Submitted by Suraya Dewing on Friday 9 October 2020
Submitted by Suraya Dewing on Monday 24 August 2020
The principles of good storytelling in film also apply to storytelling on paper.
The litmus test of a good story is how a main character reacts to challenge. At the start of the story he or she is one kind of person and by the end transformed into another. The protagonist overcomes obstacles along the way and when he or she reaches journey’s end the world and the protagonist are changed. This is referred to as the Hero’s Journey.
Submitted by Suraya Dewing on Sunday 26 July 2020
Stories remain locked in our imaginations until we describe what we see so that others can share the experience.
This holds true for all storytelling across all media.
I thought I had seen the best of storytelling in British and European drama. This was until I discovered Korean drama (K-drama) on Netflix. I am swept away by its pin-point portrayal of life.
Submitted by Suraya Dewing on Thursday 9 May 2019
Persist.
This is surely the most important quality a writer needs. There are many good ideas. But having a good idea, written well that actually touches reader's hearts is another matter. It takes persistence to keep perfecting a skill and self-belief. Follow the dream. One day it will be reality. This is the key to success.
“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” Winston S. Churchill.
Submitted by Suraya Dewing on Wednesday 10 April 2019
Submitted by Suraya Dewing on Saturday 16 March 2019
Is creativity important? Ask any writer frantically juggling work and home commitments with finding time to write and they will say, creativity is as essential as breathing.'
The importance of acknowledging the need to express ourselves creatively was brought home to me when a member of The Story Mint, who had not written for a while, contacted us with a chapter for her story. In her message she wrote, “It feels fantastic to be writing again.”
Submitted by Suraya Dewing on Monday 18 February 2019
Submitted by Suraya Dewing on Thursday 24 January 2019
Before you put that first word on the page take the time to understand your readers. Consider their interests and how to connect with them. Readers have millions of titles to choose from so why should they pick yours?
Give them a very good reason or better, several reasons. Make the cover unmissable, ensure the first paragraph grabs their attention and keep the story going using great description, strong characters and fast paced story line.
Submitted by Suraya Dewing on Friday 19 October 2018
In her opening address at Breaking the Code: from published to best-selling author, Linda Langton stressed the importance of editing. Linda is Founder and President of the successful international literary and film consultancy, Langtons International Agency, based in New York. She was not alone. The importance of meticulous editing was a recurring theme throughout the symposium.
Submitted by Suraya Dewing on Tuesday 18 September 2018
The Common themes that appeal to readers
Studying what books make the world-wide best seller list can be useful if you want to be the author of a best-seller. There are common themes that appeal to readers and after all, it is readers who create best-seller lists.
Most books, with the exception of one or two, do consistently appear on alternative lists. The list I referred to is a global list compiled by a service called, Global English Editing[1].
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