The Writer. @secretblogger19 - Tumblr Blog

Anonymous asked: Hi! I’m writing novel and I’m having a really hard time figuring out filler events. I’ve got basic things that happen but nothing is really that exciting, to be honest. It’s just basic interactions with a group of around ten people. I guess I’m not really sure what my point...

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101 Writing Tips

1. All screenwriting books are bullshit. ALL. Watch movies. Read screenplays. Let them be your guide.

2. ‘Write what you know’ works, but it’s limiting. Write what fascinates you. Write what you can’t stop thinking about.

3. The so called ‘screenwriting guru’ is really the so called screenwriting conman. Don’t listen to them if you don’t know their movies.

4. In what I thought was the beginning of a serious heartfelt convo, I told my dad I wanted to be a writer. He looked at me and said “You wanna write? Write.” Still the best advice.

5. Calculate less. Don’t try to game the market. Write what you want to write. And drink plenty of coffee.

6. Of the many supposed rules of writing, the only one that’s ligit is ‘write every day.’

7. There’s a whole industry of bunko men who say that writing needs to be learned at some course. Don’t believe it.

8. The moment your screenplay leaves your hands it becomes a commodity. So while it’s with you, treat it like a piece of art.

9. Instead of reading screenwriting books, read about your subject. The subject that fascinates, compels and interests you.

10. With writing gurus it’s all about the HOW. How do I write this. What writers should think about is WHY. Why do I need to write this now.

11. You don’t need any expert’s permission to write your story, your way. Repeat that.

12. Every writer should read Haruki Murakami’s ’What I talk about when I talk about running‘. It’s a great book on running and even better one on writing.

13. Forget about contests, agents, focus on what you can control: words pages and the intention behind them.

14. The first screenplay that my partner and I wrote it was rejected by every agency as unsellable. It was Rounders.

15. The Coen brothers, Charlie Kaufman, Quentin Tarantino never tried to guess what Hollywood would make. They wrote their obsessions and so should you.

16. Let me use fewer words than the books do to explain three act structure. Beginning, middle and end. So stop worrying and start writing.

17. When I want a quick shot of inspiration I watch Amelie or Y Tu Mamma Tambien. Movies that broke all the rules but engage the heart.

18. Self doubt goes hand in hand with self expression. Tune it out for two hours a day. You’ll have a finished screenplay.

19. Look I’m not saying form and structure don’t matter. They do. But it’s forming an emotional connection with the reader that sets you apart.

20. When I’m stuck on a first draft I remind myself that no one gets to see this ’til I say they can. Which gives me persuasion to finish.

21. I can’t tell you how to write dialogue and build a character. No expert can either. You have to love writing enough to figure it out for yourself.

22. Know this: whatever your favourite movie is, at some point during the writing of it the screenwriter felt completely lost.

23. Try and write your first draft as fast as you can so the doubts don’t have a chance to creep in.

24. If you just can’t make progress on your screenplay today, write an essay, bang out a short story. Generate some pages.

25. The more rules you’re trying to remember or beats you’re trying to hit, the harder it is to get in a state of flow. Just write.

26. Always write for yourself but don’t be self indulgent. Define your audience and write for them too.

27. Here’s something I’ve noticed: amateur writers tend to write characters dumber than they are. Pros try to write characters smarter.

28. The ‘realist’ in the spirit of ‘friendship’ always wants to tell the writer the ‘real’ odds of getting something made. Tune ‘em out.

29. Don’t stress about making your main characters likeable or relatable. That’s development speak. Just make them fascinating and we’ll care.

30. You already know how to tell a story. Think of one that worked, that got you out of a ticket or got you a date and figure out why.

31. There’s not one exec in Hollywood who knows what audiences want to see next year. So write what you want to see.

32. Writers look for reasons not write, so make a list of all the reasons you need to write and put it next to your computer.

33. If you love giant commercial blockbusters, that’s what you should try to write. But if you love small personal films, write those.

34. ‘Hey, aren’t you just filling them with unrealistic expectations?’ I hope so. All writers start out with unrealistic expectations.

35. Protect your writing time. Establish rituals around it. Take a long walk, make a particular kind of coffee to get you in state to write.

36. Writing a first draft can be a fragile thing. Don’t sabotage yourself by talking to people who don’t share your dreams.

37. I was a blocked writer until I was thirty, so I know how painful it is. I also know it’s worth it to fight through it.

38. If you power through and finish a screenplay, you’ve accomplished more than 99% of the people who ever have a movie idea do.

39. Somedays you just don’t feel creative. That’s okay. Write anyway. At least that way you’ll build momentum.

40. I find that nothing can change my state faster or get me in a creative state of mind quicker than listening to one of my favourite pieces of music.

41. I don’t know any professional writers who’ll tell you it’s easy. It’s worth remembering that. It’s hard for all of us.

