A flashback is meant to move a story forward by going back to the past. If this sounds like a contradiction of terms, that partially explains why flashbacks are so dangerous to use. When used poorly, flashbacks bring your story to a screeching halt. So how do you use flashbacks correctly? The worst example of […]
Imagine being stuck in a car and not knowing where you’re going, how long it will take, or when the trip will ever end. Now imagine taking the same journey knowing exactly where you’re going and when the trip will end. That’s the difference between a goal and not having a goal. One of the […]
A year ahead of me in my high school was a guy named Sam Raimi, who later went on to direct the Spiderman trilogy. I never knew Sam Raimi personally, but I did know that in high school, he used to make movies all the time and show them to everyone in the auditorium. Then […]
The opening of your story needs to intrigue and draw an audience in. The way to do that is to start off with a mystery. Imagine walking into a room and seeing two people sitting together. Boring, right? Now imagine walking into that same room and seeing two people arguing, but as soon as they […]
Stories are meant to entertain, but beyond this entertainment value, stories have also been used to reflect a culture’s values and tell a lesson. The question is what values and lesson does your story give to your audience? The Bible is full of stories that make a point and teach us a lesson, but every […]