Writing Craft & Showbiz Career Info
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Our new book STORY QUESTIONS is currently 10% off! - https://payhip.com/b/ZTvq9 John Vorhaus is best known for his comedy-writing classic, The Comic Toolbox: How to be Funny Even if You’re Not. He has taught and trained writers in 37 countries on five continents at last count, and created TV shows of his own in Nicaragua, Romania and elsewhere. His writing...
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Published 10 hours ago
Today, the DAG Foundation announced the five finalists for the DAG Prize for Literature, a new annual award that grants $20,000 to “an early-career prose writer whose work expands the possibilities for American writing.” The prize, given by musicians Alyssa and Douglas Graham, seeks to champion innovation, and aims to support the second prose project […]...
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Published 20 hours ago
I logged the fates of 27,000+ lead characters to uncover how death on screen has shifted by genre, decade, and cause....
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Published 1 day ago
The day of the war dawns like any other. There is no warning, and across New York people are beginning their daily routines. No air raid sirens wail and no early-warning messages flash on screens. Cars are being backed out of garages in the suburbs, while kids wearing colorful backpacks wait for school buses outside […]...
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Published 1 day ago
Jill Bialosky, who was my editor for my recent memoir, The Critic’s Daughter, is a rara avis in the world of literature and publishing. An Executive Editor and Vice President at W.W. Norton & Company, an acclaimed poet, novelist, and memoirist, Jill brings to everything she does an astute, incisive attention to nuance, a probing […]...
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Published 1 day ago
Our new book STORY QUESTIONS is currently 10% off! - https://payhip.com/b/ZTvq9 Tom O'Brien is a Los Angeles based writer/director. He teaches acting and writing at Scenestudyla.com. Tom’s first feature film, Fairhaven, Stars Chris Messina and Sarah Paulson and was a critics pick in the New York Times. WATCH FAIRHAVEN - https://tubitv.com/movies/283897/fairhaven Tom's second feature, Manhattan Romance, starring Katherine Waterston and...
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Published 1 day ago
Quirky, Weird, Sometimes Gross Habits I’ve been called weird all my life. It’s not surprising this ‘weirdness’ has found its way into not only in to my work, B2W’s online following and even my writing process. The evidence? Well, every single time I start planning a new story, I ‘have’ to buy a new pair… Read More »15 Quirky, Weird And...
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Published 1 day ago
Our new book... STORY QUESTIONS: How To Unlock Your Story One Question At A Time https://payhip.com/b/ZTvq9 MORE VIDEOS WITH STEPHEN L. STERN https://tinyurl.com/5n74fh7k Stephen L. Stern is the president of Storyboard Graphic Novels. Steve is best known as the creator/writer of the indie comic-book Zen Intergalactic Ninja that has sold over three million comics and graphic novels and been licensed...
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Published 2 days ago
Join our next Film Courage class 9 Steps To Writing A Great Scene - Story Questions Writing Workshop this Saturday May 10th at 11am PST - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/9-steps-to-writing-a-great-scene-story-questions-writing-workshop-tickets-1344453258889?aff=oddtdtcreator Our new book... STORY QUESTIONS: How To Unlock Your Story One Question At A Time https://payhip.com/b/ZTvq9 Khoa Le is a successful entrepreneur and professional filmmaker with a track record of producing successful films,...
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Published 3 days ago
Daniel Kehlmann’s The Director, Amanda Hess’ Second Life, and Florence Knapp’s The Names all feature among the best reviewed books of the week. Brought to you by Book Marks, Lit Hub’s home for book reviews. * Fiction 1. The Names by Florence Knapp (Pamela Dorman Books) 11 Rave “The sort of novel that’s bound to […]...
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Published 3 days ago
This first appeared in Lit Hub’s Craft of Writing newsletter—sign up here. The fullest day I know of begins with taking a portrait of a stranger in the middle of nowhere by 10 a.m. I do this while walking the historic roads of my home country, Japan. At 8 a.m. I set off with the goal of […]...
