The Carver's House

Sometimes you're just aching to write, but you don't know what to write about. Or, you're desperate to find a great inspiration for a story, but you don't know where to start. Websites that feature writing prompts can help, but a number of the prompts featured simply encourage you to jog your brain and not really generate fresh story ideas. PostSecret can be your rich resource for writing prompts specifically geared towards creating a short story, or a subplot for a larger story. The website started out as a community project where people created postcards which revealed their deep secrets, and the site has spawned a number of bound collections which can be purchased in bookstores (I saw one in National Bookstore). Secrets, especially those experienced by real people, can be one of the greatest story inspirations --and writing prompts-- around. Here's a way to do it: 1) Choose one secret, particularly an emotionally compelling one, from the site and take some time t...

Reprinted from an article written in 2007. Author anonymous. Story ideas are everywhere. You can 1) go over the news; 2) recall a special event in your life; 3) recall a special event in a friend's life; 4) go through history books, etc. Then you ask a lot of "what if" questions. Chances are, you'll find a story hook that'll interest you enough to expand into a full plot. However, not all story ideas will sell. Even the best-laid plans for Hollywood movies don't translate to record-breaking, not even modest, returns. So why invest all that time and energy on a story that's not going to fly? Of course, many aspiring creators have their dream projects. And there may be a chance that these projects can get them somewhere. But this post assumes that you're stuck and would really need a nice kick in the brain for a story idea that can get people interested. According to Amazon, the following magazines top their subscription sales list, in no particular orde...

There will be creative writers who may scoff at the idea of writing for a market, but it is the practice of the mainstream publishing industry to pour their resources on material that has a good chance of being picked up. While industry observers have noted that developing technologies (such as e-readers, electronic delivery, and the renewed interest in tablet computers) and business models (like print-on-demand) would eventually widen the opportunities for vanity and self-publishers, there still remains the question: Will a sizeable number of people buy this book? If you're a graphic novelist and you want your work to sell, it would be prudent to take your concept and see what kind of audience you're servicing. This is opposed to choosing a profitable market and tailoring a story for them. The latter case is the realm of commissioned work, or for those who are really into the business side of storytelling, but the former case can help you keep a tight focus on the boundaries w...

Phase 4: Outline Your Story In 12 panels That's right. 12 panels. These panels will serve as the barebones structure of your story. The following breakdown is roughly based on Joseph Campbell's mythical structure and Christopher Vogler's Hero's Journey. Add captions, thought balloons, or bits of dialogue to support the images. Panel 1: The Setup. Draw the "World," in which your story will take place. In that world, draw your main character doing what he normally does in that world. Panel 2: The Inciting Incident or Call to Adventure. In this panel, draw the situation that prompts the main character into contemplating his main objective. This is where the "ultimate goal" is first described. Panel 3: The Doubt. In this panel, draw the circumstance that would make your main character initially refuse to take action. Panel 4: The Decision. In this panel, draw a situation that ultimately compels the main character to pursue the objective. Panel 5: The S...

If you want to make your own graphic novel, or at least a graphic "novella," there's no better time to start the ball rolling than this coming January. So that, by the time the next Komikon comes along, you'll have something to show. Where do you start? How do you go about it? While every creator has his or her own system, I've outlined a method below, one that I've contemplated on using but never got around to trying it out. Phase 1: Opening Up To Story Ideas January is about beginnings, so spend 31 days being an active sponge. The objective of this month is to write down every idea that comes your way. You have to be actively looking for story ideas--reading newspapers and magazines, watching the news, surfing the net, even listening to friends--and jotting them down in an idea notebook. The ideas don't have to gel at first, and they don't have to be stories in themselves. They can be quotes, a flash of insight, a cool concept, a reflection, a memory...