It’s very easy to get carried away while writing a story especially if you haven’t written an outline.  The simplest thing that can be overlooked is logic.  Does what you’ve written make logical sense? There are a few key elements to consider in terms of logic: Timeline: Does everything you have happening in your story [...]

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve asked young writers what they’re working on and they’ve promptly zipped their lips. “How do I know you won’t steal the idea?” they say. You really think your idea is so original that the moment it’s uttered someone will steal it? If you’ve got something that [...]

Characters are there to serve your story.  They should always serve a purpose.  Sometimes they serve dual purpose.  The hero could simultaneously be the villain.  The sidekick could be the boss, the best friend and the foil.  It all depends on the story you’re telling, but bottom line is, less is more. It’s really common [...]

The last couple of months I diligently watched every episode of Parks and Recreation, broke down several episodes to get the structure, kept meticulous records of character backstories, then carefully crafted what turned out to be a pretty hilarious script.  Then, it happened.  Last Thursday I was watching Parks and Recreation and there they were…my ideas! [...]