Author. Story Consultant.

The Workshop 

My writing goal is at least 1,000 words a night unless other distractions happen. I'm not exactly the old writer hermit stereotype. I do try to have a life. That being said, my books, and their completion, are important to me. I've already fallen in love with the characters in my world. Nothing would make me happier than seeing you fall in love with them too. This means I want to get the books out as fast as I can without having to sacrifice quality. This cycle is the bane of all writers. Rest assured, there is a plan to the madness. I always create outlines for my stories so it's not like I'm writing the first book into a void wondering where the next will lead. This section will talk about my writing process, and maybe answer some questions you have about writing.

Questions I plan to tackle here at The Workshop will be: What is original? What makes a great character? How do you overcome Writer's Block? What makes a story both critically and financially successful? TheWorkshop is going to focus on some tips from my book, as well as original content with an emphasis on storytelling. 

I believe the quality of storytelling has diminished considerably over the years. It seems like the better stories are few and far between, not just for books, but movies and television as well. All the remakes, reboots, and reimaginings aren't helping create something truly original. I once thought about writing a screenplay for what I thought would be the best movie ever. At the most, it would be a movie I would want to see. As I pulled out my copy of Final Draft 5 and plugged away for several nights I realized writing a screenplay wasn't the answer. What if I did sell it? What if the director or producer wanted to change my work around at their whim? My biggest fear was losing creative control.

Granted, I could walk right into a Hollywood studio and tell them how to save millions and create better stories, but why would they ever listen to me? Why would anyone? What I finally realized is the people trying to make it in Hollywood's movie machine are stuck in the profit game, trying to throw different ideas into the void and hoping things stick. They aren't in the business of creating something good or original. If I was going to change the face of storytelling, I needed a plan. That plan was to write a guide on how to tell stories, not for current Hollywood, but future Hollywood. Those boys and girls sitting in some class on how to be a better writer or filmmaker. These people are the future. These are the people I planned to reach.

I created 'Original Plots: The Unified Field Theory of Storytelling' as a guide to kickstart originality by coming up with a theory that fits every story ever made. Sounds bold, right? Writing the theory hasn't been quite as hard as getting the word out there. It's been a struggle and will continue to be. In order to sell a book on storytelling I also have the glorious task of creating my own series. If that series works, then people might start listening. My hope is I can reach storytellers who have an open mind and heart about creating something original.