To Writers … and Those Who Dream of Writing …
Do you have a story within you? One that you feel you HAVE to get out there … but you don’t know how to get started?
Once upon a time, I found myself in the very same situation.
I asked myself:
Should I join a writer’s group? I tried this. Many times. And in almost every case, I discovered the level of feedback I got was anything but helpful. Group members tended to focus on the story THEY THOUGHT I SHOULD WRITE instead of the story I WANTED TO TELL.
Should I go to school for a degree in creative writing? You really don’t have to, and for the same reason stated above. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of excellent writing programs out there. But a lot of them tend to teach RULES instead of PRINCIPLES. What’s the difference? Rules aren’t flexible. They make your writing sound pretty much the same as everyone else’s. Is that what you want? Or are you interested in telling your own story, your own way?
If anything I wrote above resonates with you, take a look at my story course for writers called:
“BREAK YOUR STORY”
Story Technique is to the antidote to writerly confusion.
The more technique you learn, the more ideas you have, the more solutions you find to your story’s problems.
Character dictates plot …
… so it’s time you got to know all different types of characters. Having a firm understanding of character archetypes opens dozens if not hundreds of doors for your story to proceed through.
FAQs
What does it mean to “Break a Story”?
Breaking a story is an industry term that refers to how a writer or writers outline the major arcs of a story—including its theme, premise, characters, and plots—before “writing” a single word.
Can anyone learn how to break a story?
Sure can. I’ve worked with fledgling writers to Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winners. The technique I’ve devised helps everyone since it’s based on principles, not rules.
Why is “Breaking a Story” important?
For the same reason you wouldn’t start building a house without a blueprint. It’s better to know the lay of the land—the shape of your story—before you exert colossal time and effort getting it written.
What are principles better than rules?
In a nutshell, principles are flexible, adaptable, and open the doors of creativity while rules are brittle, circumscribed, and close the doors of creativity against the mere appearance of decent ideas.