Satire is a word that we hear used in relation to fiction, plays, and screenplays all the time, but what does it actually mean? Satire doesn’t just mean funny. In fact satire doesn’t technically need to be funny at all, depending on who you ask. Satire really refers to the act of holding anything up … Read more
Writers know they need to know about the law, but often feel uneasy about where to find information that affects them. This article will introduce some of the key legal concerns writers often face. This article is not legal advice, and the author is not a lawyer. Always make sure to seek your own independent … Read more
Plays, novels, screenplays and epic poems often have internal and external plots. This article will discuss how to use these most effectively, and what these terms actually mean. An external plot is what we might think of as all the action that is directly visible. It sometimes can be best understood in a physical sense, … Read more
Whether it’s fiction, poetry, plays, or screenplays, all writers can benefit from a creative writing workshop. So how do you run one, or organise one with your friends and colleagues? I’ve taught, or run, creative writing workshops at university level, and I’m going to share what I’ve learned with you below. The Technical Elements of … Read more
Whether you write fiction, poetry, plays, or screenplays you can absolutely teach yourself how to be a creative writer. Letter Review believes that in each great work of art are all the rules and lessons you need to create a great work of art. So grab your favourite piece of creative writing and start analysing … Read more
If you are writing a novel, a short story, a play, or a screenplay then everything in your story should advance the plot or reveal character. Do you sometimes find that a section of your story is lacking in dramatic tension, or feels a bit aimless or underwhelming? Perhaps a moment feels a bit tangential … Read more
First up let’s give the shortest version of the answer possible: foreshadowing is when you introduce a story element early in your story, before it plays a large and pivotal role later in your story. This stops the audience feeling like they have been cheated by the author when something that is ‘too convenient’ or … Read more
Them’s fightin words, right? Here’s a hot take for you. Chekhov was wrong about this one. Everything people say about the ‘Chekhov’s gun’ rule is worthless. A much better maxim is that ‘everything in story should reveal character or advance the plot.’ Chekhov forgot about the ‘reveal character’ bit when he wrote his comments about … Read more
If you are a writer of narratives (novelist, short story writer, playwright, screenplay writer) you’ve probably heard of Aristotle, and are curious about how Aristotle’s theories can help contemporary writers like you! In his work titled Poetics, Aristotle focuses mainly on tragedy, but we can interpret that a little more broadly today that he intended … Read more
So you’ve heard about the Hero’s Journey, but it’s kind of complicated right? This article will introduce you to the basics, with plenty of examples, and walk you through an introduction to Joseph Campbell and Christoper Vogler’s work! One title I’ll address is ‘The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers” by Christopher Vogler. The title … Read more