It's June! Is your book written yet?
Alexandra Sokoloff
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3y ago
Happy first official day of summer! (I say this so often, but I'm saying it again. How did it get to be June?) June 1, 2021—and I just finished another, nearly final! draft of Book 1 of my new Golden Gate series.    Always a bit of a miracle, finishing a book. And this one is pretty epic. I should definitely be out celebrating. But it's a miracle I've come to expect, because I've made it happen often enough that there's no reason NOT to believe I'll do it again, and again, and again. That's lucky, I know. A lot of people would love to write books, but never get there. As an author ..read more
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Turn your screenplay into a novel
Alexandra Sokoloff
by
3y ago
Ten easy steps for screenwriters to turn that unproduced script into a novel     This topic has come up in several places lately so I thought I’d re-post this article I wrote, previously published in Written By, the journal of the WGAW, as How To Become A Novelist In Your Spare Time.) 1. I bet you have that unproduced script that you’ve always secretly thought would make a great novel. Pull that out and let yourself remember everything you loved about it. If it’s been sold or optioned in the past, consult with your lawyer and the guild Contracts Department to make sur ..read more
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February Full Moon and Huntress Moon series sale, 99c!
Alexandra Sokoloff
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3y ago
 The last few nights I’ve been restless sleeping because of the incredibly bright waxing moon, full tonight.   The February full moon is called variously, by various Native tribes: Snow Moon, Wolf Moon, and Bitter Moon.   I took BITTER MOON as the name for the fourth book in the HUNTRESS MOON series - all six books currently on sale 99c each - and you can add RC Bray’s award-winning audio for just $3.99).    As you might guess by the cover, this book takes Roarke deep into the desert, following a sixteen year old cold case that may be the key to Cara's bloody history ..read more
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For Martin Luther King Jr. Day: SELMA story analysis
Alexandra Sokoloff
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3y ago
It’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Why not celebrate this American hero and work on your storytelling craft—by watching Selma?   I’ve been doing a breakdown of the movie for my online Screenwriting Tricks for Authorsworkshop. The film has a wildly ambitious goal: to depict the monolith of U.S. racism; to educate its audience about King, a key civil rights battle, and the history of voter suppression in America; to break the history down into understandable segments to change the hearts and minds of its audience; and to prompt present-day action by awakening both rage and inspiration.   ..read more
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DON'T start a new book. Finish the old one!
Alexandra Sokoloff
by
3y ago
I know it’s the New Year, and the temptation to start completely fresh is huge.    But hear me now. That does not apply to writing books.    If you're in the middle of a book, you DO NOT WANT to stop to run after a shiny new idea. That is a great way not to ever get published.     I am pretty sure that what most aspiring authors need to be doing for the New Year—or wherever you are in the year, is to finish an old book. I recently did a Zoom session with a writing group, and I started it as I always start a workshop, with these questions:      ..read more
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Writing five minutes a day equals a book in a year
Alexandra Sokoloff
by
3y ago
2020 was a hell of a year. I’m know I’m not the only one to be glad for a chance to take out the trash and start fresh. I actually got a lot done last year. I launched an online writing class. I had Covid in the spring and recovered, although it took a while. I did everything I could do from a distance to help save democracy. And I wrote a book. Not just a book—the biggest book I’ve ever written. The first of a new series that’s different from anything I’ve ever written before. How did I do it? By writing five minutes a day. I never stopped writing. Even if I only spent five minutes a day on ..read more
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Nanowrimo Prep: free mini-course!
Alexandra Sokoloff
by
3y ago
As anyone who's read this blog knows, I do a Nanowrimo Prep series every October to help writers do some planning to get the most ouf of their November writing session. This year I'm going multi-media and doing it as a free mini-workshop on Teachable.com, with videos, assignments, and discussions to help you jump-start the book you're going to write this winter — and sell in the New Year! You can access the course here. Hope you can join ..read more
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Elements of Act One: SELMA - New video!
Alexandra Sokoloff
by
3y ago
This week I'll go through Act I of SELMA to demonstrate the Story Elements we’ve been talking about, and then do some more general posts on the Elements of Act II before we go on to demonstrate thoses elements in several movies.    Start with the Introduction to SELMA, here:       As we’ve been talking about, movies are traditionally structured in eight 15-minute sequences, for a 2-hour movie. That’s approximate! SELMA’s Sequence One is 16 minutes long.   In Act One you will tend to see these Key Elements:   Opening Image Meeting the Hero/ine The Hero/ine’s ..read more
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New Screenwriting Tricks for Authors video: Act I checklist!
Alexandra Sokoloff
by
4y ago
From the Calendar of Canceled Cons: Today I would have been in the Scottish Borders, teaching Screenwriting Tricks for Authors at the Borders Writing Forum. I had other workshops scheduled this year in Ireland, New Zealand, Australia and L.A. That’s a lot to miss out on! I guess it’s no wonder I started doing videos of the workshopinstead. I’ve just finished the tenth video, an Act One Elements Checklist, and we’ve worked through all the essential story elements of Act I. Each video is just about 10 minutes long, with exercises that will take 15-20 minutes of your time and get you writing ..read more
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Writing in Lockdown - Screenwriting Tricks for Authors online
Alexandra Sokoloff
by
4y ago
We’ve been in lockdown for six weeks. And that very first week, for some demon - I mean reason -  I almost immediately decided to record my Screenwriting Tricks for Authors workshop in short videos. Probably because I had several upcoming workshops, more than usual, that were canceled/postponed due to lockdowns in various countries. Or maybe I just knew deep down that only a pandemic could get me to focus long enough to actually get it done. I’ve just finished the tenth video, doing one a week, with many more to come. Each is just about 10 minutes long, with exercises that will take 15 ..read more
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