Small towns are a classic literary setting, making appearances in all types of genres and forms. Maycomb County from To Kill a Mockingbird, Bedford Falls from It’s a Wonderful Life, Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls – all dreamy little towns that have become staples of the American image. You could even argue that fantasy has its share of small towns – the Shire from Lord of the Rings immediately comes to mind.
Read MoreWith this year's Moonlight win at the Oscars, a lot of big things happened. The primary thing most people are talking about is how monumental Moonlight's win is for people of color. It's rare to see a movie about a black gay man get much recognition and for it to win best picture is a huge achievement. However, in addition to the social progress, Moonlight's win speaks to the underdog of the film industry – the independent film.
Read MoreI first stumbled on the foundations of my Storytelling Systemwhen I was in college and struggling to make a story work. It was a short film I'd written in my introduction screenwriting course that I was excited about, but every time I wrote it the idea fell flat. There was something missing and off about the story and I could not for the life of me figure out what that was.
Read MoreThis past week I attended my first ever writers' conference – the San Miguel Writers' Conference in Mexico. I was incredibly nervous because while I love workshops and learning and honing in on my craft, the idea of mingling and networking and approaching strangers terrified me, especially because I knew I'd be one of the younger attendees at this conference. But despite that fear, I knew I had to push myself out of my comfort zone as a storyteller and attending a conference was the next step in that direction.
Read MoreWriting prompts are a fun way to get writing inspiration and beat down writer's block. They're low stress and force you to think in a new way, challenging you and enabling you to find new story ideas. That's why in coordination with my e-course, Swiss Army Storytelling, I've created a list of storytelling prompts to help you not only become a more dynamic storyteller, but also to give you a taste of what you'll find in my course.
Read MoreAs storytellers it is so easy to fall into a funk, even if you're making an effort to write everyday or try out new mediums. Some writing days can feel wonderful and others can feel mediocre, but either way that's part of what makes the storytelling process so great, even if it doesn't seem that way.
Read MoreAs writers our principle form of activism is our voice. To be more specific, the voice of our pen. However, another form of activism - though far more subtle and long-term in its effects - is in the books we choose to read. With every book you buy, you share, and you tell people about, you are saying that more of those books should be read, and marketers and companies will start to follow that over time.
Read MoreRecently I saw the movie Fences in theaters, a film based on the play by August Wilson. Everything about it was working great for me - the plot, the conflicts, the characters, but best of all the performances. Denzel Washington and Viola Davis were outstanding, moving me on so many different levels emotionally I could hardly keep up. However, despite all the things I loved about Fences and how strong the story was, I couldn't help but feel like something was off.
Read MoreAre you someone who has ever said "video games just aren't for me"? And are you also someone who considers themselves a writer? Then this post is made for you.
If you are a member of the Storytelling Society, you'll know why I wholeheartedly believe anyone who says they are a storyteller needs to play video games, even if they don't want to write them. As detailed in the Storytelling System, engaging with new mediums is essential to improving your abilities as a storyteller in general - not just as a writer of novels or plays or even poetry.
Read MoreIt happens every time. I walk into GameStop with my brother or boyfriend and the sales associate walks up to us and acts like I don't exist. They look the guy I'm with in the eye and pretend I'm the girlfriend or sister who was dragged along, never asking if there's anything I need when I stray away and start looking at the games for sale.
Read MoreEvery year people set New Year's resolutions. Maybe it's to eat healthier, to be a better person, or even more specifically, to drink eight glasses of water a day. And if you're a writer, you've more than likely made the "write more" resolution before, or even the more seemingly specific resolution to finish your novel or screenplay. You might have even made a similar resolution four days ago.
Read MoreThough video games have always been a part of my life, it wasn't until a few years ago when I really began to become what some call a "gamer" and began trying out new games I never had before, branching off from The Sims, Zelda and Nancy Drew (all of which are still fun, by the way) to try out the likes of Bioshock, Mass Effect and Skyrim. This was in part because as a child my parents never permitted us to have anything besides the Wii, so when I began dating my boyfriend I had two separate consoles (PlayStation and Xbox) that I had never owned or played anything on before until then.
Read MoreCreative Writing Coach and Storyteller | Serving creative writers who want to write novels, movies, plays, and video games – and helping them learn how to write all four.
Hey there—I’m E.M. Welsh and I’m a writer and storyteller based in Texas. In my spare time, you can find me reading books, watching TV and movies, and playing video games. I also cook a lot of food and dabble in a plethora of other hobbies.
I’m currently working on my first book, which I hope to have published in 2024.
This blog is basically a diary of what I’m up to, random musings, and progress updates on my book.
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