THE NEW PROJECT's BOARD

Almost 5 months after my last post, (Summer is a busy time), here the point where my new project stays.

As I mentioned before, I spent many months in research, then creating characters (at least the main ones). I did some steps on treatment, and now I planning the scenes sequence. This is a hard work, that will take some time to do.

Ideas follow other ideas, and some are thrown to the bin.

It's the time to clarify, to imagine and to fly free.

This is the moment the project takes shape. Basically I'm filling the structure.

Have a look on this (intentionally blurred)  picture.

This is how it looks like at the moment. I have about half of the scenes that I need. Starting with the main ones that led me to the write this project, the difficulty now, it's to create high quality scenes to fill the other spaces. Every single scene need to be perfect and make the story run. That's the hardest part of the process, but also the most exciting.

I love to have my brain running on new ideas while I walk in the city or sat on a garden. But keep you notepad near!

See you soon.

A NEW PROJECT

I'm starting my most ambitious project ever. So I decided to keep on the Heroes and Villains a kind of diary giving tips where am I at every moment. That will give an idea of the time taken to develop a new script.

The beginning was an idea of the theme. Simple and naked.

It was last year when I was talking about my home town with other writers and they said something like "wow... that can be an amazing script".

I don't tell you the story of my town... for now, because that will immediately will lead to the theme of my script... so I'm keeping it in secret.

Anyway, when my fellow writers mentioned about, I suddenly realised I lived so many years with an amazing theme just next door. As usual, just because is under our noses, we can´t see it.

This proves that sometimes the best ideas are in front of your eyes. Just look for it. You don’t need to push your brain too much to get a good one. And do not try to make it very complex in the beginning. You’ll have time to develop it.

So, after the initial idea I’ve started my research. Since is based on real events, I did some interviews, visited locations and read, at least, three books specifically on the subject, plus two or three about scriptwriting. The first ones gave me insight on the subject, interesting facts and fine details and helped me to feel comfortable on the subject. The second ones kept me focus in the scriptwriting technics, structures, character buildings etc. Even after many years writing, it’s always good to do new refreshment on “rules” before you start a new project.

This period last me for about 6 months. A slow pace moment since I don´t have any pressure at the moment and I want to be as much accurate and plausible as possible. At the same time during this time I started to design the story line and I created the main characters and some of the secondary ones. My script board is already full of notes!

My next stage it will be to create the treatment. You will find that the more you research the easier the treatment will be. And a good log line also will turn up. I already have one… But it is secret!

Keep an eye for next posts. I’m a bit busy at the time at the York Mystery Plays, but I will try my best to do my work and to post updates about my progression.

Next phase will be the TREATMENT.

WHO VISITS THE HEROES AND VILLAINS

The top 10 Countries visiting The Heroes and Villains.

Happy 10.000

Heroes and Villains hits the amazing 10.000 visits!
Thank You all.

The importance of networking

The picture I randomly found in the net. I'm the 1st on the left in the audience.

 

 

Since I moved to the UK in 2011, I've tried to expand my network.

It is important to keep contacts in this hard industry, the TV and media.

Just realised today the number of seminars and networking events that I have attended in the UK when randomly I found the picture - illustrating this post - of me attending one of that events.

My first one was in Brighton in 2012 a networking event with Shed Media Group. I still think they invited me by mistake as I was just recently had arrived to the country. Anyway, at that Shed Media, I was in a corner looking to people - it was my first networking meeting in my life - then some kind of Guardian Angel (not the newspaper one) come to me and just asked me what I was doing. I told him that I was new in the country and I didn't know anybody on TV industry.

 

He asked me: "Why are you there then? Why aren't you talking with people? You only have this opportunity once in a life time! Now stop talking with me and go talk with the producers!" He just smiled and left me. Wow! Is this a angel?! He was right. I was in my first great opportunity to meet people on the business and in the end I was just in a corner watching them.

 

I know you need courage to do it in your first time. But then I realised all that people at the networking event were there to do exactly that. To meet other people. Because of that guardian angel ( I still don't know who he is) I start my network. And because of that I was invited to be part of a panel to analyse the ideas of some of the Brighton University's Creative Writing students.  Just in a couple of weeks later I was giving advice to creative writing students, sat with Jamie Mathieson (' Dr. Who'; 'Being Human'; 'Dirk Gently') and Huw Penalt-Jones, Chief Executive of De Lane Lea Production Company ('Sherlock Holmes'; 'Harry Potter'; 'X-Men'; 'Sweeny Todd'; 'Wallace and Gromit'; 'Tipping the Velvet'; 'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy' ).

