Medieval Names Archive This collection of articles on medieval and Renaissance names is intended to help historical re-creators to choose authentic names. These articles were gathered from various places, and some of them appear elsewhere. In all cases, the copyright on each article belongs to its authors. For frequent users, we offer a compact index; but please read the following introduction at least once. What's New Choosing a Medieval Name Choosing a medieval name is easy: Open any book on any aspect of medieval history, and there will be some names. To be honest, it isn't that easy. at least not if you truly want an authentic name. Good and Bad Sources It's also easy to get led astray by bad sources. Many people in the Society have written articles to help you choose an authentic name. The Problem Names Project Some names that many people think of as common to the Middle Ages or Renaissance are either purely modern or otherwise problematic. You can help! Table of Contents Personal Names in Specific Cultures
The key to storytelling is not your perfection but your humanity The Irish Times has a good, short piece on The Moth, the not-for-profit organization dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling. The Moth started in George Dawes Green's living room in 1997, but soon the storytelling club founded by Green started hosting events in cafes and clubs throughout New York City. The name "The Moth" came from the idea that people are attracted to stories the way moths are attracted to a flame. From The Moth website: "Each show starts with a theme, and the storytellers explore it, often in unexpected ways. Since each story is true and every voice authentic, the shows dance between documentary and theater, creating a unique, intimate, and often enlightening experience for the audience." The storytellers are usually novice storytellers who have something interesting to share. Below is a wonderful story presented at The Moth in 2009 by Malcolm Gladwell. The Times article quotes the New Yorker writer and essayist Adam Gopnik as to what makes for a good story.
Story And Plot Michael Arndt on setting a story in motion Michael Arndt explains some of the things he learned while working on the screenplay for Toy Story 3. Groundhog Day John and Craig pay their respects to Harold Ramis with an episode devoted entirely to Groundhog Day. When you think someone stole your idea A screenwriter sees a trailer that matches the premise of something he wrote ten years earlier. Frozen with Jennifer Lee In the tradition of the Raiders and Little Mermaid episodes, John and guest host Aline Brosh McKenna discuss and dissect the award-winning, record-setting, paradigm-shifting Frozen. Scriptnotes Holiday Spectacular ‘Twas the Holiday Scriptnotes and at our behest, Craig and John were joined by our six favorite guests. Let’s talk about coverage Craig and John talk readers and coverage, centering their discussion on profound_whatever’s infographic charting 300 submissions and the lessons screenwriters can take from it. Positive Moviegoing Damsels in distress Let me give you some advice
Interviewing Characters: Follow the Energy - Conversations with Dale On November 13, 2007 I ran out of plot for the NaNoWriMo novel I was writing. I had no idea what to write next. That’s not uncommon for NaNo novelists, but I hadda do something to jiggle myself loose. In NaNoWriMo, word count is everything, and I couldn’t afford to fall behind. So I tried something I hadn’t tried before: I interviewed my characters. Well, that turned out to be more interesting than I’d anticipated. I didn’t use any pre-planned questionnaire. Instead, I did what I do in many real-life interviews: Follow the energy. Ask a question that invites the character to tell me something newListen for emotional intensity in the answer. Rather than describing this process in detail, I’ll let you read the interviews as I conducted them, unedited. Some background: The novel involves a time loop. In the first plot, Dan Roberge murders his wife Faith and her lover Zorem. The interviews: In the second plot, Amy Anderson saves her son from drowning in a pond on the family farm.
How to Write a Character Sketch | Journeys in Grace Character Sketch Guidelines A Character Sketch is a great way for your student to assess the characters in the literature they are reading or people that they are researching about. It can give them tools of observation as they look at the many details about another individual. When studying a specific character in a literary piece the sketch gives the student the freedom to be a detective and try to find out what the author is expressing through their characters. Can you write a sketch without a book to study? When you are writing a Character Sketch, want to look for qualities of character and/or personality traits that you see in the person you want to write about. Be sure to use strong visual words in your writing. A character sketch is not a history of the person; however, this type of paper requires you to give only a brief glimpse of the individual. Your outline should include descriptions on the following details: ° Tell about their physical features. ( hair color, height, etc.) I.
