Have a cup of Coffee and stay awhile
Shop around for writer supplies, software, and books
Click here for Books/Screenplays page

Short Story Writing
By John Halasz

Short story writing is an art which is very similar to writing funny news headlines. Don't think so? "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." This story, written by Ernest Hemingway is considered to be the shortest story in the world. Though the theme of this story is a tragedy, it is very similar to the headlines we see in newspapers every day. One such example: "One-armed man applauds the kindness of strangers".

As a form of literature, short story writing has existed for hundreds of years. Fairy tales and Aesop's Fables have been famous for centuries and continue to be read even today. Stories and anecdotes were born in the oral medium and gradually spread throughout the world in written form. However, it was only in the 19th century that the form of short story writing was recognized as a separate genre of writing. Although novels were more popular at the time, some authors understood that the format of the novel cannot be used for shorter stories, which had a simpler yet coherent plot, fewer characters, and no subplots. Although the word count is by definition limited to 7000 to 9000 words, a short story also differs from a novel or a novella in that there is a simple plot, which flows through the story and a very tight and taut narrative technique which avoids unnecessary details.

The format remains faithful to the structural rules of traditional drama. The structure is supposed to have the following components: introduction (of characters, setting, and the scene), a central conflict, rising action (the conflict, along with other secondary hurdles to create the tension in the protagonist's journey towards his goal), crisis (the moment of truth), climax (a final showdown involving the protagonist and the antagonist), and the resolution.

These days, the word count defines the genre of writing more than the structure. The challenge of writing the shortest story made writers conscious about their word count. This resulted in a genre known as Flash Fiction or Micro Fiction, which is a very brief story. It contains several sub-genres such as 55 Fiction (55 words), Drabble (100 words), and the 69er (69 words), which are based purely on word count. Such stories are a form of the short story, but not generally considered the typical. A variety of writing styles and narrative structures have been invented in short stories. A recent example is Jonathan Nolan's "Memento Mori" in which the story progressed in two parallel time frames. While the first contains a first person narrative of the protagonist, the other is a third person narrative told after his escape.

Short story writing contains a wide spectrum. It is up to each short story writer to choose their own form, genre, and style. By sampling the various possibilities, short story writers will be better prepared to make an informed decision.

For help from our creative writing services, contact us by visiting our website http://ghostwritersforhire.com/, calling / text messaging John at (716) 579-5984, or EMAILING: Ezine [AT] GhostwritersForHire.Com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Halasz
http://EzineArticles.com/?Short-Story-Writing&id=6514694

Story Writing Software - Do You Really Need It?
By David Laurence

I expect you are wondering if story writing software is for you. People often buy things that they don't really need. So what about story writing software? Do you really need it? Not quite sure?

Well, perhaps you might like to read this article. It WILL give you some idea of whether or not story writing software is something that YOU need.

In theory, the creative process is an amazing one. You begin with a blank piece of paper or a blank computer screen and then suddenly the words begin to flow and before you know it, you've got a finished piece of work.

Ah, but if only it were that simple. I am sure you know as well as anybody that the creative process is definitely not a smooth one, so what you don't need is something that either doesn't help you in the process or just gets in your way. This is where story writing software comes in.

Good writing software will take all the story ideas inside your head and transform those ideas into fully developed short stories or novels. Good software can do many things to help you begin creative writing. There too many to go into in the space of this article, but here are a couple off the top of my head.

First, a good piece of software will have story templates. These templates will have everything from story ideas to character creation tips. There will be enough name combinations to create characters for hundreds of stories without ever repeating a character name. There will also be a database for place names so that you can pull out a country and city for your story at the drop of a hat.

But probably just as important is ease of use with an easy to use interface. There is no point in having software to help you in your writing if it's too difficult to use. There are so many pieces of software that are so user unfriendly that they're not worth having... no matter how powerful they are.

