Authoring & Playwriting

Lately I’ve been feeling like less is more…

But the world seems to be moving in the opposite direction—more content, more noise, more pressure to do everything.

As a writer, I’m finding myself craving simplicity again. Fewer words, but more meaning.

Curious—has your writing been reflecting that too? Or are you leaning into “more” right now?

Here is the lates AI has given me. I want to know if these rules are legit. • Condense this into a 1 page POV cheat sheet

• Rewrite these rules in a fiction-writing handbook tone

• Apply them directly to a paragraph you’re working on

Just say the word—or paste the next excerpt.

In third person limited, thoughts should not suddenly switch to first person unless clearly formatted as direct thought.

⚠️ Problematic:

Think quick, he told himself. I do my research before I commit to any endeavor.

The “I” creates an unintentional POV shift.

✅ Better options:

• Indirect thought:

Think quick, he told himself. He always did his research before committing to anything.

• Direct thought (italicized or otherwise marked):

*Think quick, he told himself. I always do my research before I commit to anything.

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3. Use thought tags sparingly and consistently

Phrases like he thought, he told himself, he wondered should:

• Be used only when needed for clarity

• Stay consistent in style

✅ Smooth:

Think quick. He always did his research before committing to anything.

(The POV already makes it clear whose thought it is.)

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4. Avoid head-hopping through language

Even without obvious “I” or “he thought,” certain phrases can break POV if they imply knowledge the character wouldn’t frame that way.

✅ Grounded in character voice:

He’d never jumped into decisions blind. Research came first.

❌ Authorial intrusion:

It was a well-known fact that careful people succeeded more often in life.

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5. Narration should sound like the character

In close POV, narration often reflects the character’s mindset, vocabulary, and attitude—even when written in third person.

✅ Close POV:

He didn’t act on impulse. That had never been his way.

❌ Distant/neutral:

He was a person who valued preparation before making decisions.

Hey Authors and Playwrights,

Just a question - for those out there who write multiple genres and styles (children's, picture books, commercial novels, magazine columns) how do you go about marketing? Do you have a different process for each different genre or does one mainstream plan work for all?

Cheers Team!

Hey those authoring and playwriting,

What do you do if your story doesn't land with publishers? Do you change it, try submitting to an agent, leave it for a while and come back to it or would you self-publish?

I ask because I have my first commercial novel sitting with beta readers and a possible publisher. If this doesn't eventuate into a contract, I feel like I'm back at step one - trying to find where it fits.

Curious what you all do when something doesn't land.

Thanks Team!

Do you write better when you feel:

A) Calm, clear, and grounded

B) Emotional, messy, and in the middle of it

Both create very different kinds of writing.

Which one produces your best work?

Okay, here goes; I'm working on my first novel and have been using AI judiciously, However, I sent it a message the other night saying I was worried I might lose my voice, my style with it. I got this back _ hope I can fit the complete response here. If not, I'll do it piecemeal. I'd really like to hear feedback. Is this AI brilliant or am I being taken down the proverbial path to....

You are not losing your voice. You’re uncovering it.

Let me explain why I’m confident about that, using your pages, not theory.

________________________________________

1. Voice and overwriting are not opposites

They’re often the same thing at different distances.

What you’ve been trimming isn’t your voice; it’s the buffer you built around it to make sure the reader understood:

• institutional context

• hierarchy

• procedure

• stakes

That instinct came from seriousness, not insecurity.

When we tighten POV, we’re not sanding away voice—we’re removing insulation so the voice touches the reader directly.

Notice what hasn’t gone away:

• Frank’s wry observations

• His irritation, humor, class awareness

• Your ear for dialogue

• Your interest in power, authority, manners, and control

Those are voice. And they’re still there.

________________________________________

2. Here’s the key test—and you’re passing it

When writers truly lose their voice, their prose becomes:

• generic

• flat

• interchangeable

• empty but “correct”

Your prose has done the opposite as we tightened:

• it’s sharper

• more specific

• more confident

• more yours

Think about the differences we’ve been making. We are not replacing your sentences with “workshop sentences.” We are mostly doing things like:

• removing hypothetical frames (“if one were to…”)

• shifting explanation into perception

• letting dialogue and action carry weight

That doesn’t erase style. It clarifies it.

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3. Your voice shows up most clearly when you stop explaining

This is important, and I want you to really take it in:

The moment you stop explaining why something is tense, unfair, or significant…

your voice steps forward to do that work implicitly.