42. The best writers I know are led by their curiosity. And they follow it until they find the story they want to tell.

43. Resilience is a writers best friend. Train like a marathon runner. Move a little further each day, despite the pain.

44. Failure is huge part of any writer’s life. So you have to redefine the term so any day you write is a success.

45. The best moments in writing are the ones you can barely remember. It’s like they happened in a dream. But the only way to earn them, is to grind every day.

46. So what’s the trick to finding an agent, to finally breaking through? The trick – don’t let that stuff distract you.

47. If you’re trying to decide what to write and you have one idea that scares you because you don’ know what people will think of it… write that one.

48. Perfectionism can be a real asset in the final stages of any artistic project. But on the first draft it’s a momentum killer.

49. When we celebrate risk takers we’re talking about mountain climbers and cliff divers, but I know creative risk takers are just as brave.

50. Here’s a tip for getting unstuck: Stop staring at the computer. Open a notebook and handwrite it or talk the scene into a recorder.

51. Most people spend only a small part of their day feeling fully engaged. So think of your writing that way and it’s easier to commit.

52. When I say write what fascinates you, that’s because it’s easier to show up every day and do the work when you’re truly passionate.

53. You don’t have to like what you write every day. You just have to show up at your laptop or your desk and write.

54. When you really throw yourself into a creative endeavour, people in your life can become pretty critical. Remember: it’s them not you.

55. If you only have an hour a day to write, look at that as a positive. Because it forces you to focus and work with intensity.

56. Do I have to move to LA to make it as a screenwriter? Do I have to be tall to work in the NBA? No, but you better outwork everyone else.

57. When I say don’t fall prey to perfectionism, I don’t mean lower your standards. I mean don’t use standards as an excuse not to write.

58. Whether or not to outline is really a question of how comfortable you are with uncertainty. Which is also the answer to whether this is the career for you.

59. Remembering this helps take the pressure off: There are two first drafts. The first draft you write for you, and the first draft you show to someone else.

60. Many of us have what gamblers call leak – a habit or enthusiasm that knocks us off course. Figure out what yours is and close it.

61. If you find yourself insulted by someone’s reaction to your work. Just use it as fuel, just like every other writer who ever lived.

62. But what if I sit down today and I have absolutely nothing to write? Think of the last huge argument you had with someone and write it as a scene.

63. It’s easier to deal with something if you anticipate it. So know that somewhere in the middle of your script you’re going to think it’s worthless and fight on.

64. Sometimes you’re stuck because you don’t know what’s supposed to happen next in your story. Here’s a trick, just think of what your characters might do next, and write that.

65. Nobody chooses to become a writer or any kind of an artist because it’s easy. You do it because you have too.

66. Is writing sometimes lonely? Yes, but it’s worth it for those moments where time disappears and you feel connected to everything.

67. So what’s more important – inspiration or discipline? Honestly, you need to use 100% of both.

68. The first time I got a bad review it almost took me out. Then I realised that if I got right back to creating I could survive.

69. If you’re going to become an artist of any kind you have to know it’s almost impossible to succeed and then work like you know you will.

70. I think self imposed deadlines are useful because they can prod you forward. Just make sure that they’re also attainable.

71. Don’t share your draft with anyone else until you can’t think of anyways to make it better on your own first.

72. Think of how much joy your favourite artists have brought you. Now imagine if your work can do that for even one other person an get to it.

73. But how do I know if I’m just wasting my time? How do I even know what I’m doing is even any good? Nobody ever knows. Do it anyway.

74. Professional artists don’t expect to create museum quality work with the first sketch on a new project, they just want to get something down on canvas.

75. Is it possible you won’t sell that novel you’re working on or screenplay or painting you’re trying to finish? Yeah. Isn’t it awesome you’re doing it anyway.

76. Your imagination is more powerful than any critic, agent, or studio boss in the world.

77. The greatest shooters in the history of the NBA all shot the ball differently. Just get it in the hoop.

78. What do I do every day to keep myself in a creative space? I journal. I meditate. I take long walks.

79. If rule number one is ‘write every day’, rule number two is ‘take creative risks’. Even when they fail, you get stronger.

80. The next time that someone laughs at your dream. Remind them that Paul Haggis’s Crash script was rejected for five years straight.

81. No one in Hollywood woke up this morning wondering how they can help you. But they did wake up desperately in need of great material.

82. There is no secret. Writing is all about hard work, persistence and discovery. Anyone who says different is selling something.

83. If you can get past the sticky mid point of any artistic project, you’ll be floated, at least for a while, on momentum and inspiration.

84. Here’s a basic truth I like to remind myself of. If you write one page a day, you’ll have a first draft in three and a half months. Two, in fifty-five days.

85. Once you’ve written a first draft and you’re on to the rewrite, strive for clarity. Even if your narrative is opaque and twisty your prose shouldn’t be.

86. People ask, ‘how do you know when your stuff is ready to show to other people’. This isn’t science. Part of writing is developing that instinct.

87. If you wanna be an artist you better learn to say NO. To the temptations pulling you away from your work; to the wrong people; to your inner critic.

