Shock Therapy

Feb 4, 2015 | Books - Theatre - Writing

It’s a big thing in entertainment to shock your audience. TV trolls us with teasers all the time: “You won’t believe the shocking twist!” “The last five minutes will shock you!” There’s value in shock. It feels good, as an artist, to make people gasp and sit a little...

On The Shoulders Of Giants

Jan 30, 2015 | Shakespeare - The Novel - Writing

“Writing is easy. You only need to stare at a piece of blank paper until your forehead bleeds.” – Douglas Adams When I set out to write “Her Majesty’s Will,” I was scared. Why? Because I wasn’t going to be able to rely on my usual bag of tricks. I was setting out to...

Forget the Map, Just Explore

Jan 28, 2015 | Books - Theatre - Writing

My kids go to a great school, and through them I get to meet other artists. One of them is a very talented short story writer. She had a banner year in 2014, and got lots of attention. Of course, from every literary agent she talked to, she heard this: “I love your...

Rubicon

Jan 10, 2015 | Theatre - Writing

On this day in 49 BC, Gaius Julius Caesar led a single legion, the Legio XIII Gemina, south over the Rubicon from Cisalpine Gaul to invade Italy. His own country.  I never think of this as happening in January, though it was just at the start of the Roman New...