the secret to writing and where not to look for it, the art of simplifying, the benefits of small, concrete work goals, specificity and subtext, and the questions, large and small, that  keep your reader interested from one story turn to the next. Angie lays out a seven-step structure for story in a quick overview and explains why the seven steps are not a formula and what made Angie overcome her resistance and embrace them as a tool that helps her tell stories.

Links:

The Art of Fiction

Middlesex

Jesus' Son

Citizen

Royal Institute of Magic Series

The Da Vinci Code

Screenplay

HBO TV Series Girls by Lena Dunham

Angie Powers

Book Writing World

Story Makers is a podcast that features in-depth conversations with accomplished writers, filmmakers and industry experts about story craft, technique, habit and survival--everything you need to know to stay inspired, connect to your creativity, find others’ wonderful stories and your own success.

The hosts:

Elizabeth Stark is a published, agented novelist and distributed filmmaker who teaches and mentors writers at BookWritingWorld.com.

Angie Powers is a distributed filmmaker and published short story writer with an MFA in creative writing and a certificate in screenwriting from UCLA who teaches story structure at BookWritingWorld.com.

We had such a rich and helpful conversation with the multitalented Janis Cooke Newman, author of memoir and novels, editor of the newly launched Technically Literate column of fictional short stories on CNET, and leader of LitCamp. We talked about the isolation of writing and ways to undercut that. We delved into the great origin stories of her books--where to find inspiration and what makes an idea a good one. We delved into craft, from the necessity of writing dialogue and the scenes in memoir to the differences between plotting a memoir and a novel to the way a character who really want something provides an unbeatable engine for your book. We talked about how she curates and edits the contributors to Technically Literate, and the intersection of technology and the literature in the bay area and Silicon Valley/San Francisco. Other topics include: the art and struggle of the letting go of pages that are no longer necessary to the work, the experience of being edited, letting your readers worry about your characters for longer to create tension and suspense and to raise the stakes, the need for clear objectives for your characters with measurable results, how to interweave multiple points of view in a book, the benefits of narrative distance, of the narrator having some perspective on the events being described, and more. So much inspiration!

Links:

A Master Plan For Rescue

Mary

The Last Flight of Poxl West

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

The Anatomy of Story

 Lit Camp 

Lit Quake

Squaw Valley Writers Conference

Alexander Chee

Michelle Richmond

Janis Cooke Newman

Twitter: @Janice Newman

Lit camp

Technically Literate

Story Makers is a podcast that features in-depth conversations with accomplished writers, filmmakers and industry experts about story craft, technique, habit and survival--everything you need to know to stay inspired, connect to your creativity, find others’ wonderful stories and your own success.

The hosts:

Elizabeth Stark is a published, agented novelist and distributed filmmaker who teaches and mentors writers at BookWritingWorld.com.

Angie Powers is a distributed filmmaker and published short story writer with an MFA in creative writing and a certificate in screenwriting from UCLA who teaches story structure at BookWritingWorld.com.

We had a far-ranging conversation with the multi-talented author of the trilogy The Wolf Chronicles, professional developmental and acquisitions editor and now, first-time screenplay writer Dorothy Hearst. She shared how her ideas and inspirations arrive and develop, how science can thicken a plot, negative self-talk (the downfall of many writers), and so much more. From human-animal-plant co-evolution to character building to revision, myth and symbol, and the shape of story, we delved and discussed concerns of the writer. Then we turned to Dorothy’s expertise as an editor and crafter of compelling jacket copy and talked about the art of proposals and platforms and what the editor can tell us about how to succeed. She gives us her take-aways from being a hands-on editor of books already agented or purchased by publishers, as well as tips for writing a proposal that will sell--and tells us why even the best book can’t be purchased by every editor. And did I mention we cover a brief history of storytelling technologies, and where to find inspiration for audacity and fearless writing?

LINKS:

Spirit of the Wolves

The Science of the Magical

The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World

The Truth about Dogs

The Hero's Journey

Grass

The Family Tree

When They Severed Earth From Sky

The International Wolf Conference

Avatar

A River Runs Through It 

A Bit of Fry and Laurie

http://DorothyHearst.com

Story Makers is a podcast that features in-depth conversations with accomplished writers, filmmakers and industry experts about story craft, technique, habit and survival--everything you need to know to stay inspired, connect to your creativity, find others’ wonderful stories and your own success.