 

Because of that guardian angel I already met Bafta winners, producers, writers and commissioners. I'm in contact with executives from BBC and ITV, and now it's a matter of time that I will have my chance in the UK.

 

Even with credits, networking is something that you need to keep doing. That keeps you alive and moving forward, even if you don't notice.

 

Here are some of the conferences that I attended only in the last year many of them I had the chance to have a word with:

 

Kristian Smith (BBC Comedy Commissioner) – Salford 2015
Elaine Cameron (Producer, Hartswood, Edge of Heaven, The guilty) – Salford 2015
Phil Mealey (Actor and Writer – Early Doors, The Royle Family) – Salford 2015
Kate Haldane (Agent of PBJ Management) – Salford 2015
Claire McCarthy (producer – Class Dismissed) – Salford 2015
Andy Potter (Writer – Class Dismissed) – Salford 2015
Elliot Kerrigan (Writer – Boy meets girl) – Salford 2015
Rebecca Root ( Actor – Boy meets girl) – Salford 2015
Paul Walker (Director – Boy meets girl) – Salford 2015
Sophie Clarke-Jervoise ( Executive Producer – Boy meets girl) – Salford 2015
Anne Edyvean ( Head BBC Writersroom) – Salford 2015

Kate Rowland (BBC Creative Director) – London 2014
Tony Jordan (By Any Means, Life on Mars, Hustle, Eastenders) – London 2014
Barbara Machin (Waking the Dead, Casualty) – London 2014
Danny Brocklehurst (Accused, Exile, Shameless, Clocking Off) – London 2014
Bryan Elsley (Skins, Dates) – London 2014
Sophie Gardiner (Channel 4 Drama Commissioning Editor) – London2014
Levi David Addai (Youngers, My Murder) – London 2014
Hilary Salmon (BBC Executive Producer, Drama) - London 2014
Chris Aird (Head of Drama, BBC Scotland) – London 2014
Jane Featherstone (Chief Executive Kudos) – London 2014
Pete Bowker (From There to Here, Monroe, Eric & Ernie, Casualty)
Toby Whithouse (Being Human, Doctor Who, No Angels) – London 2014
Danny Brocklehurst (Accused, Exile, Shameless, Clocking Off) – London 2014
 
Charlie Higson – York 2014
Anthony Horowitz – York 2014

"The Simpsons" Writers Reunion

"The Simpsons" Writers Reunion with Conan O'Brien

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtJ28qOEG1g

Great review from BBC on my script "The Little Pharaoh"

What BBC said about my script "The Little Pharaoh" :

"The Little Pharaoh is a comedy drama series about two children called Daniel and Rebecca who come across real historical/mythic figures who come to life. In this pilot episode it’s a sarcophagus and ancient Egypt – Thutmose (who used to be a Pharaoh apparently) chased by jackal headed men. We end up near Cleopatra’s needle and Osiris and the Sphinx get involved too. It’s an exciting story with lots of twists and turns and ...lots of interesting characters too. Comedy Drama is a difficult genre to write, it can be hard to balance the tension and the jeopardy with the humour, and we thought your script had a nice light-hearted tone which might appeal to younger children. ."

Unfortunately, putting Ancient Egyptians Gods and mythical creature, involved to many special effects that blast the budget to do it. But was really close.

This is BBC! Very proud!

LANGUAGE OF COMEDY

A series of mini videos on Writing for Comedy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YVT6Sqlogg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_CAfmqtLEU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FFER10ufuM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI6HJXzkP-Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coUNTbqL60g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQdJeY5Jtik

THE STRUCTURE -- ACT I (part I)

 

 



What happens in the First Act?

This is the introductory act of the structure. It's probably the act which received more changes in the recent years. Not in the content but on the size.

The scripts become shorter in the last couple of decades. The economy determined the movies that used to have more than 2 hours, now they will be just under that. Some movies for children even went to just about one hour and 10 minutes.

The great epics from Hollywood are rare now. There is no place anymore for three hours of "The Ten Commandments" or "Ben Hur".

The production costs and the attention levels went down. People are not able anymore to follow an entire movie for more than 1 hour and 50 minutes. Publicity on TV cuts a movie in so many pieces that if you want to watch a movie on Sunday afternoon at some TV channels it can take 3 or 4 hours of bits! Everything is quick and flashy.