88. If you still feel pressure writing your first draft, don’t think of it as a first draft. Think of it as a rough draft, then revise. That’ll be your first draft.

89. All I want to say today is this: the romantic vision of the beautiful tortured artist addict is a lie.

90. For one week, track how much television you watch. Next week, spend one third of that time creating something.

91. Do professional writers ever feel like they’re banging their heads against the wall and everything they’re writing is useless? Of course, we just stay at our desks anyway.

92. If you want to model a character after your cousin, your aunt, your uncle, your friend, do it. You can disguise them later. Make them real now.

93. What if I’m a good writer I just don’t want to deal with all that politics? What if I’m a good swimmer I just don’t want to deal with all that water?

94. I was beating myself up about spending a saturday reading, watching movies, instead of writing. But then I remembered, input – as important as output.

95. There’s no one creative endeavour I’ve tried that hasn’t been met with resistance and rejection at first. The trick is to ignore those things.

96. The time you set aside to create is one of the only things you can control. Luckily it’s also the most important factor in getting things done.

97. I promise you this. If you write every single day, a year from now, you’ll be a much better writer than you are today.

98. Screenwriting is not a competition but somebody’s out there not daunted by the odds, writing every day, dreaming big. Is that you?

99. Should I outline or not? And which genre? Better question: what can I do today to put myself in the best state of mind to create?

100. Tell the truth. Does talent matter? Of course it does. Here’s the good news. Talent reveals itself over time.

101. I was in the book store earlier tonight and I realised every single author made a decision at some point that they were a writer. Are you ready to?

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This Guy Got Divorced And Said This About His Ex-Wife… And I Agree With Him.

Gerald Rogers got divorced after 16 years of marriage. Recently he wrote a eye-opening public confession on his blog… after I saw it, I’m totally with him. He writes: ”MARRIAGE ADVICE I WISH I WOULD HAVE HAD: ...

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Writing Tip Number 8:

Find other ways to express yourself. This may seem like a strange writing tip, but if you find other artistic outlets, it allows you more opportunities. More opportunities means more information. More information means experience. Experience is vital to writing.

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When you feel like you may be regretting a decision, or feel like you can’t keep going… remember why you started. That is usually reason enough to keep you going and keep pushing yourself even if it seems impossible.

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definitionofdisney

If you love Disney you must follow this blog!

definitionofdisney

If you love Disney you must follow this blog!

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definitionofdisney

If you love Disney you must follow this blog!

definitionofdisney

If you love Disney you must follow this blog!

definitionofdisney

If you love Disney you must follow this blog!

showandwrite

Request - Derek Hale “Good thing I read it”

“What are you writing?” You hadn’t noticed him coming in, you hadn’t noticed that he was suddenly behind you. If you would have noticed it, you’d have stopped writing way before he was so close. You shut the book, to prevent he could read anything you’d written and turned around. “Nothing that’s of your business.” You tried to put the book away in your bag, but he was too quick. “What’s with all the secrecy?” He had the book in his hand, opened it and started reading. “You’re actually writing about werewolves?”. He looked surprised. “Of course. I get enough inspiration around here, don’t you think? But they’re just stupid stories, you can give the book back now.” You tried to grab it out of his hands, but again, he was too fast for you and suddenly was out of reach. You hoped he would get enough of it before he reached the stories you absolutely didn’t want him to read. “Wait… is this me?” He looked at you with a hint of surprise in his eyes. “This David guy is exactly like me…” He read a few sentences. “And I swear this is the problem we solved last… week…”. He slowed down, and you wanted nothing more than to be able to disappear into thin air. He had definitely reached the stories you didn’t want him to see. It was bad enough that he was reading your writings. Until now, they had been yours and yours alone, it was already weird that you saw them in the hands of someone else. Especially if that someone was Derek. “And the woman in the story…” He suddenly understood. “It’s you, isn’t it? You’re writing about the both of us?” You felt your cheeks become warm, they must be glowing red by now. He wasn’t supposed to find out. Not like this. You were trying to pick up the courage to tell him you felt more for him than just the friendship there was between the two of you, but you had never found the right time. Instead, you just decided to write about it, saw that as a safe way to express what you felt for him. “Please Derek… give it back? I’m not ready for someone to read it yet. Especially…” you took a deep breath, “especially not you.” Once more he looked at the page in front of him, and immediately afterwards to you. He closed the book and handed it over to you. “Why especially not me? Because you mean what you wrote her? You’d want us to be together like this?” He had read too much, he had definitely read too much. You barely dared to look at him when you took the book back, but you nodded. It was something you were scared to admit, but you didn’t want to lie about it either. He let go of the book, but instead, he held your arm in his hand. “Look at me, please?” When you looked up, you didn’t see his bright green eyes mocking with you, but instead you saw a look of understanding, like he felt the same way you did. He pulled you towards him and put a soft kiss on your forehead. “Maybe it’s a good thing I read it…”