15 Insights from John August on his Creative Spark

Thoughts After NaNoWriMo

Credit: Melissa McPhail

This graphic just about sums up the kinds of feelings I have after having jumped into November's National Novel Writing Month. I didn't make the 50,000 word goal, so I didn't finish this marathon, but I did learn about writing and storytelling.

Hardwired for story: Sarah-Jane “SJ” Murray

At TEDxSanAntonio, Emmy-nominated screenwriter Sarah-Jane explained how to think about why insanely great storytelling matters and why it’s the key to our future.

Pixar’s Successful Storytelling Rules Examined in Insightful Video

 

 Produced by Bloop Animation.

The video explores what makes a great idea and how Pixar gets to the essence of their stories.

Written by Dean Movshovitz Based on the 22 rules of storytelling by Emma Coats.

5 Ways to Increase Writing Productivity

Donna Gambale, Philadelphia-based YA writer, shares 5 opportunities to brainstorm on projects  to keep it fresh and allow you to progress more rapidly when you sit down to write.

1. Driving
2. Doing Chores
3. Falling Asleep
4. Cooking
5. Waiting

The full list of opportunities is described in the Writer's Digest article 5 OPPORTUNITIES TO INCREASE YOUR WRITING PRODUCTIVITY (WITHOUT ACTUALLY WRITING)

8 Tips For Creating Great Stories

Recently Fast Create profiled the new book by Jeff VanderMeer  Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction. The book is billed as an all-new definitive guide to writing imaginative fiction and takes a completely novel approach, fully exploiting the visual nature of fantasy through original drawings, maps, renderings, and exercises to create a spectacularly beautiful and inspiring object.

Fast Create highlighted 8 tips from top storytellers like George R.R. Martin, Junot Diaz, Lev Grossman, Neil Gaiman, Michael Moorcock, Catherynne M. Valente, and Karen Joy Fowler, to name a few.

1. Tell, Don't Show
2. Name Wisely
3. Build A Better Backstory
4. Take Your Lumps
5. Let It Bloom
6. Finish The Thing
7. Deform The Familiar
8. Talk To Strangers

The article 8 Tips For Creating Great Stories From George R.R. Martin, Junot Diaz, And Other Top Storytellers can be found on Fast Create.

Failure and Creativity

A fascinating infographic looking at the creative process.

8 Cool Ways to Stoke Your Creative Juices

A great post over at nofilm school explores some traditional and less orthodox approaches to stir up your innate creative juices and get out great storytelling elements.

Check out this article 8 Somewhat Unusual Screenwriting Tips That May Help Kickstart and Maintain Your Creativity

• Freewrite
• Get a journal and make it your own
• Take your characters to lunch
• Talk to yourself
• Do bizarre things that make you embarrassed of yourself
• Become a voyeur
• Be your characters
• Take time to just marinate