 

What did change on the scripts because of that?

 

Simple, what used to take 20 minutes to 30 minutes to happen in a script now it needs to happen in 10 minutes. And the ACT I is probably the one which received more cuts.

In the structure, the ACT I is the part of the story where you introduce the main characters and the locations in time and space. It's also in the end of this ACT I that you launch the journey of the protagonist. As normally is known as "THE CALL".

 

In the past the scriptwriters used to have plenty of time to do it. As I said they used to have about 20 to 30 pages. Now the producers want to see it on the first ten pages. Some are already trying to get information on the first  five pages and in extreme on the first page. This is particularly important when you writing for TV as the episodes have just 50 minutes (or even just 30 minutes). At this stage, I may say you need to introduce your story in the first scene. Three or four lines of dialogue and the main story needs to be "on stage".

 

The introductory part of the main characters on the ACT I must give us an immediate image of who is he/she. We need to understand what kind of character it is. What is his world? What are his thoughts or morals, something that bring us back the three-dimensional characters that I wrote in older posts. The ACT I is the moment to put on table most of that information. The audience must understand what type of character is on.

 

Place it on time and in space is another important thing to introduce in the ACT I. When the action is starting? Where? Is it London 1845, United States 2009, The moon in 2150... The spectators need to understand where and when everything is happening. Even if you have flashbacks or prologues they will give a time and a space that will be important for the development of the story. It can be in a place that doesn't exist... A kind of desert like in MAD MAX or the infinite ocean in WATERWORLD. But we need to understand where and when it happens.

 

Mel Gibson in MAD MAX.

Mel Gibson in MAD MAX.
 

I will continue in the ACT I on the next post.

 

CYA

 

 

John Cleese On Creativity

John Cleese On Creativity
https://soundcloud.com/londonscreenwriters/john-cleese-on-creativity

Emma Thompson: Screenwriting Lecture

Emma Thompson: Screenwriting Lecture

The actor and writer of Sense and Sensibility and Nanny McPhee talks about her writing routine, her Cambridge Footlights experience, and why the ability to fail is a must for all screenwriters. Chaired by Jeremy Brock.

Recorded at the BFI on 20 September 2014.

Follow the link below:
http://guru.bafta.org/emma-thompson-screenwriting-lecture-2014-audio

"A Write of Passage" interview

 

Member of the Month [September 2014]: João Rei Villar, Intro João Rei Villar: A Write of Passage Member since June 2013 Manager's Choice

Erynne Elkins

Word Muse

Q: Describe your writing process.
A: I start my process with a basic idea. I cook it in my mind for a while. Very rarely I take notes. I just let the ideas in evolution process. That may take some days or weeks. When I have a solid line for my story, that’s the moment when I start to put it on the paper. I start creating the main characters’ structure, making a diagram of relations, very visual. I like to do that color stuff... good are blue, bad are red, secondary relations are green. These diagrams really help when you are writing, especially when you write a story with many characters. After that I follow the traditional story structure. Since I think a lot about the story before I start, I normally don’t do many changes, even after the work is done. I’m not a writer who does many drafts. At the beginning I was a bit “worried” as in the industry you heard so many times “you need to re-write and re-write...” until I met Anthony Horowitz in a conference this year and he also confessed he doesn’t do many drafts. Just like me: 1st draft, when I do the handwriting on a notebook, 2nd draft when I copy to the laptop, 3rd draft after the checking. Eventually I can change some details if I read it some months later, but nothing very dramatic.

Q: Where do you write?
A: I can do it at home but also I can do in the train or at any place that I have some time free, a pen and a notebook. But to spark ideas shower is the best place!

Q: When did you first identify yourself as a writer?
A: I’m a very creative person. I always was and that wasn’t happening only on writing. I do paintings and drawings, I do music and theatre, the writing comes last after I did my cinema studies. I need to create all the time and when I started writing I thought “now, wait a minute, this is much easier, I only need to think and write it down”. Writing is putting your creativity explosion in a piece of paper. Just like that. Writing is now my favorite creative art.

