Rob Parnell's Writing Academy Blog

Art is not a race. Nobody wins by getting something out there first.  The work that succeeds is often not the most original. It is the work that is finely honed to perfection before it gets released. There's really only one duty writers owe to themselves and their readers - and that is to constantly strive to improve. Ask any seasoned writer and they'll tell you that getting better at the craft is probably the most fulfilling aspect of writing. Because you are effectively getting better at communicating your ideas - and placing your world view into the minds of others. To me this is an almost magical concept. So - constant improvement - how does one achieve it? Here are nine short tips: 1. Read Like it's Going Out of Fashion You've heard it a million times before. You can't love writing without first loving to read....

Dear Fellow Writer, Interesting that Fifty Shades of Grey was the bestselling book series of 2012.  Made an estimated $200 million worldwide. A profound success for a self published book - later picked up by Random House , of course. (And who ever said a respectable publisher would never touch a self published book. Hah!) Curious too that such a blatantly pornographic development of the Twilight story with all its disturbing sado-masochistic connotations should become so popular. Perhaps the appeal of 50 Shades is in the apparent powerlessness of the heroine. Though she's horribly abused and degraded by her 'lover', she finds him captivating and impossible to live without.  To me this is almost a metaphor for our relationship with the modern world. We all feel powerless in a sense, victims of a constant barrage of insanity, corruption and media exploitation that we eventually feel we can't live without. ...

It's often said we don't get what we want, we get what we need. And what we need is the stuff that keeps us sane, the reinforcement of what we believe in - whether it's true or not.  We need to believe that our view of the world is the right one - so we tend to attract the things that support our world view - whether it's wrong or right. If we want to grow and change for the better, making lists of what we want is not always that helpful - if we don't sincerely believe those things are achievable. Better to dream - to fantasize about the people we want to become - rich, successful, thin - and the benefits and advantages we will have when we become that person. THIS WEEK'S ARTICLE: Know who you are and what you want and you're on the right track for success. According to recent studies, most people have very little sense of identity. They meander through life simply being - and exerting little real influence over...

Well I suppose the holiday period is nearly over and it's time to think about getting back to work.  I know you may be already there.  It's a tricky time of year - what with the largely self imposed pressure to re-evaluate things and perhaps set new goals for a new year. My feeling is that if we're sure we know what we want and work towards it a little every day, we shouldn't need to overly beat ourselves up.  Just get on with life and our goals will take care of themselves.  Assuming you know what you want of course, which can, for some of us, take a lifetime to work out!   Click on the link below to get today's New Year offer. THIS WEEK'S ARTICLE: Other People's Books   Rob Parnell For a struggling writer, there's nothing worse than reading a great book. Finding an author who is patently superior to yourself can be a most humbling and depressin...

Write from the heart - that's all you really need to do. Never try to second guess the market or try to be clever with your audience - or those who would help you achieve your aims. Be true to yourself and be honest with your readers - because that's the only way to create anything of value and to sustain an artistic career of any kind. It's easy to get fooled by the system into thinking that you work to get paid, therefore you can write anything for money - but it doesn't really work like that. Not with art anyway. Not with anything creative. Creativity requires more than just turning up and punching the clock. Writing, painting, sculpting, playing an instrument, making movies, anything that requires personal expression, needs a soul at work. Your soul - your time and passion and commitment. That's what creativity of any kind demands: YOU...

Dear Fellow Writer, Click on the link below to get this year's Santa Stampede specials! Keep writing! THIS WEEK'S ARTICLE: Current Thoughts On Writing Rob Parnell You've probably realized that recently I've been shooting my latest horror movie. It's called First Cut - and is kinda like a cross between Amityville and The Shining - but without the supernatural elements. I think the horror is more scary because it's reality based. The story is constructed on the idea that a failing relationship doesn't take much to push it over the edge. We've all been there. At the end of a relationship nothing we say to each other works. Everything rubs us up the wrong way. Our goals are misaligned and we have difficulty connecting. In the movie, Jess and Doug are living separate lives and hate each other with a passion. Every comment is meant as a barb to bait the other...

You can wait for days, weeks, months sometimes for it to strike. It seems you can’t will it, force it or otherwise pluck it out of the air. It’s actually hard to know exactly what it is! But when inspiration strikes, it hits hard. Excitement fills you. You’re convinced – there’s a surety inside you – you are on to something . You’ve just had the most original and enlightening thought anyone in the world has ever had. And then what? Do you act? Do you rush for a pen to jot down the idea? You should. Sometimes even the best and most profound ideas are fleeting. But sometimes not. I’ve noticed over the years that when you get a really good idea, it tends to stick. Not only that, it can literally change the direction of your life. Think about this: You’re an author. One day, a character occ...