The hosts:

Elizabeth Stark is a published, agented novelist and distributed filmmaker who teaches and mentors writers at BookWritingWorld.com.

Angie Powers is a distributed filmmaker and published short story writer with an MFA in creative writing and a certificate in screenwriting from UCLA who teaches story structure at BookWritingWorld.com.

Problems with sound? Extras don’t show up? In this far-ranging conversation with filmmaker Juan Davis,  a writer/ director with experience in sound, editing and just about every other area of film, we learn just how projects morph and problems can shape a stronger film in the end. From giving voice to the voiceless and showing a film about terrorism in troubled times to the art of transitions, arc and ambiguity, this conversation will inspire story makers of all stripes.

Juan is the writer/ director of a documentary, horror shorts, and a powerful new short film about a young middle eastern boy who witnesses war and is forever changed. He’s also just finished a feature script. We get the low down on the differences between documentary and narrative, and on Juan’s drafting and revision techniques, including reading the draft out loud to yourself, acting it out, the importance of taking notes as you go, and the depth of research he does. (You won’t want to miss the hilarious story of how Juan came to make a documentary.) Short film v. long? Juan talks about differences in set-up, hitting key points as fast as possible, starting with the most important part of the story right away, and getting your point across in a short time. We discuss the dearth of African-American horror filmmakers and why he's drawn to the genre and how he’s doing something different with horror, including reversing character expectations. We also speculate about the reasons behind the reemergence of exposition in written narrative, and the practice of stealing shots from admired films.

Links:

Juan-Davis.com

Twitter: @the1juandavis

Facebook: director.juan.davis

A Hero's Journey

On Directing Film

Story Logic and the Craft of Fiction

Laurie Broadnaux

Thaddeus Dickens

Thaddeus Dickens Jr.

Steven King

The Adventures of Tintin

Cinema Paradiso

Story Makers is a podcast that features in-depth conversations with accomplished writers, filmmakers and industry experts about story craft, technique, habit and survival--everything you need to know to stay inspired, connect to your creativity, find others’ wonderful stories and your own success.

The hosts:

Elizabeth Stark is a published, agented novelist and distributed filmmaker who teaches and mentors writers at BookWritingWorld.com.

Angie Powers is a distributed filmmaker and published short story writer with an MFA in creative writing and a certificate in screenwriting from UCLA who teaches story structure at BookWritingWorld.com.

This was such a helpful and inspiring conversation with new literary agent Jennifer Soloway, who went to grad school with Angie and who shares her journey to becoming an agent, how she fell in love with the work, her process for selecting clients, how to pitch your work, what she looks for, how she edits, and so much more. This is a must-listen show for anyone looking for an agent and also for anyone writing children’s through YA literature (though lots of what she talked about applies to all stories). She tells you how to grab the attention of a reader and goes step by step through the query process--from your end and from hers. We talk about why you can’t chase the trends but must write the story you’re compelled to write, but we also look at what she’d love to see in her inbox and opportunities for YA. We dig into the differences between the various age levels of books, from the writer’s perspective, in terms of point of view, length, levels of violence and romance and so on. Plus creativity and craft tips, including: finding and identifying your inner youthful mindset, and what builds voice and how voice makes us love a character. Jennifer also talks about how to approach every negative as a positive in editorial work--what she calls the magic of revision. She’s a dynamite, uplifting guide to the business side of books.

Links

Memento Mori

The Catcher in the Rye

Planet Tad

Wonder

Make It Stick

Andrea Brown Literary Agency

Big Sur Writing Workshops

SF Writers Conference

Ethel Rohan

SCBWI

Elizabeth George

Great post about length

Surrogates with Bruce Willis

So Much Synth by Brenda Shaughnessy

Story Makers is a podcast that features in-depth conversations with accomplished writers, filmmakers and industry experts about story craft, technique, habit and survival--everything you need to know to stay inspired, connect to your creativity, find others’ wonderful stories and your own success.

The hosts:

Elizabeth Stark is a published, agented novelist and distributed filmmaker who teaches and mentors writers at BookWritingWorld.com.

Angie Powers is a distributed filmmaker and published short story writer with an MFA in creative writing and a certificate in screenwriting from UCLA who teaches story structure at BookWritingWorld.com.