Q: How do you define success as a writer?
A: Nowadays success is a very dangerous word. Many people are looking for the 15 minutes of fame. That doesn’t mean quality. Unfortunately the boundaries of quality are very low, but worse than that since TV and Film are businesses; they try to follow what the audiences want. In result we had a downgrade. That led us to think what is SUCCESS on these days? Someone who writes the “summer hit” and will be replaced by other “next summer” or someone who becomes a classic. More, only a very few authors are known by the public. Everybody knows the actors, many know the directors, and only very few know the scriptwriter or the author. We are in the last level of the chain. The successful writer will be the one that will be know in the industry offices. For me that’s the place I would like to be known.

Q: How has social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) helped your writing process/efforts/career?
A: I moved to UK recently so I had to start again from almost zero. I’m still building a new network, and Linkedin is definitively a fantastic tool. I made my own strategy on social media. Linkedin is absolutely for professional matter. On the other way, I keep Facebook for friends and any close acquaintance. It’s just for fun and I don’t mix it with the other social media. Twitter, I’m just discovering it now. Honestly, I use to think it was just stupid. A small comment with 140 characters, what’s the point of it?! But then I found it can be much more than that, and I start to publish my news or links to my blog entries. Without notice I start to get some followers and professional contacts. I see the point now and I like it! If you want to follow me there I’m @JReiVillar. I also keep my blog Heros and Villains where I write about scriptwriting, post some scripts and links to useful information. You can follow it here:http://jrvscripts.blogspot.co.uk/

 

Q: What's the best piece of writing advice you've ever received?
A: “Your story put me in tears. I was reading and my tears were flowing.” (Note: She wasn’t crying because it was bad material). That happens with a couple of stories and different people. If you write something that is sad and the people are crying, that means you did a good work.

Q: Tell us about your current writing project.
A: I have two projects that I’m developing at the moment. Let me say they are good! Very good! So I keep it secret for now. Giggles.

Q: Which award has your name written all over it: Oscar, Tony, Emmy, Clio or Grammy?
A: I have an EMMY award with some of my colleagues from the portuguese production company "SP Televisão"also with Pedro Lopes, another great author and friend.

Q: Favorite TV show, movie or play (include writer's/creator's name) and why.
A: I was going to put Patton(1971), one of my favorite movies, then I thought... well I don’t know who wrote the script, so I did a quick check and surprising found it was a master, Francis Ford Coppola with another Oscar winning, Edmund H. North. I love this film and George C. Scott is fantastic. From TV I want to highlight “Carnivale” by Daniel Knauf. This amazing series didn’t receive the deserved audience support at the time (2003-2005) but is definitely a great piece of work on TV out of the main stream, very intelligent, very well produced and I wish it could come back at any point. Many people are dreaming for that moment. My favourite play, that I had the chance to direct last year, is Harvey by Mary Chase. The James Stewart film is great, the play is a big laugh! If you have chances at any time try to see it with a good cast! Very important you need a good cast and a giant rabbit!

Q: How do you incorporate balance in your life?
A: I don’t. Giggles.

Q: Valuable takeaway for 900+ members of A Write of Passage...
A: One day Robert McKee wrote me “Tell the truth”, I will add “Be true to your stories”.

 

 

Thank You Erynne!

CHARACTERS in a STORY - The archetypes Part II

 

 

 

Last post I started analysing the type of characters or Archetypes in a story. They will surround the Protagonist and pushing and pulling in different ways. The ones that I named “Companions“ or “Friends”, keep close with the protagonist in great part of the story. In The Three Musketeers, Athos Porthos and Aramis are the Companions of D’Artagnan. They have a similar journey and have the same objective, to protect the King.

Is not rare a Companion to meet the protagonist in an initial dispute and then become a friend. That's exactly what happens in the Three Musketeers. Also, it happens so many times at the resolution of a story that a companion or friend sacrifices himself to help that resolution can happen. In Harry Potter, Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) offers to play chess in a mortal chess board so Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) can progress to the confrontation with Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes).

The friend or companion can assume different forms: as a best friend, as a girlfriend/boyfriend, as a team player. Some are closer than others. In Harry Potter, we have Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) as the closer friends, Ginny Wealsey  (Bonnie Wright) is there too, but only in the end of the series she will have a more important role as Harry falls in love with her and eventually she will become his wife and mother of his children. We can add Neville Long Bottom (Matthew Lewis) and so many others... In fact looks like Harry Potter’ series has more characters than all the Coronation Street cast... ok maybe not.

All these characters who help Harry to defeat Voldemort can be considered Companions and friends of route.