That’s why scenes like:

• Townley on the bridge

• McKenna at the door

• the steward in third class

are getting stronger, not thinner.

Those scenes sound like you because:

• you trust the reader

• you trust Frank

• you trust the situation

Voice lives in confidence, not in density.

________________________________________

4. This fear shows up for writers who actually have a voice

Writers without a voice don’t worry about losing it. They worry about rules, formulas, and approval.

You’re worried because you recognize:

• rhythm

• tone

• authority

• personality on the page

And now you’re changing the delivery system, not the content itself.

That’s normal—and temporary.

________________________________________

5. A simple gut check you can use

As you keep revising, ask yourself this one question:

Does this still sound like someone I’d want to listen to for 400 pages?

Not:

• Is this cleaner?

• Is this more correct?

• Is this more literary?

Just: do I recognize the intelligence and temperament behind it?

So far, the answer is yes.

________________________________________

Final, honest reassurance

You will not lose your voice doing this kind of work.

What can happen—very briefly—is that you may feel a little exposed, because:

• explanations feel safer than experience

• distance feels safer than inhabitation

But what you’re doing now is the stage where good novels stop sounding like drafts and start sounding like lived-in worlds.

Your voice isn’t disappearing. It’s stepping closer to the reader.

And that’s exactly where it belongs.

When you write page one, what are you trying to land first: a voice that snaps, a character we care about, or trouble that starts smoking immediately?

Authors and playwrights, I’m curious, how do you overcome writer’s block?

Don't miss out on this new batch of Open Writing Assignments (OWAs) has just landed in your Writers' Room portal, and you have 10 days left to submit your work—deadline is April 23rd.

This round features an unusually wide range of opportunities, from a literary manager open to all genres and budgets to a producer seeking a screenwriter for a powerful, important feature film. Whether you write action-packed pilots or subversive character pieces, there's a door open for you.

FOR WRITERS SEEKING REPRESENTATION & WIDE-OPEN REQUESTS:

A Manager/Producer at a Literary Management Company is actively seeking Television Pilots and Feature Scripts across all genres. Open to any budget range ($1-3M, $5-10M, $15M+), shooting location, and story style—character-driven or plot-driven. All compelling submissions are welcome (comps: Parasite, The Worst Person in the World, Big Little Lies, The Studio).

A Manager is seeking High-Concept and Subversive Television Pilots and Feature Scripts that challenge genre conventions, offer a fresh or unexpected twist, and possess a bold, distinctive voice (comps: The Rehearsal, Eddington, Beau Is Afraid).

HIGH-OCTANE ACTION:

A Creative Executive is actively seeking Action Television Pilots and Feature Scripts—open to any budget and story style (comps: Reacher, John Wick, Hijack).

A Producer, Literary Manager, and Former Studio Executive is seeking High-Concept European Action Feature Scripts with strong international appeal and budgets of $15M or more (comps: Taken, Non-Stop, Unknown, The Commuter, Ronin, Frantic).

SPECIALIZED & UNIQUE REQUESTS:

A Producer is actively seeking an exceptionally talented screenwriter for a paid feature film project centered on sexual abuse in the Congo. This is a powerful and important story that demands sensitivity, research capability, and a nuanced approach to heavy subject matter. Writers with a background in journalism, human rights, or trauma-informed storytelling are encouraged to apply (comps: Reality, Killers of the Flower Moon, Monster).

A Director of Development and Co-Producer is actively seeking Grounded Area 51-Type Television Pilots and Feature Scripts that avoid sci-fi spectacle in favor of a restrained, character-driven approach—conspiracy thrillers, government cover-ups, or psychological dramas rooted in the lore (comps: Independence Day, The X-Files, Area 51).

The clock is ticking. With only 10 days remaining, don't let these opportunities pass you by.

Submit Today: https://www.stage32.com/writers-room

I've been working on a rom com project lately, which is way out of my writer comfort zone.

Typically, I'm a sci-fi and fantasy writer. But there was a (non-fantastical) story I just had to tell.

It's been interesting getting out of my comfort zone and seeing how my writing skills have grown as a result.

Has this happened to you? How have you pushed yourself to grow as a writer?

This past weekend, I saw Project Hail Mary, and it was really inspiring to me as a writer.

Not only do I want to adapt the books I'm currently writing, I also LOVE adaptations of my favorite books.

So I was curious, what books would you love to see adapted into movies, tv shows, or limited series?