Writing Pitfalls Advice

Great advice from Tony Jordan (if you’re thinking ‘who?’ – get out!) via Jason Arnopp.

Don’t get sucked in by the idea of craft, and the industry which poses as gatekeeper to some Great Big Secret Of Successful Writing. Tony’s never pretended to be Robert McKee’s greatest advocate. He illustrated just how simple storytelling is, by putting two tea cups a fair distance apart on the table, representing Your Character and Their Dramatic Goal. He then put a few random objects between them – including a cafetiere and a sugar bowl, fact fans – representing Obstacles. He picked up the first Obstacle and allowed, “You can call this the Inciting Incident, if it makes you feel happy and all warm inside!”. Whatever works. But in a nutshell, that line-up of objects encapsulated Storytelling: The Tony Jordan Method. Wouldn’t make much of a book, or even fill out a pamphlet, but it’s all you need.

http://jasonarnopp.blogspot.com/2009/05/tony-jordans-red-planet-workshop.html