Just remember when the kids are playing Indians and Cowboys (the ones who still do it without the help of a game's console) they say "we are the friends and you are the enemies". Simple as that. If the characters are with the protagonist they are friends if they are not they are enemies (I named this ones the blockers, but that will be for future posts).

I will continue with the Companions and friends next time.

CYA

THE TREATMENT

Oh yes... the treatment. 

Now that you pitched your idea, is time to put it on a TREATMENT. And what is a treatment?
Basically it's the first outline of your story, high-lighting key scenes, characters and the locations and any other important detail that you need to keep in mind not only for you but also for the producers you are going to present your idea.

When you write your treatment you need to remember that the other people don't see inside your brain. It means that you really need to write a clear and comprehensive text.

No one is going to guess what you mean unless you are putting it on the paper and they can read it. So, forget your philosophic and cool way of being an intellectual and poetic person and be pragmatic on your treatment. Black on white. Anyone you read it must understand it in one go.

Here some tips that I caught in the last BBC Drama Festival, about treatment:

·                     The main idea must be explained in no more than two pages.

·                     You need a good title!

·                     Initial 2 or 3 paragraphs about the idea. (A young wizard boy who goes to a magic school and have to fight against a powerful dark forces). Any idea of this one? See, very easy and simple ideas.

·                     A set describing the story or series. (This is a series of 13 episodes of 50 minutes, for young adults... bla bla bla).

Now, if you are creating a series you need to create the entire treatment of the first episode, and then in a very resumed way the rest of the episodes. What is going to happen in the other episodes.
This will take about 5 or 6 pages and remember to be clear. 

In the actual very fast TV industry context, the series are starting with six episodes (used to be 13). Since the TV Channels and producers don't want to take risks they buy a short series of episodes to see how it goes with the audiences. But this can vary depending of the channel and the type of work. If you watch the BBC British drama series, some are even smaller with just 3 episodes mini-series. Other countries are still following the 13 episodes series (even if sometime they axe them in the middle...).

Right, let’s move forward, the next part of your treatment is the character list description.  I didn't wrote about characters yet, because I will do it in the future as one of the most important and complex things in your stories. But for your treatment you going to need it all done before. Soon I will return to this. 

Finally, to finish your treatment you need to write an output. Here you are going to explain in a very short way:

·                     WHY THE IDEA IS SO GREAT?

·                     WHY IS DIFFERENT?

·                     WHY IT FITS ON A CERTAIN TV CHANNEL? or if you prefer, WHERE MY STORY FITS?

Let’s put this on an extreme, if you write something about violent crime or sexual content, you are not going to expect to sell it to CBBC... isn't it? So being smoother, Sex and Blood fits on BBC? Maybe not, really depends what you are selling. An historical about the WWII, definitively a big yes. They love it!

So, you have two ways of work: 

You research what channel best suites what you want to write, or, write targeting a specific channel from the beginning. On the TV channel sites for submissions you can see what they are looking for. Just do it and look for it.

Hope this help you. Today it was a bit of boring material but very important! And remember, the treatment is not only for the others. The treatment is also for you! You need to keep in mind what you planned for your story and characters or you going to float everywhere and that's not good after you start. Floating is just that very beginning when you pitching.

CYA SOON

WHAT IF...?

So you wake up in the morning and you decided you want to write something new and fresh (thats what all the producers ask for... New and Fresh! I wonder if it why there is an Happy Feet, new born penguin on ice).
The traditional question for the writers is:

WHAT IF...?

 

What if a tornado caught hundreds of sharks and throw them in the middle of a city, and the sharks start to eat everybody? Stupid isn't it? (Now wait a minute... someone pitched this surreal idea).

 

This is the first think you need to do when you starting.

 

WHAT IF...?

WHAT IF...?

WHAT IF...?

 

Get your notebook and start a list of "What If". You may have had an idea while you were sleeping, or in the shower or in the traffic on the way home.

 

There are hundreds of inspirational details everyday: Some person you saw in the train, the news you read or watched on TV, or even ideas from another movie or book... What if Little red ridding wood become friend of the wolf? See, you just need some questions to help you to create a new thing.

 

They could be good or bad ideas, but thats how it works. Put lots of ideas on the table, look at them in different angles and start shortlisting them. If you are an one-and-lonely scriptwriter, you may have to decide by yourself, but if you work within a team, that apparently lazy day when everybody sit around a table throwing ideas.

