Live To Write Another Day by Dean Orion (free ebooks for android .txt) 📕

solution to the crisis exists is half the battle.

•The other half of the battle is having a process that you can rely on.

•Breathe.

Questions to Ask Yourself:

 

•Have you run into this problem before? Most of the time the answer is “yes.” How did you solve it last time?

•If you haven’t run into this specific problem before, how is it similar to other problems you’ve encountered?

•How long did it take you to solve your last crisis? Be conscious of this time factor. There’s usually a pattern.

•What is the strongest aspect of your core concept? Are you still speaking to it or have you strayed? Don’t panic. Just take some time to re-examine the big picture.

•Is there a specific place earlier in your story (preceding the crisis point) that is not quite as solid as you thought? Take a good look. This is probably the root of your problem.

•Are you remembering to breathe?

5. Tuning In the Radio

Things to Remember:

 

•All original stories exist in a perfect state as thought forms that are separate from you. Listen and tune them in like a radio signal.

•Begin with research. This is the soundest foundation you can set for your process.

•By taking the time to build a foundation of research, crisis moments are less likely to occur.

•Be a passive channel of information while you research, taking lots of notes without editing yourself. Let the ideas flow without judgment.

•Transcribe your notes at the end of your research period. Creating this Notes Document allows you to kick off your project without ever having to stare at a blank page.

•Create a Concept Document from your Notes Document. Avoid the temptation to rush into the outline or the first draft.

•Structure your story by writing the scenes on index cards or a whiteboard so you can view them as separate moments, rearranging them as necessary.

•Begin your outline by writing down all the scenes you have so far. Get all your ideas on the table without worrying about getting the story right. Your process will naturally fill in the blanks.

•Describe the scenes in your outline without actually writing them. Your outline is a road map, not the final product.

•Note deeper character motivations and other important story points in your outline. The deeper you dig, the more material you will have to work with.

•Once you’ve figured out most of your story structure, write all the scenes down on one or two pages of a legal pad, using one line for each scene, then skim the story to see if it flows.

Questions to Ask Yourself:

 

•What is the backdrop of your story and how can you learn more about it?

•Which websites will tell you more about your story’s larger world and help you develop important details about your characters? Identify and print relevant materials. Bookmark the sites for future reference.

•Which books are available that will educate you about your story’s world and its characters?

•Do you know anyone who is an expert in a field that will help you tell your story? If so, arrange to interview them and record their answers.

•How would you describe your story to someone in just a sentence or two? (Logline)

•What are you trying to say with this story? (Theme)

•What does the voice of the piece sound like? (Tone)

•Who inhabits this world? What are their backgrounds, flaws, hopes, and dreams? What compels them to do what they do? (Characters)

•What is your basic story? (Story Summary)

•What previously published or produced works are close in genre, tone, and structure to your story? Make a list, then study and breakdown those works.

6. This Draft’s for You

Things to Remember:

 

•Don’t share your original story with anyone before you’ve written your first draft. Let it develop free from outside influence.

•The real reason you write is to experience the joy of expressing yourself. Never lose touch with this simple fact.

•No matter how much you’ve written in your life you must still start at square one each time, and make each story work in its own unique way.

•Every story you write is an exorcism, a way of freeing yourself from thoughts or feelings you can’t quite resolve any other way.

•The moment you give your script to someone else to read, you have given it to the world. There is no turning back.

Questions to Ask Yourself:

 

•How is your life experience shaping this work? What’s going on in your life right now that you’re struggling with? What villainy, past or present, are you personally trying to overcome?

•How can you infuse the struggles of your personal life into your story’s main conflict? How can you infuse them into your main character?

•Have you done absolutely everything with your first draft that you set out to do? Don’t leave any stone unturned.

•Are you 100% sure that you’re ready to give your script to someone for feedback? Are you truly ready to let it be shaped by the common culture?

7. The Art of Giving Notes

Things to Remember:

 

•If you understand how to give good notes to another writer, you will have a much better understanding of what to do with notes, good or bad, when you receive them.

•Have a constructive attitude when giving notes to another writer. Make them feel that you are on their team.

•Always offer concrete ideas that writers can potentially use to improve their story. Don’t just identify problems.

•All writers need encouragement more than anything else, especially writers who are just starting out.

•It’s always easier to see flaws in other writers’ work than it is to see them in your own. Have some empathy and some humility.

•Giving good notes on a story takes work. Make sure you’re committed before you agree to take the plunge.

•Focus your notes on the “big idea” of the writer’s story.

•Focus your notes on the writer’s setups and payoffs.

•Focus your notes on the writer’s characters.

Questions to Ask Yourself:

•What is the writer trying to say? Is the message clear? If not, this is a great place to begin your note-giving process.

•What are the three most salient notes that you can give that “reverberate” with the theme of