Category Archives: Creative Writing

Avoid Writer’s Block with “Nonsense”

Posted on April 19, 2018 by Melanie Anne Phillips

StoryWeaving – Write Your Novel or Screenplay Step By Step Step 2: Nonsense! If you already know what your story is about want to get right to the details, you might want to jump ahead to the “Finding the Holes” … Continue reading →

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A World About Inspiration for Writers

Posted on April 17, 2018 by Melanie Anne Phillips

Inspiration can come from many sources: a conversation overheard at a coffee shop, a newspaper article, or a personal experience to name a few. And, inspiration can also take many forms: a snippet of dialogue, a bit of action, a … Continue reading →

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The Story Mind (Part 7) – Story Structure vs. Storytelling

Posted on February 23, 2018 by Melanie Anne Phillips

Excerpted from the Book “Dramatica Unplugged“ By Melanie Anne Phillips, Co-creator of Dramatica By now, you’re likely pretty familiar with the concept that every story has a mind of its own – a psychology (the structure) and a personality (the storytelling). But, … Continue reading →

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Your Story as a Person

Posted on November 9, 2017 by Melanie Anne Phillips

All too often, authors get mired in the details of a story, trying to cram everything in and make all the pieces fit.  Characters are then seen only as individuals, so they often unintentionally overlap each other’s dramatic functions. The … Continue reading →

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Finding Your Creative Time

Posted on November 7, 2017 by Melanie Anne Phillips

You sit in your favorite writing chair, by the window, on the porch, or in the study. You wear your favorite tweed jacket with the leather elbow patches, or your blue jeans, or your “creative shoes.” You look around at … Continue reading →

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Tricking the Muse: The Creativity “Two-Step”

Posted on November 7, 2017 by Melanie Anne Phillips

The concept behind this method of finding inspiration is quite simple, really: It is easier to come up with many ideas than it is to come up with one idea. Now that may sound counter-intuitive, but consider this… When you … Continue reading →

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Writing From Your Passionate Self

Posted on November 7, 2017 by Melanie Anne Phillips

We all know that a story needs a sound structure. But no one reads a book or goes to a movie to enjoy a good structure. And no author writes because he or she is driven to create a great … Continue reading →

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Clear Your Mind Before Writing

Posted on September 20, 2017 by Melanie Anne Phillips

When beginning a new novel, writers are often faced with one of two initial problems that hinders them right from the get go.  One – sometimes you have a story concept but can’t think of what to do with it. … Continue reading →

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Story Structure with the Muse in Mind

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Melanie Anne Phillips

Story Structure can be a straight-jacket for your Muse. On the one hand, structure is necessary for a story to have a point or even just to make sense!  But on the other hand, structure tends to channel ideas down … Continue reading →

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In Search of Your Writer’s Identity

Posted on May 1, 2017 by Melanie Anne Phillips

Sweet potatoes are the best.  And they are best described in Ralph Ellison’s story of a black man coming to terms with his identity entitled “Invisible Man,” in which he has always avoided eating his favorite childhood food, hot buttered … Continue reading →

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