By - JJBarnes

What is “conflict” in story?

In most of these pieces of writing advice, I reference the conflict, because there is no story without conflict. So what actually is conflict?

An Intro To Writing Sorkinian Dialogue

I’m going to be writing about the dialogue style of the writer Aaron Sorkin. If you’re unfamiliar with his work, he’s an American writer known for screenwriting TV shows such as The West Wing and The Newsroom, and films such as The Social Network and A Few Good Men. He also wrote stage adaptations such as To Kill A Mockingbird and A Few Good Men, which went to Broadway. Aaron Sorkin is an exceptional writer in all ways, and worth studying in general, but today I’m going to be focusing on the way he writes dialogue.

Posted on 28th March 202028th March 2020
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Posted in Writing
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Leave a Comment on How To Write So Your Audience Is Emotionally Connected To Your Story

By - JJBarnes

How To Write So Your Audience Is Emotionally Connected To Your Story

Causing your audience to have a strong emotional connection to your story, even to the point of being moved to tears, is how you make a story stick with them well after they’ve finished your book. Nobody remembers the story that they had no feelings about, it’s the stories that impacted us on an emotional level that we hold in our hearts. But how do you do it?

Posted on 26th March 202026th March 2020
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Posted in Writing
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Leave a Comment on The Problem With Writing Coincidences

By - JJBarnes

The Problem With Writing Coincidences

A coincidence in a story is an event that happens that has no foreshadowing and no intent, it wasn’t something the character looked for or is a consequence of previous action, it just happens to them and impacts them and they react to it. Coincidences can trigger an interesting story, or progress an existing story, but they have to be handled with care. Having too many coincidences in your story can make it weak, and it shows a lack of planning and intent. I’ll be writing about why coincidences are a problem, and how to avoid writing them.

Posted on 21st March 202021st March 2020
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Posted in Writing
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Leave a Comment on How To Arc Characters, Not Break Them

By - JJBarnes

How To Arc Characters, Not Break Them

When you are writing your story, you might find that you get to a point where you realise it would really suit the story for one of your characters to do something that’s really convenient for your story, but completely out of character for that person. I’ll be talking about how and why we arc our characters, and the differences between arcing and breaking them.

Posted on 18th March 202018th March 2020
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Posted in Writing
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Leave a Comment on How To Write Distinct Characters

By - JJBarnes

How To Write Distinct Characters

If you’re a new writer, it’s quite easy to fall into the trap of making all your characters be different versions of yourself. They might look different and have different goals, but their personalities blur into one another and their speech patterns are identical, so it ends up reading like you’re having conversations with yourself.

Posted on 17th March 202017th March 2020
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Posted in Writing
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Leave a Comment on How To Write Suspense

By - JJBarnes

How To Write Suspense

If you are writing a scary story, or a thriller or a mystery, suspense is one of the key things you need to make your story appealing to your audience. It will keep them excited and intrigued so they will want to stay with you and keep watching or reading to the end.

Posted on 15th March 202015th March 2020
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Posted in Writing
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Leave a Comment on How To Make An Unbelievable Story Believable

By - JJBarnes

How To Make An Unbelievable Story Believable

If you are writing in the fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal, or sci-fi genres, you’re going to be writing scenarios for your characters that are, technically, unbelievable. In reality, people don’t believe that the White House is going to be blown up by aliens or that witches and wizards are being trained in magic in a big school, yet we are able to believe it in the story because of how it’s written.

Posted on 14th March 202014th March 2020
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Posted in Writing
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Leave a Comment on How To Track Your Character’s Emotional State

By - JJBarnes

How To Track Your Character’s Emotional State

Tracking your character’s emotional state is an essential part of continuity when it comes to your character’s arc. When your character experiences emotions, you need to make sure you carry the ramifications of that with them into the subsequent scenes.

Tagged : Aspiring Writer, How To Write, How To Write A Book, SCreenwriter, Writer, Writer's Block, Writers Life, Writing, Writing a book, writing a film, writing a movie, Writing Advice, Writing Advice from Writers, writing hacks, Writing lessons, writing structure, writing technique, writing techniques, Writing Tips

Posted on 11th March 202011th March 2020
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Posted in Writing
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Leave a Comment on How To Write Time-Locks

By - JJBarnes

How To Write Time-Locks

A “time-lock” is best to use in your story when you’ve established who your Protagonist and Antagonist are, you’ve pitted them against each other, but your story lacks pressure and haste. You want to ramp up the tension and manipulate the circumstances surrounding your characters so the story is more exciting. A time-lock gives your story energy, and is what tells your audience and your characters, that you’re headed for a climax.

J.J. Barnes

I have suspected #Coronavirus #covid19. We don’t know because they’re not testing. We just have to keep me isolated in my home, away from my very scared and confused children, and call an ambulance if I struggle to breathe.

I feel exhausted. I’ve had a fever on and off, horrible coughing fits, and I’m so tired everything in my body aches. Typing this is making my arms hurt like I’ve been lifting weights. But I don’t know if I’ve definitely got it so I might be isolating from my children for no reason.

I’m very blessed that I have a partner who’s able to take full responsibility for the house and the children, and is incredibly supportive at all times. But it’s horrible. And I’m devastated.

I keep sleeping every time I do anything small like reading or looking at Twitter because it takes so much out of me. I miss my children.

Don’t go out if you don’t have to. You don’t want this.

#stayhome #stayhomestaysafe #coronavirusuk #saveournhs

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J.J. Barnes

Mermaids are being pulled from the ocean, their body parts sold on the black market. When Lilly and Saffron arrive in Whitstable, they set out to try and save them, but find the situation is far more complicated, and far more dangerous, than they had ever imagined.

Lilly Prospero And The Mermaid's Curse is available in paperback, kindle, and free to read on kindle unlimited.

mybook.to/mermaidscurse

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J.J. Barnes

A little message from Jonathan McKinney about JJ needing to take a break due to suspected Coronavirus.

https://youtu.be/sLeqmFX8fd0

Creative Writing For Kids

A little message from Jonathan McKinney about JJ needing to take a break due to suspected Coronavirus. https://youtu.be/sLeqmFX8fd0

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Followers: 2844

JJ Barnes 🦋 @JudieannRose

Sat up in bed and did some stuff on my computer this morning. Then crashed out exhausted and aching with pain in my chest and slept for a few hours. One step forward, two steps back. #coronavirus #covid19

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JJ Barnes 🦋 @JudieannRose

I promise I'll get back to making my Creative Writing For Kids videos to help you find fun & confidence in story telling. Until then please check out the full playlist I've already made. I can't wait to see what stories you come up with!
#writingadvice

https://t.co/lHlKKydjkG

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JJ Barnes 🦋 @JudieannRose

I wrote about story level and scene level conflict, how to write it, and what impact it has on your story.

#writingadvice #writingcommunity #blogger

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