Being raised by a single parent, in a one room apartment, on public assistance didn’t inhibit my ability to imagine that anything was possible. Perhaps it even intensified the ability.
Certainly that ability lead me into my first career as a performer, and later as a writer.
In both arenas I found my creative skills were often influenced by my life experiences and choices. It’s inescapable. Our past impacts on our present, and influences our future.
And as writers, it also influences our story choices and character creations.
So, as you consider your plot ideas … take note of the themes they represent. See which ones resonate with you the most. Which ones truly excite you with their promise of possibilities.
That’s one way of choosing which idea to pursue. That may well be the one you’ll see through to the end, because discovering how it all works out will fascinate you as much as your audience.
That’s all for now.
Go be creative.
Best,
Alex Simmons
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WHY WRITE
Writing enables you to create a world where demons can be faced and exorcised. Where old fears can be challenged and brought into the light. Where lost loves can be found. Where old wounds can be healed. Where the disparaging thought that, we are all alone in this world, can be blown away like so much smoke in a strong wind.
And Alexander, that’s just what writing can do for you, the writer. Let alone, the audience.
Great plots, scenery, and clever gimmicks are important, but readers and audiences connect with the characters. That’s their passport into that world. The siren call of a compelling character will keep the audience’s attention throughout an 800 page novel, or a 4 hour film.
Knowing how to generate the right combination of personality, backstory, habits, motives, and flaws is the key. It will help you write more suspenseful and intriguing drama, love stories, and mystery thrillers.
My Creating Compelling Characters can get you there faster.
In this powerful mini course I’ll show you 7 key steps to drastically improve your plots, scenes and of course, your characters.
If you want help creating strong multi-dimensional characters and emotionally authentic dialog click on the link.
Creating Compelling Characters.
That’s all for this week. Now go forth and be brilliant!
Best,
Alex Simmon
At the end of 2021, I went a little nuts!
I must have, because I somehow got it in my head that I wasn’t writing enough. This thought originated for two reasons.
One, creator’s masochism.
The other was a project that had been giving me great difficulty. This was despite the fact that I liked it and had worked out 2/3rd of it already.
Even with these pot-boiling challenges, I told myself I need to work the writers muscles more. So I declared that I would write either a short story, or a piece of flash fiction … every month, throughout 2022.
To be more specific I called it, Twelve Months of Mystery. (A working title, for sure.)
Obviously it’s late October and I’m 9 for 10 at the moment. I say that because I missed one deadline by 3 hours.
For now, know that I’ll be relying heavily on one of the most powerful tricks in my creative utility belt.
How did I pan to adhere to this pledge, even when the muses were unconcious? Two ways.
First, the pledge was to WRITE the stories. I did not say they had to be publishing ready. Just written.
Second, I used the WHAT IF FACTOR. (Not the most unique title ever, but it is accurate.)
Simply put, I looked at an idea, or plot, or character I came up with, and ask – What if …
Anyone can do it. That’s before you lock in, or reject, an idea. You just go, What if, and see where the thoughts take you. No judgement.
This made it possible for me to write fact and fiction tales, biographies, plays, novels, and comics.
As the months have passed I still faced challenges with some of my other assignments. But I was able to chisel through them. Or my mind was in a flexible enough mode to allow me to figure things out finally.
Think of it as one way to deal with “writer’s block.”
Anyway, I have 2 more months to go, so wish me luck.
Who knows … maybe I’ll even revise and publish the stories as part of another exercise and experience.
What do you think?
Stay creative!
Best,
Alex
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