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Published 3 days ago
Our new book STORY QUESTIONS is currently 10% off! - https://payhip.com/b/ZTvq9 Join our next Film Courage class 9 Steps To Writing A Great Scene - Story Questions Writing Workshop this Saturday May 10th at 11am PST - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/9-steps-to-writing-a-great-scene-story-questions-writing-workshop-tickets-1344453258889?aff=oddtdtcreator Armed with a diverse creative palette and a passion for character-centric storytelling, Writer/Director Adam Davis has created numerous short and feature film...
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Published 4 days ago
Louis C.K., the disgraced comedian, has written a novel called Ingram, set to come out in the fall. If you need a refresher on C.K., Megh Wright’s excellent piece from 2018 lays out the sexual harassment accusations, and why C.K.’s return to comedy was a sad inevitability with bigger stakes than one man’s redemption arc. […]...
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Published 4 days ago
[This post is #7 on our Top 10 JKM Posts in 20 Years Countdown. This one has been read 20, 820 times as of this re-post. Originally published November 12, 2010.]Today, we turn our attention to 1984's quirky and heart-felt The NeverEnding Story (1984), a child-like, innocent fantasy film made in Germany by director Wolfgang Peterson. His is a name you will recognize immediately for his efforts in the genre like Enemy...
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Published 5 days ago
A few simple language shifts can take your reader from watching people on the page to feeling like they’re right inside the scene....
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Published 5 days ago
Join our next Film Courage class 9 Steps To Writing A Great Scene - Story Questions Writing Workshop this Saturday May 10th at 11am PST - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/9-steps-to-writing-a-great-scene-story-questions-writing-workshop-tickets-1344453258889?aff=oddtdtcreator Our new book... STORY QUESTIONS: How To Unlock Your Story One Question At A Time https://payhip.com/b/ZTvq9 Our previous interview with Jason - https://youtu.be/C3T4coC882A Jason Park is an accomplished Director, Producer, Writer, Actor, and...
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Published 5 days ago
Renee Runge has joined Spencerhill and seeks middle-grade and YA....
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Published 5 days ago
Entrants must be a resident of Great Britain and be able to qualify themselves as coming from a minority ethnic background....
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Published 5 days ago
Starting this fall, Authors Equity will bring a number of bestselling LYX Books to North American readers on an expedited schedule....
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Published 5 days ago
Julie Romeis Sanders was previously an editor at Bloomsbury Children’s....
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Published 5 days ago
Join our next Film Courage class 9 Steps To Writing A Great Scene - Story Questions Writing Workshop this Saturday May 10th at 11am PST - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/9-steps-to-writing-a-great-scene-story-questions-writing-workshop-tickets-1344453258889?aff=oddtdtcreator Our new book STORY QUESTIONS is currently 10% off! - https://payhip.com/b/ZTvq9 Collin Watts is a Los Angeles based screenwriter with a focus on creating genre films with a personal touch. Originally from Illinois,...
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Published 6 days ago
I had the great pleasure of being a guest on the Space:1999 "This Episode" podcast to discuss the Year One episode "The Infernal Machine" with co-hosts Roy and Warren. We spent a little over 90 minutes really digging in, so I hope you enjoy it!...
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Published 7 days ago
One writer asserts that Scrooge’s arc isn't that of becoming a new person, but confronting his core wound and rediscovering his true self....
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Published 7 days ago
Like most authors, you would never even dream of wanting to waive copyright for your books. However, there are occasional exceptions. You might choose to release your work into the public domain due to wanting to contribute to education or science, promote a cause or theory, or simply as a means to reach more potential… The post How To Waive...
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Published 7 days ago
Join our next Film Courage class 9 Steps To Writing A Great Scene - Story Questions Writing Workshop this Saturday May 10th at 11am PST - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/9-steps-to-writing-a-great-scene-story-questions-writing-workshop-tickets-1344453258889?aff=oddtdtcreator Our new book... STORY QUESTIONS: How To Unlock Your Story One Question At A Time https://payhip.com/b/ZTvq9 Jake Jalbert began his journey into producing and cinematography 14 years ago, shooting his first feature film,...
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Published 7 days ago
Female Characters = Role Models?? NO THANKS If I never hear the term ‘good role models’ applied to female characters ever again, it won’t be a moment too soon! When was the last time you heard a male character described as a good role model? Yeah, exactly — it doesn’t happen. Male characters are allowed… Read More »Destroy Role Models: Why...
