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
Second Person Point of View — The Writer’s Craft Enrollment Limited Sherry Wilson's step-by-step method helped me organize my thoughts and transform a simple idea into a full-fledged plot. Without her help and guidance, I'd still be walking around with just another "great idea for a story." Thanks to Sherry, though, I've published three novels and know there are more on the way! ~ Debi Faulkner, Summoning, LilyPad Princess and Murphy's Law "Sherry is extremely professional and knowledgeable in this field. As well as being technically proficient in many styles, she also possesses a rich imagination, offering suggestions and alternatives in a way that doesn't impose on the writer's own style. Her observations are honest and valuable, beyond what many others can give. A. "WOW! I really appreciate the work you've done so far. --Lena Jones "Sherry Wilson has a deep understanding of the craft of writing and a natural gift for the art of writing. Being an editor myself, there are not too many people I would trust with my own work.
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
Creating a character profile When you get an idea for a short story or a novel you probably get the basic idea of the characters with it. But in order to build believable characters you need more than just a basic idea of them. You need to really them. The easiest way to flesh out a character is with a character profile, so get out a blank sheet of paper and follow the sample profile below. NAME: Put your characters full name - first, last, and any nicknames that he goes by. BIOGRAPHY: Write a description of your character's life; past and present. AGE: If you don't know the exact age of your character then you can put it's approximation, such as late thirties, mid-twenties etc. HEIGHT: How tall is your character? WEIGHT: You probably won't know your character's exact weight, but I'm sure you can guess its approximate one. BODY TYPE: Is he wiry and agile, or does he work out and his body is the proof? FACE TYPE: Is your character baby faced, or does he have a sharp, chiseled bone structure?
How to Create a Credible Villain in Fiction: 14 Steps Edit Article Sample Villain DescriptionsCreating Your Own Villain Edited by Brigitta M., Imperatrix, Sondra C, Jack Herrick and 32 others Creating a credible villain for fiction writing stereotypically evil or just "icky" traits. It requires a delicate balance of bad and, yes, even good to bring a measure of believability to the villain in a tale or novel. Ad Steps Sample Villain Descriptions Creating Your Own Villain 1Start by reading Create a Fictional Character from Scratch. 14Only kill off the villain if they deserved it. Tips The villains that work the best are the ones where their motive may be basically understandable, but their ultimate goal and their processes are extremely twisted.Subtlety is often better. Warnings Try to make your villain three dimensional. Sources and Citations Crime Library A comprehensive resource for studying real life villains.
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.
TAKING A CHANCE ON PATHOS By EVA HOFFMAN; Eva Hoffman is an editor of The Book Review. Her memoir ''Lost in Translation,'' about living in a new culture and language, will be published in January.Published: November 6, 1988 SELECTED STORIES By Andre Dubus. 476 pp. Boston: David R. Godine. $22.50. Emotional veracity is surely one of the most elusive elements in fiction. Mr. We are accustomed, in today's fiction, to characters who are wretched, or disconnected, or down and out. It is in these usually hidden lives that Mr. But the immediate interest of these short stories and novellas resides not so much in the explosive premises and the detonating endings as in the concrete, sensuous detail, in the patient stitching of modest observation. Lacking stylishness or skepticism, or sharp wit, Mr. Especially toward love.
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!
Character Trait Chart Character Trait Chart and Personality Components It can sometimes be helpful to make a Trait Chart for each character. To use this chart, print it out and make a copy for each of your characters. Full name - a character's name is very important. Besides the character's official name, we also need to know what he is called (and, perhaps, what he prefers to be called). Date of Birth/Age - we should carefully consider assigning our character a birthday. Address - this can be as detailed or as vague as you wish, but it should answer a few questions: does the character live in a large city, the suburbs, a small town or deep in the country? Height - this doesn't need to be specific. Weight/Body Build - again, we don't really need to know a character's exact weight, only if he or she is stocky, slender or "had a figure that . . ." Hair - keep in mind the character's ethnic background in assigning hair and eye color. Health - does your character have any health problems or weaknesses? Questions?
7 phrases in a liar's vocabulary SALT LAKE CITY — People who consistently lie may be good at telling tall tales, but their words will always give them away. Since liars usually have to invent answers and stories to stave off accusations, a good liar will be more diligent in choosing his words. That's how experts have been able to spot the patterns and phrases liars use to try and convince others they're telling the truth. "From word choice to vocal tone to the chronology of stories, the trained liespotter has several verbal clues with which to work," writes Pamela Meyer, author of "Liespotting: Proven Techniques to Detect Deception." The next time you suspect you're not getting the whole truth, look for these seven phrases in a liar's vocabulary: "Where was I last night?" "Would not" — To convince people that they're telling the truth, liars will often avoid using contractions and instead emphasize the full-form verbs. "First we went to the bar." — A skilled liar will be diligent in getting the story straight.