A good story writing tool should be so intuitive that it almost works on its own and allows you to spend more time on writing and less on trying to master the software program.

In my signature, you'll find a review of a great piece of software that has all these things and more. I think you will find it most helpful.

Do you really need writing software? Do you suffer from writer's block? Visit this website site at http://storycraftwritingsoftware.com/ and find out more about good writing software and get some answers to your questions.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Laurence
http://EzineArticles.com/?Story-Writing-Software---Do-You-Really-Need-It?&id=5914724

Writing for the screen is quirky business. A writer must labor meticulously over his or her prose, yet very little of that prose is ever heard by filmgoers. The few words that do reach the audience, in the form of the characters' dialogue, are, according to Robert McKee, best left to last in the writing process. ("As Alfred Hitchcock once remarked, 'When the screenplay has been written and the dialogue has been added, we're ready to shoot.' ") In Story, McKee puts into book form what he has been teaching screenwriters for years in his seminar on story structure, which is considered by many to be a prerequisite to the film biz. (The long list of film and television projects that McKee's students have written, directed, or produced includes Air Force One, The Deer Hunter, E.R., A Fish Called Wanda, Forrest Gump, NYPD Blue, and Sleepless in Seattle.) Legions of writers flock to Hollywood in search of easy money, calculating the best way to get rich quick. This book is not for them. McKee is passionate about the art of screenwriting. "No one needs yet another recipe book on how to reheat Hollywood leftovers," he writes. "We need a rediscovery of the underlying tenets of our art, the guiding principles that liberate talent." Story is a true path to just such a rediscovery. In it, McKee offers so much sound advice, drawing from sources as wide ranging as Aristotle and Casablanca, Stanislavski and Chinatown, that it is impossible not to come away feeling immeasurably better equipped to write a screenplay and infinitely more inspired to write a brilliant one.--Jane Steinberg

"... stimulating, innovative, refreshingly practical." -- -- Lawrence Kasdan, Director "...the best guide on writing you can find." -- Laurence Chollet, The Record, Northern New Jersey "In difficult periods of writing, I often turn to Robert McKee's wonderful book for guidance" -- -- Dominick Dunne, Novelist "McKee is the Stanislavski of writing." -- -- Dennis Dugan, Writer, NYPD Blue

"[Story is]an excellent instruction manual on the craft of storytelling." -- Austin American-Statesman "... stimulating, innovative, refreshingly practical." -- Lawrence Kasdan, Director

"In difficult periods of writing, I often turn to Robert McKee's wonderful book for guidance" -- Dominick Dunne, Novelist "McKee is the Stanislavski of writing." -- Dennis Dugan, Writer, NYPD Blue

"to the people who write, direct and produce for Hollywood - or desperately wish they did - Bob McKee is a cross between E. F. Hutton and Sun Myung Moon. The man speaks, and people start to take furious notes - he is now the undisputed screenwriting king... for the legendary screenwriting boot camp that he runs. Thirty-thousand aspiring screenwriters have already taken McKee's 30-hour, three-day course..." -- Newsday

There are many good works on screenwriting available. I have read several, including those by Field, Seger, and others. They have all been helpful and offer something valuable. By reading several of these books, I have gained much more than reading just one. At the very least I understand the different approaches to story, structure, etc., and am better equipped to employ my own style and method.

That said, Story by Robert McKee is the cream of the crop. The book is beautifully written, tremendously insightful. I have gleaned more from this book than any of the others. Anyone with a pen and paper or typewriter can write a screenplay. For those who wish to create a masterwork with feeling characters in compelling situations, this book is a must read. It explains the why and the how, and reveals what we as screenwriters struggle toward: a good story, well told. My only gripe was that I didn't want it to end. So I have started reading it again. My work is decidedly better thanks to Robert McKee's book. Now I fear that any books I read from this point will pale in comparison. I hope that I find another gem, and am proven wrong, but to save others from this fate, I urge you to read this book last!

