A collection of the most important rules of writing.
The words “narrative exposition” sound like an innocuous term, but for writers they are terrifying. Especially if they hear them from someone who is evaluating their work: “There is too much exposition”. Here’s the truth: there is no such a thing as too much exposition, there is just exposition badly delivered. In order to understand …
Why narrative exposition is essential – Breking Bad Read More »
If you’re a fan of romantic movies you’ve probably wondered if your favourite one can pass the Bechdel test. But what is it? It’s pretty simple, to pass the Bechdel test means to follow those three rules: 1- the story must have at least two women (with names) in it 2- the women must talk …
Suspension of disbelief is essentially what allows fiction to be entertaining. Thanks to it, the audience member of a Shakespeare play can enjoy the show without asking the person sitting next to him “Are those people crazy? Why are they talking to each other like that?”. It allows the reader of a book to let …
It’s easy to be confused about what the show don’t tell technique is or how it works but, surprisingly enough, it’s even easier to put it into practice. Many make it sound like a complicated and difficult because it implies cutting out the dialogue and only “showing” the action. But that’s not what it is. …
Example of the Show don’t tell technique – Drive Read More »
So, you want to use Chekhov’s gun principle in your story? Well, first you should know what it is and why it’s important. The term we use “Chekhov’s gun” comes from a quote of the russian writer Anton Chekhov that goes like this: “Remove everything that has no relevance to the story. If you say …
Naming your character is important… but also a pain in the ass. If you’re like me you usually spend 10 good minutes trying to come up with a original idea for a character name that the audience will remember. You brainstorm and write everything in your head on a sheet of paper, look at it …
A few days ago I started bingewatching The Punisher on Netflix and I was immediately hooked, the action is good, the acting is good, nothing wrong with it. Then I got to episode 10 and felt the familiar punch in the stomach that occurs when the writers of a good series go “eh whatever” and …
How to – and not to – discuss politics through fiction Read More »