Authoring & Playwriting

For all the authors and playwrights in our community, a place to discuss, share content and post tips and advice.

Chiara Torrisi
Writing prompts to fuel creativity

Among the random ones that appeared to me, I wou...

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Opening Line Generator
Opening Line Generator
Automatic opening line generator tool. Choose some keywords and we will automatically create an opening line in seconds.
Ashley Renee Smith

Chiara Torrisi This is such a fun tool, thank you for sharing it! Prompts like these are great creative jumpstarts, especially on days when the ideas aren’t flowing as easily....

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Chiara Torrisi

That's true, it's a funny way to practise, Ashley Renee Smith! Also on the go, on the subway or during a short flight.

Geoff Hall
5 Writing Tips from C.S. Lewis

Who’da thought CS Lewis would be giving us 5 tips for writing? Well, he first gave them to a young girl from Florida, named Jane.

Beyond the five basic tips, there’s a good video to watch as well.

I love the thought that Lewis took the time to respond to his young correspondent.

What are your takeaway...

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5 Writing Tips from C.S. Lewis
5 Writing Tips from C.S. Lewis
What are some writing lessons you can learn from C.S. Lewis?
Maurice Vaughan

Hi, Geoff Hall. One of my takeaways/reminders is "Lewis was so precise on the page, there was never a question about what he was talking about or who he was talking to." I remember times when I though...

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Geoff Hall

Maurice Vaughan thanks, Maurice. I tend to do the visualising when I’m writing the scene. Especially action sequences; they have to make sense on the page for it to make sense on the screen....

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Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Geoff Hall. You're right. Jason Hellerman said in the article, "The ask to be plain and concrete is not an excuse to be boring. You still need to be interesting on the page. Engage the...

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Ashley Renee Smith

Geoff Hall, I love this! His advice is refreshingly straightforward but incredibly relevant, even now.

Leonardo Ramirez
Announcing More Access & Opportunities with Executives on Stage 32!

As of yesterday, Monday, May 5th, we have officially migrated all of our consultations, which include Pitch Sessions, Consultation Calls, and Career Development Sessions, to Zoom.

Check out the details in today's blog post here: https://www.stage32.com/blog/announcing-more-access-opportunities-with-e...

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Suzanne Bronson
Phoenix Metro Area Authors!

In person meetup this month

RSVP below:

https://www.stage32.com/meetups/2030

Chiara Torrisi
Your first book on writing

What was the first book you read on creative writing?

For me, it was “The Screenwriter Workbook” by Syd Field. Even if now I'm a book editor and I've always been more into novels, this book was mind-blowing. It really helped me to realize what a story is and why so many don't work.

I remember a pas...

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Chiara Torrisi

"On Writing" influenced a lot of writers, I think Eli Huggins

Ashley Renee Smith

Chiara Torrisi, it definitely did! The first book I read on writing was also On Writing by Stephen King. I picked it up in high school thinking it would just be about horror, but it obviously surprise...

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Chiara Torrisi

That's so important, Ashley Renee Smith

Pat Alexander

Not the first book, but one book that really opened my mind on process was CJ Walley's "Turn and Burn." There's a chapter called "My Mistakes with Happiness & Creativity" that truly is a gift to any w...

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Chiara Torrisi

Thanks for the suggestion, Pat Alexander: I'll add it to my wishlist! It seems an amazing reading. I love it when technical tips are mixed with emotional storytelling....

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Geoff Hall
Ursula K. Le Guin on Art, Storytelling, and the Power of Language to Transform and Redeem

Maria Popova’s The Marginalian blog, has been on my radar for a number of years and she posts such perceptive content.

This article focuses on Ursula K Le Guin’s thoughts concerning the role of the writer and the arts. She has this to say…

“The daily routine of most adults is so heavy and artificial t...

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Ursula K. Le Guin on Art, Storytelling, and the Power of Language to Transform and Redeem
Ursula K. Le Guin on Art, Storytelling, and the Power of Language to Transform and Redeem
"One of the functions of art is to give people the words to know their own experience... Storytelling is a tool for knowing who we are and what we want."
Geoff Hall

Maurice Vaughan thank you, Maurice. That is greatly appreciated.

Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Geoff Hall.

Geoff Hall

Chiara Torrisi hi Chiara. My morning practice is 20 minutes silent meditation. Exercises followed by a 30 meditation walk, when I attempt to close off internal traffic and any external stimuli. If I h...

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Chiara Torrisi

For me, the best music is movie soundtracks, Geoff Hall: they usually don't have lyrics, and I can pick the tracks according to the mood of the piece I'm writing (or editing). It's perfect for brainst...

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Geoff Hall

Chiara Torrisi that’s a great way of not having lyrics buzzing around your head, so I’ll work on that - otherwise my characters may start quoting Radiohead!

Chiara Torrisi
Using exposition to recreate the historical setting

Portraying the historical context is hard, so better to use every tool you have to give details about it. A great way to do it is to take advantage of the exposition.

Especially when a story is told in first person, the language should reflect the culture and the mindset of the time. It doesn't mea...