 

The point is, even if it looks like the most stupid idea ever, that could bring you on the way to a great one. Particularly if you work with a group of scriptwriters, don't be shy or afraid to say your ideas. Everybody in the room is doing the same so there is no place to be frightened.

 

So start right now putting everything that comes out of your imagination in your notebook.

 

I tell you, a great idea will come out of the pages.

 

See you soon!

 



BE TRUE TO YOUR STORY!

 

 

Today I just want to explain this bit of "Be true!".

When I wrote in the "So, lets start writing!" post that you need to be true in your story, that doesn't mean that you can't have, for instance, a fantasy in your story. (Fantasy is everywhere!!)  

What I really mean is that you need to create the universe of your story, and that universe must be true!

 

Let me give you an example:

 

In the "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" the  universe that Roald Dahl created accepts that there is a garden of sweets with a chocolate waterfall, and that you can eat the grass and the flowers are candy.

 

Perfect. So it's part of the universe of the story and no one gets surprised that could happen. We have the working squirrels, the blueberry chewing gum which tastes like a complete meal, Mike TV tele-transported and broadcast... everything makes sense in the story. Why? Because when  you sit in front of the screen watching the movie (or reading the book), everythings fits among the others fantasies of the story.

 

Now, lets pick a James Bond movie, any of them. James Bond is making a massive shooting against all the evil people, smashing as much cars as possible, maybe some planes too... sundenly a massive attack of zombies come from the USSR! (Oh my God, I just pitch an idea... but let's stick with the ORIGINAL 007). For the universe of the stories of James Bond, zombies don't make sense! There is no zombies in the cold war (well maybe one or two).

 

Thats what I meant about to be true in your story.

 

It is acceptable to have edible grass in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, it is not acceptable to have zombies in James Bond adventures (the closest you get is the people of Baron Samedi).

 

The truthfulness must extend not only to the story, but also on the characters, places, speech etc etc etc. Everything must be true to your universe.

Hope this makes sense.

See you soon and keep in touch for the next posts.

All pictures rights to the owners of  

James Bond Live and let die  and

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

 

 

Celebrating 5.000 visitors!

 

I want to thank you all

for the first 5.000 visits to

Heroes and Villains.

Truly impressed!

Thank You, once again,

you are the stars! 

 

So, Lets start writing!

 

I decided to start some very basic tips on how to start writing a story. These can be applied for scripts, for a book, for a stage play etc.

One of the mistakes that many people do when they start writing is not making a plan or a treatment. They wake up in the morning and think "I want to write a story", and they run to the notebook and start to write frantically.

 

Now, stop right there!

 

Lets start from the beginning. Before you put your pen on the paper think about:

 

What story I want to tell?

 

Is it a true story? Is it an adventure? A Romance? A comedy? A sci-fi? Whatever....

 

This is the moment you PITCH your idea. (remember this word, it going to follow you for the rest of your scriptwriting career).

 

So, when you pitch your idea make sure you know exactly what you want to do. Take notes, think about it, be sure you are comfortable with the subject. If you are thinking about an era, make sure you have resources and where to research. If you want that your work come out of basics, be true!

 

BE TRUE TO YOUR STORY!

 

Research, research research! Check every detail about your story. It happens in 1800 something? So what the people used to wear at that time? What food they used to eat? Check it all.

 

Try different resources, books, internet, archives... It doesn't take too long for you to have an idea of the era you want to write about it. This not only give you the opportunity to be as much accurate as possible but, not rarely, gives you extra ideas and details to fill your story.

 

Of course, if you have the habit of reading, let's say, since you were a kid, that will help you even more. One thing that's very difficult to get in a short time is GENERAL CULTURE. Start right now to incentivise your kids to read. If they ask you something don't answer! (Yes don't do that) Tell them to check an encyclopedia or a dictionary. I'm serious! Don't be easy with this if you want a outstanding kid! They will thank you in the future. Ok, if he asks you "what time is it?" or "What is the dinner?" you can answer those ones!

 

For today, this tip: Research, investigate and create a world to your story that is TRUE.

 

I will keep on the subject on the future posts.

 

See you around!

When you are blocked!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/be-inspired/dealing-with-writers-block

A "MASTER CLASS" BY FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA

One amazing vídeo where Francis Ford Coppola explains his working method over The Godfather.
Amazing lecture!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awce_j2myQw