I've read many books on screenwriting, and Story is certainly one of the best. Its conservative, to be sure, espousing all the tenets of Classical Hollywood Narrative: Three act structure, strong active protagonists, inciting incidents, causal chain, action not words - y'know the drill.

McKee, however, is not a member of the Syd Field school. Field gives writers rules; McKee offers principles. This is a critical difference. McKee believes in the craft and art of screenwriting above all else. Consequently, Story has a different tone to Field's Screenplay . If you look beneath the surface of Story, you'll find that McKee's principles and views are far more flexible than anything Vogler or Field has offered the screenwriter.

While primarily focusing on what he calls Arch-Plot (Classical Hollywood Narrative) he also accepts the existence of other, alternative, forms. He also hails the greatness of those alternative narrative films throughout the book. These alternative narratives are not, however, the focus in Story. McKee believes that an aspiring writing needs to master the classical story form before adventuring elsewhere. His goal in the sheer bulk of Story is to educate, not indoctrinate, the reader about all aspects of Classical Narrative.

For many readers this will come across as a conventional approach to screenwriting. That it is. Unlike many other (traditional) screenwriting books, though, this is underpinned by McKee's belief in the craft above all else. He doesn't want you to just absorb, but rather think. about what he is saying. If you don't understand how a traditional story works, and how to tell one well, what chance in hell do you have of telling your multi-passive-protoganist, anti-plot, 2-act, time-jumping magnum work?

When McKee speaks of writers taking their craft to a place few ever go what he really is talking about is writers who are willing to think about what they are doing on a fundamental level. While I did disagree with what he had to say at times (a lot of times) I did find that McKee made me understand my craft far better than most screenwriting books and teachers I've had. Combine this with Alternative Scriptwriting and/or Scriptwriting Updated, and all you need now is a great idea..

Story Writing - Do You Know How You Can Finally Begin To Write A Story?
By David Laurence

All you really need in order to write a story is a notebook and something to write with. But it is not quite that easy is it? We have all sat there staring at a notebook or computer screen just trying to get started!

But help is at hand, as writing software is now available online that can make life much easier for writers,

You're probably wondering how this writing software which is available online can help YOU to write a story.

The following will explain.

Good writing software will guide you in your work right from the start, beginning with the basics...and then it will stand by you every step of the way as you proceed writing your story,.

The software helps you to organize your thoughts and provides you with guidelines in creating your character and how to plot and create a well planned story.

As I am sure you know the construction of a story is one of the most important parts. Your story will collapse without any construction.

A good example of story writing software can help you by remembering for you the places where everything begins to unravel such as losing the plot, forgotten characters and locations.

You should also never be left alone with this software when you need help and assistance. This good software should also provide instant on-line support whenever you need it.

Another requirement of good writing software is for the software to be easy to use. We have all used software that was excellent but just not user-friendly so that when we came to use it we were completely lost. A poor point of interaction between user and software can make the best software completely ineffective.

The importance of this is that a good point of interaction gives you more time to write a story, rather than wasting time trying to learn how to make the software respond to your needs. This can mean the difference between actually writing your story or just giving up in frustration and walking away without writing that story.

If you are thinking of getting writing software to help you get started to write that book then what exactly do YOU need?

There is writing software available for beginners who are just starting to write and which also teach story writing, and the more advanced and more expensive type, required by experienced authors who want to write more stories faster.

So, where should you start.....?

Click here at http://storycraftwritingsoftware.com/ to find a review of a great piece of reasonably priced story writing software that should more than do the job for you and help you to write a story in no time at all. Go to http://storycraftwritingsoftware.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Laurence
http://EzineArticles.com/?Story-Writing---Do-You-Know-How-You-Can-Finally-Begin-To-Write-A-Story?&id=5977614

INSANITY: 60-Day Total Body Conditioning Workout DVD Program

Film-Makers.com
The ultimate online starting point for film-makers & film-lovers!