Essays on the Craft of Dramatic Writing!

I'm teaching a screenwriting class in the Fall at PCC Sylvania at 7 pm on Monday evenings. The class starts October 4th and runs five weeks. Cost is $59. To register, click on this link.

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I tweet about local literary events and other literary news for Willamette Writers.

Pacific Northwest Literary Announcements

To view listings of literary events for the Pacific Northwest, visit this archive of Willamette Writers. The archive includes announcements for Portland, Eugene, Salem, Newport, Bend, and Ashland.

A third edition of A Story is a Promise and Deep Characterization is now available. This new edition explores how some writers struggle because they make a main character an extension of the author to act out personal issues. A short video about the new work is available; the video is included with the book.

A Story is a Promise & Deep Characterization is available using this PayPal link. The cost of $17.95 includes media mail shipping in the United States.

Overseas mailing, including Canada, $24.95. ***********************

This site offers writers of all levels and genres new ideas on the essential elements of storytelling:

creating dynamic characters...

identifying what's at stake in
a story...

and ensuring that both the plot and story lines converge into an emotionally fulfilling resolution.

Reviews of popular novels, plays, and screenplays highlight those aspects of storytelling essential for fulfilling a writer's promise to the reader.

The essays on this web site are part of my exploration of what it is to both tell and enjoy a story. I welcome everyone who shares that journey.
--Bill Johnson

What's new:

Writing the Mysterious
Notes on the opening prologue of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
This essay explores how this novel by Stieg Larsson creates a sense of mystery to draw in readers.

Question, Answer, Question
This essay reviews the preface to Twilight, the popular novel by Stephenie Meyer. The process of engaging the attention of readers that I call question, answer, question is explored. I speak about this process on this video posted on YouTube.

Writing a Novel With a Wounded Main Character
An essay about Prince of Tides and how a novel can be written with a wounded main character, a choice that can lead to difficulties if not handled correctly.

Writing a Novel With a Stuck Main Character, Notes on The Kite Runner
An essay about how a popular novel was written with an emotionally stuck main character.

About the Author:

Vita
Film Scripts
Q/A
Site awards

I speak about how watching movies can be therapeutic on this video posted on YouTube.

All material on this web site Copyright 1998-2010 Bill Johnson; all rights reserved. I welcome your comments and suggestions. If you have any questions about the story issues raised by my essays, for a response, write me at bjscript at teleport.com.
Thanks for visiting this site.

SCRIPT SERVICES
I review screenplays and novel manuscripts. I will review the opening 50 pages of a novel manuscript (12 point Courier, double spaced) for $50 and include a phone chat. Email me at bjscript at teleport.com for details.

OREGON WRITERS SPEAK
I've created a new web page where teachers like Elizabeth Lyon and Eric Witchey speak about the craft of writing fiction. Mike Thaler, author of The Teacher From the Black Lagoon, offers a video tour of his work studio. Sandra Stone reads her award winning poetry on this video. In the category of Philosophic Lyric, her work has been named a distinguished entry for the 2010 Campbell Corner Prize.

BOOK REVIEWS
Capsule reviews of popular books on writing, and books by students who have studied the a story is a promise concept, and others who asked me to review their novel manuscripts, including M Thomas Cooper's 42, Shannon Capps' Salmon Run, Snip, by Doc Macomber, Betty Grant Henshaw's Children of the Dust, Steve Brody's The New Commandments and Dr. Philip Shapiro's Healing Power: Ten Steps to Pain Managment and Spiritual Evolution. My student Helen Chin's Jin-Ling's Two Left Feet is available from Amazon.

Karen L. Azinger's debut epic fantasy saga has been acquired by HarperCollin's Voyager imprint. Voyager acquiring all five books in the untitled series.
I helped Karen with the first two books. Karen speaks about the release of the first book, The Steel Queen, in this interview.

Years ago I helped Brendan Foley with a screenplay, Under the Wire, about WWII escape artist Bill Ash. It's now a popular, successful novel available on Amazon.