Writing process Since a few of you expressed mild interest in the speech I gave at Sirens in October last year I thought I would share it with you. The theme was monsters and my speech involved me showing many monstrous images. Yes, that’s my disclaimer, I wrote this to be spoken to a real life audience with funny pictures and the funny may not work so well without the kind and appreciative live audience. Or something. *cough* Here it is: Monsters I Have Loved Ideas = Brain Monkeys According to Maureen Johnson Like every other writer ever I get asked “where do you get your ideas” a lot. Here’s how I got the idea for the speech I’m about to give, which is very similar to how I get ideas for the novels I write. Excellently recursive, yes? I knew I had to write a speech for Sirens more than a year ago. Then one day in July, or possibly August, I was walking around New York City with my headphones on listening to music. Nah, not really. Feminism + Young Adult Literature + Monsters = Elvis Am I right? No? No!
Science Fiction Writer Robert J. Sawyer: On Writing — Dialogue SFWRITER.COM > How to Write > On Writing: Dialogue by Robert J. Sawyer Copyright © 1996 by Robert J. Writing convincing dialogue is one of the hardest things for new writers to master. Here's the kind of dialog you read in many beginners' stories: "What happened to you, Joe?" Here's how real people talk: "Christ, man, what happened?" See the differences? Also note that in the first example, the speakers refer to each other by name. A few other features of real human speech demonstrated in the second example above: when relaying to a third party a conversation we had with somebody else, we usually only directly quote what the other person said; our own side of the conversation is typically relayed with considerable bravado, and the listener understands that what's really being presented is what we wish we'd had the guts to say, not what we actually said. Now, which of the above examples is better? "Christ, man, what happened?" Of course, not all your characters should talk the same way.
Rant on putting your characters through absolute hell Well, this one was the winner by the most votes I’ve ever seen in a poll, so up it goes. You’ll probably note pretty quickly that all the items on this list are psychological/emotional. Well, yes. (And if I sound like a sadist, I swear I’m not. 1) Create a situation that punishes the character for using his best qualities. Now put that hero in a situation where he dashes into battle, trusting his soldiers to follow him, trusting the enemy to fall back before him…and have him lead all his soldiers straight into an ambush, while some of them have already betrayed him and joined the other side. The trick here is not to make the situation seem contrived. Fantasy authors create the most extraordinary people all the time. 2) Have him mistake a present threat or enemy for one from the past. Now seize that and turn it on its head. Put the hero in front of someone or something that resembles, superficially, something or someone from his past. No, make this something he wants. So, don’t.
Character Chart for Fiction Writers - EpiGuide.com If you're a fiction writer -- whether you're working on a novel, short story, screenplay, television series, play, web series, webserial, or blog-based fiction -- your characters should come alive for your reader or audience. The highly detailed chart below will help writers develop fictional characters who are believable, captivating, and unique. Print this page to complete the form for each main character you create. IMPORTANT: Note that all fields are optional and should be used simply as a guide; character charts should inspire you to think about your character in new ways, rather than constrain your writing. If this character chart is helpful, please let us know! Looking for more character questionnaires / charts? Never Be Blocked: Keep a Writer's Notebook When I was 11, I was given a little five-year diary with a lock and key. I wrote the usual pre-pubescent stuff in it, a few lines a day, most days. At 14, I began using steno notebooks, and over the next couple of decades I filled dozens with my tormented longings and occasional excited high points. Since I became a professional—and computerized—writer, I've been keeping a writer's notebook. Even as irregular as I am about the process, it's proven priceless for my creative output. To free your creative self, suggests Janet Burroway in her popular textbook Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft , you must give yourself permission to fail. Such a notebook may include observations, ideas, notes about projects, emotions, overheard dialogue, dreams, "what-I-did-today" accounts, notes kept during a trip or to record a particular harrowing experience such as a home renovation. Then there are the meta-notebook entries. W. My own notebook habit is more catch-as-catch-can.