Write On SC

We took last week off for the holiday weekend but we’re back this week to finish the Seven Deadly Sins series. Remember we did this one before, but it’s been a couple of years. This blog gives a quick summary of all seven sins and some examples of how to use them.  The Seven Deadly Sins ( this link ) in Roman Catholic theology , are the seven vices that spur other sins and further immoral behavior...

The Seven Deadly Sins ( this link ) in Roman Catholic theology , are the seven vices that spur other sins and further immoral behavior. First enumerated by Pope Gregory I (the Great) in the 6th century and elaborated in the 13th century by St. Thomas Aquinas . The sins are: Pride Greed Lust Envy Gluttony Wrath Sloth We’ve done these before (episodes 151 – 157 ), but it’s been a while and this time...

This blog gives a quick summary of all seven sins and some examples of how to use them. So reading it might mean you don’t need our seven episodes but how about come along for the ride anyway? The Seven Deadly Sins ( this link ) in Roman Catholic theology , are the seven vices that spur other sins and further immoral behavior. First enumerated by Pope Gregory I (the Great) in the 6th century and e...

We once did an episode on the character’s core wound and what’s occurred to me lately in my reading is that the core wound makes a really good secret. Something the character isn’t willing to admit to himself. Charlie started watching Ted Lasso and in a recent episode he told his wife she didn’t need to keep trying to be happy with him. He let her go. I think the secret he was keeping – and someth...

We’ve seen non-linear storytelling sometimes without knowing it. This article does a great job explaining what linear stories are: In a linear narrative structure, the viewer finds it facile to comprehend the way the narrative is moving. This is mostly because the viewer is naturally fed with all the information required to process whatever is happening on screen. And then explaining what non-line...

Since last episode we worked on non-linear, this week we’re on the linear conversation. Linear Storytelling (from this link ) Linear storytelling, the conventional and time-tested approach, follows a chronological sequence. It presents events in a straightforward manner, adhering to a clear cause-and-effect progression. This structure provides a sense of order, enabling audiences to follow the nar...

Have we ever done a show on May the 4th? Yes. Way back in 2019 we were 41 episodes into this journey and working through the hero’s journey (perfect timing) so we did a little May the Fourth be With You in that episode ( link here ). So today we’re going to focus on Star Wars, not just sidebar it, and talk about worldbuilding ( like this episode ) and apprentice-mentor relationships ( like this on...

It’s the end of the term for me (Kasie) and so that time of year when I’m ruing the way I set up my class and how labor intensive all the grading is. I’m also fielding emails from students looking for a few more points and begging for higher grades. Sigh. As such, I’ve had very little time for anything else although I did manage to take six more pages in the vampire rewrite to our writers’ group m...

So Rex has been hired to help someone build a new Dungeons & Dragons game. As Gamemaster, he has some specific responsibilities. Maybe he can tell us about them? The game’s owner needs to organize himself and his resources and this is an experience we’re all familiar with. So today we’re talking about some major projects and the general (and specific) tools and techniques for organizing them. Exam...

After we fully explained beginnings last week and kept coming up with the benign suggestions of “make it interesting” and “show don’t tell” we figured we ought to dive deeper into the bricks of the “show” universe. Those bricks are adjectives and they’re used to describe nouns and pronouns. Adjectives are modifiers. They modify a noun to make it more specific. House becomes tiny house. Cat becomes...

It’s been a couple of years since we dealt with first lines and opening pages and in our revision efforts, we only just touched on where the story should begin and how many times we’ve rewritten Page 1. So today we’ll look at what makes a strong opening page, how to work through the opening scene in revision, and whether you need to revisit that opening scene in subsequent pages or at the end (kis...

You’re on what version of this vampire novel? Tenth? Yikes. It’s called revision and it lasts an indeterminate amount of time. What to google to prepare for this conversation: How many revisions does a novel need? How long does revising a novel take? What is a reasonable revision schedule? What is a good revision process? Where should someone begin when revising a novel? Why does revision get such...

Let's talk about Dragon Boat racing first. What is this sport? Who does it? How does it work? Why was Dragon Boat racing the right occupation for Tripp Avery? What is it about the challenge of Dragon Boat racing that requires more of Tripp than anything else he's done? He worked his way up from poverty to prosperity, became a 'someone' out of 'no one' roots, so how is Dragon Boat racing a differen...