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Maurice Vaughan

Thanks for the advice, Chiara Torrisi. I haven't written that many Historical stories. This will come in handy when I write another one.

Chiara Torrisi

You're welcome, Maurice Vaughan

Ashley Renee Smith

Chiara Torrisi, this is such a great point! Two that come to mind for me are Shōgun by James Clavell and Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. They’re incredibly different in tone and scope, but both use expos...

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Chiara Torrisi

And you're right: exposition helps a lot to convey mood and deta...

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My own autobiography "My Story Is Not Over;"

Goodmorning, my name is Tammy Winterringer I am the author of a book titles "My Stroy Is Not Over;"

It's about my life as a meth addict it includes the abuse I suffered from my ex, my father. The homelessness, the suicide of my teenage son and so mich more truam. More importantly the rise to sobriet...

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Tammy Winterringer

I definitely will. Again, thank you for the kind words. I will be sending out copies of the book soon. Many blessings to you

Tammy Winterringer

Danny Range, I appreciate your guidance and congratulations on your sobriety. My book is already published and is available on Amazon. It's more than about my drug addiction. It also covers the sexual...

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Danny Range

Tammy Winterringer I'm only California sober lol I've been completely sober for three years at one point. People don't understand how hard it is to stay away from it for 17 years--changing your friend...

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Tammy Winterringer

Danny Range, THANK YOU! Going into this is had no idea how much competition there is, I appreciate your guidance!

John S. Meinlem

wow what an amazing story. congratulations.

New to Stage 32

This is my first time I have entered this site and am excited to see what it offers. I write books and look to see what I can learn. My last nonfiction book I wrote, many stated it should be made into a movie. I reply "okay, how?" Time is somewhat important as the crewmembers in my book are in their...

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Ashley Renee Smith

Welcome to Stage 32, Steven Craig! We’re so glad you’re here. If you’re looking to learn about adapting your nonfiction book into a screenplay or film project, you’re absolutely in the right place.

I r...

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Daniel Perry Fuentes

Welcome Steve!! Trust your instincts and network..just like any other job..people want to get to know you! You're light years ahead of most..Break a Leg!!

Steven Craig

I wrote "All Present and Accounted For", the true story of the grounding and near sinking of the Coast Guard Cutter Jarvis near Dutch Harbor in November of 1972 and the heroic efforts of the crew to s...

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Jon Shallit

I suggest you do some radio and TV interviews to get buzz. Then do a kickstarter or go fund me to get the script written. I'll write it for you.

John S. Meinlem

Congratulations! Welcome, I'm new here too, I hope we have great experiences.

Ashley Renee Smith
Let’s Talk Adaptation: Turning the Page Into a Pitch

For those of us who live and breathe storytelling through novels, memoirs, or nonfiction, the idea of adapting our written work into a screenplay or limited series can feel both thrilling and overwhelming. You know your characters inside and out, your plot arcs are mapped with care, and the world yo...

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Leonardo Ramirez

Great question Ashley Renee Smith - I've adapted two books into screenplays and the best advice I can give anyone is to be patient with themselves and be willing to let go of things. By being patient,...

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Debra Holland

I've adapted four. It's SO hard to figure out how to condense a book into a pilot or screenplay! I start by doing a cut and paste from the book to screenplay format, expecting it to be too long and un...

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Deborah Charman

Hello Debra. My book is less than 250 pages. However, it is my life story and all that I survived. Do you have time to take on a new project these days?

Chiara Torrisi
Archiving old drafts

When I edit a short story or a longer text, on Scrivener I create a different folder for each version of the manuscript: original text, first round, second round, etc. It's very convenient to have the old versions of the story...

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Anselmo Garcia

Chiara, nice post to bring up. I usually average anywhere from 15 to 20 revisions on all my screenplays. It’s a habit I found helpful and learning but it also opened up my eyes as to how important rev...

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Debra Holland

For scripts, I start a new version whenever I make revisions/edits and number each one. For a book, I keep a file of notes and snippets of dialogue or of a scene. But the main document is the only one...

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Chiara Torrisi

Interesting approach Debra Holland, thanks for sharing!

Jon Shallit

You can save as word doc and date it each time. ZARBER4/25, ZARBER 4/26

Kat Spencer
Do you read while writing?

I'm curious, when you are actively working on something of your own, do you avoid reading books in the same genre, or do you soak up inspiration?

Pat Savage

Kat Spencer reading is great to enhance and re enforce your story.

Ashley Renee Smith

Hi Kat, I used to definitely worry about influence bleeding through. I’d avoid reading certain genres or stories entirely while writing, just to keep my creative lane clear. But then I heard an author...

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Petru Gradinariu

Yes, I read screenplays not for inspiration, because my imagination alone could fuel a thousand more. I read to learn the language of the industry, to understand what a professional script truly looks...

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Debra Holland

I read fiction ALL THE TIME!

Chiara Torrisi

As a book editor, I can't help but recommend reading a lot, always, and especially in our genre, Kat Spencer The more books we read, the more we're aware of cliches and more able to avoid them. It see...

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