The beloved Star Trek and Stargate actor opens up about his evolution from embodying characters to creating them. What happens[…]
Author: diana
The 5-Minute Fix for Stuck Stories
When your brain gets in the way of your story, that’s okay. Learn to embrace the awful first draft. DO[…]
Open the Iris! Here Comes More Stargate
In a television landscape obsessed with antiheroes and manufactured conflict, the return of Stargate—with the original creators at the helm—feels[…]
A Legacy of Stepping Forward: Remembering Caleb Copeland
Caleb Copeland, one of my first university students, passed away yesterday. It’s taken the better part of the last 24[…]
We’ve all seen it a thousand times: The phone rings. The protagonist answers. A voice on the other end delivers[…]
“Intellectual Rigor” is Not a Dirty Word
Let’s start with the premise that the more we know about the world, the better equipped we are to create[…]
How Precision Elevates Your Prose and Scripts
The thesaurus is your friend. But like any good friend, it should tell you the truth, not just what you[…]
Who Tells Your Story?
While two studios run half of Hollywood and five publishers control 80% of books, indie creators are quietly making six[…]
The Beautiful Mess of the Middle
“My middle is a disaster.” “I think I broke my story.” “Everything’s falling apart in Act Two and I don’t[…]
The Secret Life of Sentences
Here’s a confession: most writers treat sentences like delivery trucks. Load them up with information, ship them out, move on[…]
When Your Dentist Becomes Your Producer
Picture this: You’re sitting in a dental chair, mouth full of metal instruments, listening to your dentist chat about his[…]
Plot Diagnostics: Six Questions That Fix Broken Stories
Your story feels off, but you can’t pinpoint why. Characters wander aimlessly. Events happen without consequence. Readers give up halfway[…]