Ask the Author: Joshua Stephen Allen
Answered Questions (6)
Joshua Stephen Allen
My most recent title release "The Economics of Time" was inspired by my travels in the U.S. and many other countries.
Joshua Stephen Allen
I have muses and techniques I use to tap into this creative process, but this is my personal process and certain aspects of this will remain confidential. However, I do have a book in development relating to portions of this process I have shared with actors, writers and other artists I plan to release much later in my career.
Joshua Stephen Allen
I have 5 novel treatments sitting on the shelf until I finish my next two motion pictures. I am currently in editing on 'It Has Eyes' (a horror movie shot in Edinburgh, Scotland) with another already shot and awaiting post-production.
After the next 2 movies are released I will be writing the sequel to "A Nice Place to Leave" tentatively titled, "The Really John Experience".
After the next 2 movies are released I will be writing the sequel to "A Nice Place to Leave" tentatively titled, "The Really John Experience".
Joshua Stephen Allen
I think there are 3 major obstacles aspiring writers face; not understanding structure, not understanding narrative and weak antagonist/s.
Again, back to the writer's block thing, simply knowing where a story is going is so very important. Having ideas organized so they can be changed and adjusted through the writing process is extremely helpful. Use an outline.
Narratives are quite simple; a beginning, middle and end, a protagonist/s that goes through some fundamental character change in the course of the narrative and obstacles the protagonist/s must overcome to achieve or not achieve their dramatic need. This goes back to the structure.
And lastly, have a very strong antagonist/s. Having a strong antagonist/s will immediately present some wonderful 'obstacle' choices for a writer. Many times aspiring writers focus on the protagonist/s as a means to support a narrative and the results are a weak antagonist/s and lack of obstacles. I technique I use is role reversal; I switch my protagonist/s and antagonist/s and see how the narrative would play out if my antagonist/s were to achieve his/her/their dramatic need in the narrative.
Again, back to the writer's block thing, simply knowing where a story is going is so very important. Having ideas organized so they can be changed and adjusted through the writing process is extremely helpful. Use an outline.
Narratives are quite simple; a beginning, middle and end, a protagonist/s that goes through some fundamental character change in the course of the narrative and obstacles the protagonist/s must overcome to achieve or not achieve their dramatic need. This goes back to the structure.
And lastly, have a very strong antagonist/s. Having a strong antagonist/s will immediately present some wonderful 'obstacle' choices for a writer. Many times aspiring writers focus on the protagonist/s as a means to support a narrative and the results are a weak antagonist/s and lack of obstacles. I technique I use is role reversal; I switch my protagonist/s and antagonist/s and see how the narrative would play out if my antagonist/s were to achieve his/her/their dramatic need in the narrative.
Joshua Stephen Allen
The freedom of expression. While I am an artist; working in three main mediums; motion picture, literature and visual art, writing offers a more in-depth and open-interpretive form of expression allowing the audience to create the imagery that motion picture and visual art dictates to the audience.
Joshua Stephen Allen
I deal with writer's block by simply having 'someplace to go' when writing. I think the greatest obstacle in writing is simply not knowing where a narrative is going; the staring at a blank page syndrome. By simply understanding narrative structure; whether it be writing a screenplay, a novel, or prose, knowing where to go in the next scene, chapter or beat allows a writer the flexibility to adjust 'how' the next scene, chapter, beat gets written, avoiding 'what' is going to be written next.
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