SHOW NOTES:
Writers, particularly early in their careers, make mistakes. Often the
same ones over and over. Here are a few pitfalls to avoid.
OVERWRITING:
Too many words
Too cute by far
Strained Metaphors
Purple prose
DIALOG:
Tag alert
Characters all sound the same
Inane conversations
“As you know” chatting
SHOW VS TELL:
DESCRIPTION:
Not too much
Not too little
Just enough—the telling details
SCENES:
In and Out quickly—in medias res
Leave question/tension at end
POV:
Stay in one at a time
Except Omniscient—hard to do
PACING:
Fast but not too fast
Vary pace
BACKSTORY:
How much?
When?
ENTERTAIN:
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.