Novelists’ Corner
April 27, 2016
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By Leslie Lehr Benjamin writes historical fiction with the ear of a playwright. As a longtime Vogue, Vanity Fair & Esquire reader, I’ve heard of Babe Paley and her crew. As a writer I’ve read Truman Capote. But never have I known the full story of this unusual combinat
Continue Reading →Novelists’ Corner
March 30, 2016
Another big thumbs up for John Nelson’s detective novel, Joey’s Place. Nelson took the Anatomy of Story Masterclass so many years ago it was just called the Story Structure Class. He really knows his stuff. The story takes place in Las Vegas, 1970, the turning point when the city’s ca
Continue Reading →The Secret to Novels That Win Oscars – Leslie Lehr
February 23, 2016
Leslie is the Novel Consultant for Truby’s Writers Studio (more info here). It’s no secret that books are behind a staggering number of Oscar nominees this year. Five of the eight nominations for Best Picture are based on literary works. Books led to Best Director, Best Foreign
Continue Reading →#1 Screenwriting Strategy Today
November 25, 2015
If you’re writing a script to sell to Hollywood, you’re already making a fundamental strategic mistake. Your odds of selling that script are something like .001%. Why? First, the vast majority of screenwriters don’t have sufficient training to create a professional-level script. Sure,
Continue Reading →The Naked Philosopher and the New Novel
October 28, 2015
I just read a terrific detective-thriller called The Naked Philosopher, by Paul Margolis, and it’s a perfect example of the biggest trend in worldwide storytelling today: the new novel. The new novel is one that you control from start to finish. And because you publish it yourself, yo
Continue Reading →Novel vs. Screenplay
August 25, 2015
Caroline Leavitt is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling novelist ( including Is This Tomorrow and Pictures of You), screenwriter and book critic. About five years ago, I discovered John Truby’s story structure. A student of mine at UCLA was going on and on about what a ge
Continue Reading →The Biggest Trend in Storytelling Today
March 31, 2015
Novels are the premier story form for anyone who wants to tell a story. That’s right, one of the oldest story forms in history is now hot! The rise of e-books has changed the playing field, and it’s the biggest trend in popular storytelling today. The good news? Anyone can publish a n
Continue Reading →The Great Gatsby (novel)
August 01, 2013
The great lesson of the latest film version of The Great Gatsby is not whether Baz Luhrmann adapted the book correctly. For the professional storyteller, and those wishing to become one, the lesson is in the novel itself. Thankfully, this film has led us back once more to consider the
Continue Reading →What a Mother Knows (novel)
August 01, 2013
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Leslie’s Lehr’s What A Mother Knows gives me a wonderful opportunity to talkabout story in the novel. I saw this book develop through every step of therewriting process. So I can give you a close-up view of how this novelist crafted a successful work of fiction in today’s competitive
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