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Published 7 days ago
[This review was posted on the blog originally on July 11, 2010, and has since had over 19,301 reads. It is the eighth most-read blog post in my first 20 years of blogging]"I can't seem to remember if it's today, two days from now, or yesterday. I suppose if it was 9:45, I'd think it was after midnight! For instance,...
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Published 8 days ago
Our new book... STORY QUESTIONS: How To Unlock Your Story One Question At A Time https://payhip.com/b/ZTvq9 Marlin Darrah is probably the world's most traveled filmmaker. Darrah's 's 44 years of award-winning production experience have taken him to more than 140 countries worldwide, yielding more than 100 documentary, travel-adventure programs and dramatic movies to date. In 2023, Darrah completed his third...
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Published 8 days ago
Our new book... STORY QUESTIONS: How To Unlock Your Story One Question At A Time https://payhip.com/b/ZTvq9 Eric Conner has taught hundreds of aspiring storytellers at the New York Film Academy (LA), the Writer’s Store, the Animation Guild and Starcoach – China. At NYFA, he’s interviewed dozens of entertainment professionals including Django Unchained producer Reginald Hudlin and John Wick director Chad...
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Published 10 days ago
Thriller writers don’t always need a plot to get the creative juices flowing—they need a trigger, a simple idea that creates unease....
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Published 12 days ago
Amazon is migrating all Advantage vendors to Amazon Vendor Central to manage their business, starting on May 12, 2025....
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Published 12 days ago
Bethany Saltman and Jessica Larios-Zarate have joined Wave Literary, a full-service literary agency....
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Published 12 days ago
The Bookseller has announced a new award for the fiction category of new adult, which focuses on the transitional years after young adulthood....
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Published 12 days ago
The new tool at the BISG website helps locate contacts for rights and permissions. It is free for everyone....
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Published 12 days ago
Indefinite adjectives are common and extremely useful in all forms of writing. While many of them are often determiners, they can also act as adjectives. When it comes to referring to a number, these adjectives allow you to avoid specifics that, in many cases, are unnecessary or irrelevant. For example, A vast crowd enjoyed the… The post How To Use...
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Published 13 days ago
Engaging with authors whose books are similar to yours is a valuable opportunity for inspiration and collaboration....
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Published 14 days ago
"God said let us make man in our own image after our likeness. But image does not mean outer image, or every statue or photograph would be man. It means the inner image, the spirit, the soul...but what of those in our midst who do not have individual souls or spirits?...They have the look of man, but not the nature of mankind."-...
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Published 15 days ago
How popes have gone from distant icons to complex characters on screen, revealing as much about filmmakers as about faith itself....
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Published 15 days ago
10 Brutal Writing Lessons I’m not a fan of the term ‘brutal honesty’. This is because too often, the person being honest is paying more heed to the brutality than the honesty. Yuk. No thanks! That said, sometimes we all need a hardcore reality check. This is especially the case in screenwriting, filmmaking and publishing.… Read More »10 Brutal Writing Lessons...
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Published 15 days ago
Here are my five reasons why the original Alien endures nearly five decades after its release.1. Revolutionary production and art design, translated into revolutionary sets, costumes and miniatures.Alien truly pushed the science-fiction “space” film forward into a new realm of imagination. Director Ridley Scott’s movie eschewed the stream-lined modernism and “neat,” minimalist future-look of such films as Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and Journey to...
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Published 17 days ago
Almost everyone is familiar now with AI (artificial intelligence) and its ability to provide answers, create images, and even videos. For writers, however, the ability of AI to produce text is the most worrisome. All it takes is a quick prompt, and it can output 1,000 words on any topic in seconds. Naturally, this creates… The post Why Using AI...
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Published 18 days ago
Today is this blog's 20th anniversary! Where does the time go!?I started posting here on April 23, 2005. That was before my 18 year-old son was born, before I created The House Between (2006 - 2009), and while George W. Bush was still President of the United States. I was eagerly anticipating, at the blog's start, upcoming releases including Serenity (2005)...
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Published 20 days ago
From indie breakthroughs to billion-dollar franchises, Ryan Coogler built a career on integrity, collaboration, and purpose. His path is an inspiring journey to filmmakers navigating today’s industry....
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Published 20 days ago
