The Alfred Hitchcock Hour - Full Episodes Online for FREE

This is like manna from heaven... CHOOSE YOUR EPISODE NOW.

Categories of Mysteries

The Straight Mystery -- The Puzzle Mystery -- The Hard-boiled Mystery -- The Novel of Pursuit -- The Whodunit -- and lots more!

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Imaginaries

the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers' Co-operative

Imaginaries, formerly the mouthful "The Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers' Co-operative", is a global writers' co-operative for science fiction, fantasy, horror, and whatever else happens to slip through the cracks; we work together to improve each-other's writing by sharing works, ideas, news, and criticism. Membership is open to anyone interested in participating in this process. To learn more, see the FAQ, or just poke around for a bit.

NOTE: IE users (because I'm assuming this is an IE problem although it might happen on other browsers), the CSS on this page is a bit screwy in that the navigation panel on the right seems to be superimposed over the top of the text that forms the body of the page. Plus, the fun little clickable links that let you change the page's color scheme entirely blots out the navigation on some of those color schemes.

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Writers Click 101 [MSN GROUP for Horror writers]

Writer's Click 101 Purpose and Goal

You will learn the basic writing rules and the fundamentals necessary to become a good writer.

You will have the opportunity to begin your writing endeavors and improve your skills.

If you are already a experienced writer, you will have the opportunity to tweek your skills and works,receiving honest, professional critiques, editing and any additional help you might need.

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TUTORIAL: Movie Genres

QUESTION: Formats, genre, structure…How long do you think the typical learning curve is for an aspiring screenwriter?

Question: I recently completed a romantic comedy that reads like a modern day fairytail. How do I market this ‘genre’?

Question: I write thrillers and I have a list of producers who have done great thrillers – is this a good way to start submitting my script?

Question: What genre is Hollywood looking for currently?

Question: How do I know if my project belongs on TV or in the movies?

READ THE ANSWERS HERE.

Main Film Genres

Film genres are various forms or identifiable types, categories, classifications or groups of films that are recurring and have similar, familiar or instantly-recognizable patterns, syntax, filmic techniques or conventions - that include one or more of the following: settings (and props), content and subject matter, themes, mood, period, plot, central narrative events, motifs, styles, structures, situations, recurring icons (e.g., six-guns and ten-gallon hats in Westerns), stock characters (or characterizations), and stars. Many films straddle several film genres.

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BOOK NOTES: "Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy" [Robert A. Heinlein]

This book, published in 1991, was created by the editors of Analog and Asimov's Science Fiction magazines and they've had experienced well-read and well-loved writers of the genre of science fiction contribute essays on the subject.

The first essay, by Robert A. Heinlein, is titled, "On the Writing of Speculative Fiction" and I found a gem to share with any writer of any genre and even beyond narrative fiction -- this would apply as well to writers of screenplays. Mr. Heinlein writes:

For me, a story of the sort I want to write is still further limited to this recipe: a man finds himself in circumstances that create a problem for him. In coping with this problem, the man is changed in some fashion inside himself. The story is over when the inner change is complete - the external incidents may go on indefinitely.

People changing under stress:

A lonely rich man learns comradeship in a hobo jungle.
A milquetoast gets pushed too far and learns to fight.
A strong man is crippled and has to adjust to it. A gossip learns to hold her tongue.
A hard-boiled materialist gets acquainted with a ghost.
A shrew is tamed.

This is the story of character, rather than incident. It's not everybody's dish, but for me it has more interest than the overwhelming pure adventure story. It need not be unadventurous; the stress that produces the change in character can be wildly adventurous, and often is.

Well, there you have it. As I continue on in this book, if I find anything else of special fascination, I'll share it on this blog.