Essays on the Craft of Dramatic Writing!

A third edition of A Story is a Promise and Deep Characterization is now available. This new edition explores how some writers struggle because they make a main character an extension of the author to act out personal issues. A short video about the new work is available; the video is included with the book.

The excellent printing was done by United Graphics.

A Story is a Promise & Deep Characterization is available using this PayPal link. The cost of $17.95 includes media mail shipping in the United States.

Overseas mailing, $24.95. ***********************

This site offers writers of all levels and genres new ideas on the essential elements of storytelling:

creating dynamic characters...

identifying what's at stake in
a story...

and ensuring that both the plot and story lines converge into an emotionally fulfilling resolution.

Reviews of popular novels, plays, and screenplays highlight those aspects of storytelling essential for fulfilling a writer's promise to the reader.

The essays on this web site are part of my exploration of what it is to both tell and enjoy a story. I welcome everyone who shares that journey.
--Bill Johnson

What's new:

Writing a Novel with a Dual Timeline
This essay reviews Sara Gruen's novel, Water for Elephants.

Oregon Writers Speak
I've created a new web page where I speak about deep characterization, and teachers like Elizabeth Lyon and Eric Witchey speak about the craft of writing fiction, and Mike Thaler, author of The Teacher From the Black Lagoon, offers a video tour of his work studio.

Writing a Puzzle Piece
An essay about what made The DaVinci Code the novel successful and the movie under whelming.

Writing a Novel With a Wounded Main Character
An essay about Prince of Tides and how a novel can be written with a wounded main character, a choice that can lead to difficulties if not handled correctly.

Writing a Novel With a Stuck Main Character, Notes on The Kite Runner
An essay about how a popular novel was written with an emotionally stuck main character.

Stories and Feelings
An essay about how stories function as a journey of feelings for a story's audience.

Unfolding a Story from a First Sentence
A review of the opening pages of Isaac Bashevis Singer's Meshugah that explores how the story unfolds from its first sentence.

Movies As Healing Journeys
This essay explores how movies can offer understanding of life's problems. This article first appeared in ScreenTalk, the International Magazine of Screenwriting.

About the Author:

Vita
Film Scripts
Q/A
Site awards

I speak about the Deep Characterization process on this video posted on YouTube.

All material on this web site Copyright 1998-2008 Bill Johnson; all rights reserved. I welcome your comments and suggestions. If you have any questions about the story issues raised by my essays, for a response, write me at bjscript at teleport.com.
Thanks for visiting this site.

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I review screenplays, novel manuscripts, and plays.