We’ve spent a few weeks on the various plot structures available and basically been working off this resource that gives us 11 basic structures: The Fichtean Curve The Three Act Structure The Hero's Journey Freytag's Pyramid The Five Act Structure Save the Cat Beats The Snowflake Method Dan Harmon's Story Circle The Seven Point Story Structure The Story Spine In Media Res We’re now down to numbers...

So last week we talked about basic outlines and discussed the turning point method versus the beats method for figuring out the structure of the story. We debated whether or not to write from a detailed outline in the initial draft – it provides direction, it stifles creativity – the age-old debate of planner vs. pantser. In any case, we agreed the outline is useful for knowing the trajectory of t...

It’s been more than a year since we studied plot arcs and even then we didn’t grab the recordings and add them to our podcast service. So we’re reviving those conversations for a few weeks to get some good episodes for the podcast. Missed a week of Write On SC? Nostalgic for those oldy-but-goody topics? Check out our podcast library on Apple, Google, and Amazon. ProWritingAid’s take on this story...

So two weeks ago, we talked about basic outlines and discussed the turning point method versus the beats method for figuring out the structure of the story. Then last week we went into the 3 Act Structure and basically whined about Aristotle. In searching for 3 Act Structure resources, I found t his link gives us 11 basic structures: The Fichtean Curve The Three Act Structure The Hero's Journey Fr...

We did some revision work last week and didn't get to this part of the show notes. So here we go, a whole episode on what would have been one segment last week. ::wideeyedemoji:: So how is it actually done? Well, here’s the link explaining what Six Pass Plan among others: The Framework Pass The Story Pass The Plot/Scene Pass The Feedback Pass The Writing Pass The Tweaking Pass These aren’t really...

So we’re in the middle of the “Must Read” challenge and Rex has completed 50% of the recommended texts and Kasie has completed 0%. How should we punish her for not doing her homework? But really, why we’re here this week is to celebrate the new version of Road House being advertised. Haven’t seen the trailer? Here it is . So, should old(er) movies be “rebooted” or remade into modern versions? Toda...

Is there any more arbitrary experience than Groundhog Day? It’s a day when an entire town lets a rodent predict the future. Or the weather anyway. Several questions: Is there any other profession besides weatherman insulted by the insinuation that an animal could do it as well or better than them? Is there any other animal with psycho abilities equal to the groundhog (who, by the way, is wrong lik...

So we’ve been working on perspectives of the narrator the last few weeks and at the end of each episode we talked about how to choose. But today I thought we’d do something fun by imagining some pretty famous (well known) stories from someone else’s perspective. Segment 1 But first! We have two very special guests in the studio this morning. Let’s introduce them and talk about how they’ve supporte...

Our first conversation about film adaptations of books happened way back in August 2019 with episodes 54 & 55 – we talked so much we had to continue it out the next week. But yesterday was National Screenwriters’ Day and so I delivered my five inimitable screenwriters on the morning show: Tina Fey — Mean Girls, 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live The Coen brothers — The Big Lebowski, Raising Arizona, o B...

Couple of paired episodes last week and this one. Last week we took on first person narrators. Some good discussion (if I do say so myself) on collective first person (we, us) and the limitations of the first person narrator, including the establishment of unreliability. This week we take on the other point of view (POV) – third person. This is all those stories with the “he she they” characters....

Couple of paired episodes this week and next. The 1st POV and the 3rd POV to finish off the craft part of the year. Then we’ll have a listener appreciation episode, with a very special patron of the show live in the studio. If you’ve got thoughts to share with us, fill out THIS FORM and tune in on the 23rd to see if we read your responses on the air. Special thanks to the South Carolina Writers As...

Apologies for last week’s aborted episode. We’ll be coming back together with Nick Roberts. He’s a cool dude and he took Kasie’s BIG mistake in stride. So thanks, Nick Roberts, let us know how we can support you and promote you. See you December 2nd! So it’s Spooky Season and we’d normally dive head first into the ghoulish stuff but it’s also the two weeks leading up to NaNoWriMo and so we’re goin...