Terry Shames's Blog: 7 Criminal Minds, page 177

The same, but different

Everything’s been done. And “they” say Shakespeare wrote every plot. How do you keep your stories new and original? What do you bring to them that makes them fresh?
by Dietrich
Maybe we’re not recreating the wheel, but a good writer gives a story his or her own spin and unique expression. A powerful voice can travel over the familiar terrain of setting and plot structure and come out sounding original and brilliant. Take Don Winslow’s The Force. Set in New York, it’s about a corrupt cop; a sett...

Each character is unique

R.J. is off on holidays this week, so her good friend and popular cozy writer, Linda Wiken, who also goes by Erika Chase and Essie Lang, is testing her wits with this week’s question, which is a good one. Many thanks Linda.Everything’s been done. And “they” say Shakespeare wrote every plot. How do you keep your stories new and original? What do you bring to them that makes them fresh?
 I’ve often heard it said that there’s no such thing as a new plot. But, there are new characters, new se...

Keeping the Excitement Alive by Brenda Chapman

Sept 24: CRAFT: Everything’s been done. And “they” say Shakespeare wrote every plot. How do you keep your stories new and original? What do you bring to them that makes them fresh?
I sometimes think it would have been easier to be a writer a few hundred years ago when books were not as numerous as they are now. Think of all the untold stories waiting to be penned! As for Shakespeare writing every plot, he actually took a lot of his plotlines from Holinshed's Chronicles, something I was surpris...

Know When to Hold ’Em, Know When to Fold ’Em

If a major producer/production company wanted to option or buy your book…but wanted to change it in major ways as often happens in Hollywood, would you still sell it? Explain your reasons and your limitations. But remember, once you sell something to Hollywood, except in extremely rare instances, you lose control over the film property.

by Paul D. Marks

How often have you said or heard someone say, “The book was better than the movie.” Well, there’s a lot of reasons for that. Movies are a diffe...

The Miss Marple we love, with added space aliens.

BUSINESS: If a major producer/production company wanted to option or buy your book…but wanted to change it in major ways, as often happens in Hollywood, would you still sell it? Explain your reasons and your limitations. But remember, once you sell something to Hollywood, except in extremely rare instances, you lose control over the film property.
By Catriona
Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.
And here's why. Options are not uncommon. But getting through development and into pilot production, then...

Giving it all away... by Cathy Ace

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Hollywood Calling!

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Casting Calls In My Dreams

Q: If a major producer/production company wanted to option or buy your book…but wanted to change it in major ways, as often happens in Hollywood, would you still sell it? 
- from Susan
A: Hahahaha. I remember Lee Childexplaining in his low key way, with a slight shrug of the shoulder, that he objected all the way to the bank when Tom Cruise paid for the Jack Reacher movie rights. The other approach I admire is Ann Cleeves. She sold her Vera books and character but has been a...

Creative Pursuits

Are you creative in other ways besides writing – i.e. photography, painting, music, widget making, any other creative pursuits that you might have? Tell us about them and why you pursued writing as a career instead of one of them.

From Jim

I’ve always felt I was a creative sort. From a young age I liked to draw and write. I also played piano (poorly) and guitar (poorly). I even wrote a couple of bad folksy songs in college. But soon enough, I decided that writing fiction was a better creative o...

A shot in the arm

Are you creative in other ways besides writing – i.e. photography, painting, music, widget making, any other creative pursuits that you might have? Tell us about them and why you pursued writing as a career instead of one of them.
by Dietrich Kalteis
Last time around the minds talked about other forms of creative expression we might pursue if we weren’t writing. I think we can all be creative in just about everything we do. Creative thinking points us to new paths and allows for new ways of see...