In the following excerpt, Aaron Sorkin explains to GQ.com how he approaches writing a monologue: A song in a musical works best when a character has to sing— when words won’t do the trick anymore. The same idea applies to a long speech in a play or a movie or on television….
The biggest mistake you can make as a writer is to toil away for months or years on your own, honing your masterpiece in solitude, polishing and repolishing your prose until every word is perfect. The writing process begins when you show your first draft to people and start getting…
Here’s Kurt Vonnegut once again on how to write a story. Note: #8 is wrong, but #3 is the probably most important thing you’ll ever learn about writing. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted….
VONNEGUT When I used to teach creative writing, I would tell the students to make their characters want something right away—even if it’s only a glass of water. Characters paralyzed by the meaninglessness of modern life still have to drink water from time to time. One of my students wrote…
David Mamet on Drama To the writers of the unit: As we learn how to write this show, a recurring problem becomes clear. The problem is this: to differentiate between DRAMA and non-drama. Let me break it down now. Everyone in creation is screaming at us to make the show…
8 Rules for Writing Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for. Every character should want something, even if it is only a…