Category Archives: creativity

A More Wretched Hive of Scum and Villainy

Posted on March 15, 2019 by jguenther5

Yes, that’s our objective of the day: to turn your novel, novella, novelette or short into a hive of scum and villainy. Stories of any length thrive on villains. The more wretched, the better. For without him or her, there … Continue reading →

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Brainstorying–The Garden of Forking Paths

Posted on December 1, 2018 by jguenther5

The writing process, whether for novels or film scripts, has been characterized by many metaphors. Examples include building a bridge, painting a picture, hanging a clothesline, mapping an unexplored territory, opening a closet, making a sculpture, building a house, laying … Continue reading →

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Writers’ Rite

Posted on August 29, 2018 by jguenther5

A friend says: “How you write so many books is beyond my understanding.” My reply may be of general interest, possibly even helpful:

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A True Map of the City – Copyright Filed

Posted on August 10, 2018 by jguenther5

I filed the copyright application for my latest book, A True Map of the City, today. It took from 11:07 a.m. to 11:35 a.m. Practice makes it go faster. Next step: create ARCs (advanced reviewer copies) for reviewers.

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The Awful Truth About Writing & Writers

Posted on February 22, 2018 by jguenther5

I was at lunch with a group of writers the other day, and something I said resonated with the group. I summarized it in the meme I’ve created, below. I’ve posted this on Twitter and Facebook; might as well put … Continue reading →

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“The Universal Plot”

Posted on October 23, 2017 by jguenther5

Take a trip back to the 80’s and see what was known then as The Universal Plot. Its origins are obscure, but I suspect that it was generated by someone in Southwest Manuscripters back around 1980. My copy shows no … Continue reading →

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My Poetry Book

Posted on January 15, 2017 by jguenther5

Back in my poetry writing days, long ago, I published several little spiral-bound chapbooks. When I had written enough poems for a larger work, I hand made about twenty perfect- bound books. I printed out a master with the poems … Continue reading →

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Screenplay, Part 8

Posted on July 29, 2014 by jguenther5

I’ve completed the first step in adapting my screenplay, In the Mouth of the Lion, to novel format. I took the simplest approach: converting the script into a text file, then removing sluglines, and so forth. In essence, I’m using … Continue reading →

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Screenplay, Part 7

Posted on May 26, 2014 by jguenther5

I’m changing gears here to talk about my earlier screenplay, In the Mouth of the Lion. My readers reported back several weeks ago. Based on their combined comments, I have quite a bit of work to do, a total of … Continue reading →

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Character Arcs & Flaws

Posted on May 20, 2014 by jguenther5

In case you’ve not already been taught this, it’s considered mandatory that your hero have a flaw, something for him/her to overcome, something to provide an inner journey while shooting up the world with an AK-47 on the outer levels, … Continue reading →

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