Developing Mystery through Secrets
In my Developing Mystery article (part of the Genre Guide) I break down a handful of points on developing proper Mystery. I’m going to leave the clinical definition of Mystery […]
Author: nickmac
Avoid Flat Scenes Don’t Forget the Wrestlers
Characters drive most scenes in a narrative. If they don’t execute at the top of their game, the scene suffers… possibly even falls apart. Luckily, no matter what genre you’re […]
The Subtext of Action
It’s a simple concept, one you learned way back in grade school; Actions Speak Louder Than Words. It’s a big part of why talking head scenes suck. Because talking head […]
Engaging the Reader through Consequences
Over in the Story To Script article on writing the Ultimate Fight Scene, I talk a bit about the importance of consequences. In fact, this is something I’ve discussed in […]
The Dark Side of Writing Violence
One of the few actual rules of writing is; the longer you stay with something, the more emphasis you put on that something. This is actually a critical concept when […]
Work in Layers – TIP
A sculptor doesn’t sit down, take a chunk of marble, and BOOM knock out a perfect statue. They work in stages, getting the rough form… then bringing out this detail… […]
Attention to Tension Writing Hack
Nothing keeps readers engaged with story more than well developed tension. It’s often the difference between successful and average writing. You can’t develop tension without understanding and developing the super […]
Location Detail Dumps
Y’all know I don’t just write comic books, I write/edit in every medium and often help people with their novels, screenplays, whatever… This article is gonna talk more specifically about […]
Continuity of Action Eats Real Estate
In case you missed it in the opening of my article Screenplays ain’t Comic Scripts, I explain that live action (screenplays) use as much as 4 times (or more) as […]
Worldbuild AFTER Storybuilding
Over at Story to Script, I’ve got a solid article on proper worldbuilding… practical tips on discovering and shaping the worldbuilding details your story actual needs. What I wanted to […]