Sublime
An inspiration engine for ideas
Good writers borrow, great writers steal, Jake was thinking. That ubiquitous phrase was attributed to T. S. Eliot (which didn’t mean Eliot hadn’t, himself, stolen it!),
Jean Hanff Korelitz • The Plot
The movie producer and all-around mensch Stuart Cornfeld once told me that in a good screenplay, every structural unit needs to do two things: (1) be entertaining in its own right and (2) advance the story in a non-trivial way. We will henceforth refer to this as “the Cornfeld Principle.”
George Saunders • A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life
great opening lines
Alex Dobrenko • 1 card
The story’s ultimate event is the writer’s ultimate task.
Robert McKee • Story: Style, Structure, Substance, and the Principles of Screenwriting
Look closely at those two examples above. Not only do they feature these run-ons or enjambments, which allow a sense of continual flow, they also contain pauses which break up that flow; in the examples above it happens that these pauses are expressed by commas that serve the office of a breath, or change of gear: I shall render them like this ¶. H
... See moreStephen Fry • The Ode Less Travelled: Unlocking the Poet Within
OPENING (page 1-3):
Daniel Calvisi • Story Maps: How to Write a GREAT Screenplay
(If you want to study the master of the well-constructed chapter—and plot and flat-out gorgeous writing—read Raymond Chandler. The Long Goodbye is my favorite.)
Ann Patchett • This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage
On expression (craft) — 27 patterns behind great essays
On language (logos) — selective dictionary, new thesaurus architecture
On ideas (history) — lineage of 100 root ideas through civilization
Only the best writers in the world can pull off passive heroes. So be careful when using the hidden goal!