“From the moment I picked up your book until I laid it down, I was convulsed with laughter. Some day I intend reading it.” Groucho Marx Just one example of the genius of Groucho Marx, a master of the one-liner. Like all good comedians and comic writers, he made humour look effortless. Indeed, great…
Month: April 2013
I is for Imitation – the sincerest form of flattery. Honest!
I have a problem. It has been with me for as long as I can remember and over the years it has been the cause of both embarrassment and harassment. Many people would (and have) argued that it only requires some self-control and discipline to prevent it occurring, but I genuinely do feel powerless to…
H is for History – Don’t forget the ‘STORY’ part!
Why is History often taught so badly? Firstly I must say that this is not a statement designed to alienate any teachers that may be reading this post – merely an observation based on my experiences as a child. I should also say that I have heard tell of some inspirational History teachers, who have…
G is for Gold! Why I love The Treasure of The Sierra Madre
This is a short post about why I love the brilliant film, ‘The Treasure of The Sierra Madre’ and why I think you will love it too. There will be no spoilers in the post – so read on to find out why I think this classic should be on your viewing list. Made in…
Don of The Dead Episode 1 – Need A Hand
UPDATE: This piece has now become the first part of an ongoing series: Don of The Dead – Series Overview Don is recently deceased but didn’t quite make it to the other side, so seems doomed to join the rotting ranks of the undead rubbing shoulders with the living who have now begrudgingly accepted that…
F is for Films! How thinking cinematically can improve your writing.
I recently heard two different authors mention writing in the context of cinema and came to the realisation that the conventions and style of modern cinema influence my writing too. The first of these comments was from historical fiction writer, Hilary Mantel. Whilst I am yet to read any of Hilary’s work, Wolf Hall, in…
E is for Emotional Content. Writing with feeling.
In case you aren’t au fait with martial arts classic, ‘Enter The Dragon’ (above) Bruce Lee is explaining to his student the need for ‘Emotional Content’. The acting may be a little hammy and Bruce Lee films may seem like an odd place to go for writing advice, but bear with me. Good writing –…
C is for Cooking Your Stories. Don’t rush new ideas.
Like many writers, I get lots of ideas for what to write next. Until recently, I was very likely to immediately pounce on said notion, wrestle it to the ground, shove it in to a sack and rush back home to devour it – or ‘write’, as it’s more commonly known. This was often despite…
B is for Bananas. Go ‘Bananas’ to beat Writer’s Block.
Yes. I said Bananas. Ok, in the interests of full disclosure I will admit I was struggling for inspiration to find a subject for the letter ‘B’ – wow, so impressive to hit a brick wall on only the 2nd letter of the alphabet, Wayne. You’re our literary hero! – but after days of indecision…
A is for Action! Stop waiting for permission to start living your life.
By day I’m an Editor and Producer for a video production company, producing documentary, corporate and promotional films. It was during filming on location a couple of years ago that I had the sudden realisation that changed my entire outlook and attitude to life. It was in the fleeting few seconds after the cameraman had…