Authoring & Playwriting

No. The only story I've shelved was one that could attract some controversy, and I didn't want to deal with that.

Surely, a story that attracts controversy would sell itself with the free publicity Debra Holland ?

Kat Spencer I've paused for a time then revisit the premise. Spend time in the world building or work on a back story to a character. How have you moved beyond your story? Has your audience changed as well? Perhaps you have more than one story demanding attention.

Debra Holland OK Debra, I have to ask hahaha, what is the storyline of that work?

You asked, if any of us ever"changed faster than the story (any of us were ) writing" & because of that quit writing?

Personal conviction: If a story can't change me --open my thoughts more than if I'd never written the story -- then it is probably not worth writing..Editing a story because of increased vision is part of the process, not a reason to quit.

Happy New Year, Debbie Seagle! These are great! I want to try them, especially 5, 8, and 16-18.

Here's an idea: change the scene's POV, like change it from the protagonist's POV to the antagonist's POV.

That's a GREAT one Maurice Vaughan

LOL Eadil Mm - Your blank reply - does that mean you are incognito - like your profile pic? Or does it mean you shared something so incredible that words can't describe your inspiration?

Thanks, Debbie Seagle. My scenes got better when I started figuring out whose POV they were in.

Happy New Year to you, and thank you for sharing these great tips.

The hardest thing in writing is ability to put yourself in other person's character and think from his/her pespective, while putting away your toughts, moral code, beliefs, etc.

I've got a book (sequel) on the go, and there is a situation from the previous book where the storyteller promised a female gay couple (friends) to give them a baby. It is the dialogue that is tricky. It needs to be graceful and realistic, without being tacky.

Wonderful responses, everyone, thanks for taking the time!

Kat Spencer that is such an interesting question. I have multiple scenes that would pour out of me but have been very guarded in these. I don't want to hurt people emotionally and I do let that dictate my approach.

Darrell Pennington What if you are writing about a topic that is poignant and necessary, but may ruffle feathers?

Michael Dzurak YIKES! That story sounds hectic! Is it mainly 'R' rated because of violence and swearing or are there other themes?

Last novel I’ve read—The Kill Clause by Lisa Unger.

Lauren Hackney Pretty much the violence. It's a story that mainly takes place in the criminal underworld, has war flashbacks, and a plot thread of secretive drug experimentation.

I can't come up with one because I read a lot of books. But I do like stories where the ending is unpredictable, but satisfying.

Lauren Hackney, if you’re looking for a story that genuinely surprises you and earns its twists, I highly recommend Legendborn by Tracy Deonn. It’s the first book in the YA series The Legendborn Cycle, and it’s incredibly character-driven with rich, layered worldbuilding.

What really stood out to me is how grounded the emotional core is, even as the mythology expands. The Arthurian lore feels fresh, the magic system is thoughtfully constructed, and the protagonist’s personal grief and questions about identity are deeply woven into the plot. And the twist at the end of the first book? It’s not just shocking; it becomes a powerful catalyst for everything that follows.

If you enjoy curveballs that feel inevitable in hindsight and propel the narrative forward rather than existing for shock value, this one is absolutely worth your time.

I write plays as well as screenplays. Last year I wrote a twenty page play that originated from some psychological analysis that I was doing on a friend of mine. I was riding my bike when it occurred to me that this person's psychological contortions would be good material for a play. The whole process unintentional up until that point.

I write comedy (mostly) novels and comedy scripts. My process lately is doing everything but WRITE!~ I'm going to write today!

Thank you Lauren Hackney for putting that joy back into my intentions.

Hi Bob Canning I have a publishing background so I'm sorry I can't provide much more with playwriting opportunities. If you email the Support Team support@stage32.com they can assist you further with information. Thanks Bob - I'm sorry I can't help you further.

Maybe this is the wrong answer to the question, but I firmly believe physical media should keep being a thing. I understand that space is a growing concern, not to mention technology constantly evolving, but I like my things to be mine rather than borrowed and easily revoked by the entity they actually belong to. The fact that so many things are subscription-based or digital only means there’s gonna be a high likelihood, if not prevalence, of censorship and that should worry everyone who cares about quality.

Banafsheh Esmailzadeh fantastic response and I do agree - especially when quality is compromised.

Your unique voice helps— but creating content that is less known or perhaps an old concept brought back 15-25 years later can have new life when viewed through today’s lens. What also works is when you subvert the normal intent of your story to showcase a different viewpoint than we normally see.

For books, it's continuing to put out quality works--compelling stories that make readers your fans so they will keep buying your books.

Thanks for sharing the video, Ashley Renee Smith. It'll come in handy if I write a book.

Thank you Ashley Renee Smith! I'm teaching a class at the Roanoke Regional Writers Conference in January about self-publishing - this will be a great cross-reference!

As someone who publishes in KDP, it’s a great way to get out your IP. I use the Kindle Create to make things look more professional and to make sure comics, novels, etc- are readable in every type of device they offer.

Thanks for this! It’s a great reminder how to take control of our narratives and stories.

I started in 2011 before there was any information out there. Luckily, I had some friends who'd already gone through the KDP steps and they guided me. Since I consider myself tech challenged, the way the KDP set up was so easy was very reassuring. After that, I worked with some friends who were reluctant to self-publish because they thought the process would be too hard. Since then, I've told people, "If I can do it, you can."

Thank you, Lauren Hackney, that means a lot. I got huge plans for this year if the writing gods will it hehe~

I have a novel manuscript which I'm submitting to literary agents... next week! Not my first rodeo but I'm quietly hopeful about this one (period gothic).

Thanks, Lauren Hackney. You're so driven too. I'm rooting for you to reach your goals this year!

Spreading the word about registering a copyright with copyright.gov before saying a word to anyone.

I avoided goals this year. I have some. But I didn't want a January 1 start date.

I wrote a radio play way back, Ashley Renee Smith. I've also written short stories. What draws me to screenwriting the most is the way I can write scripts, mainly the action lines.

I don't have any deeply personal work right now, but I might turn some of my experiences into scripts. Thanks for the idea.

@James Have you a log line? Clarifying protagonist, conflict & stakes would gain the attention of would be collaborators/producers for adaption into a screenplay. Right now I can’t read whole story due to travel so perused first paragraphs and guess the above opposed to knowing. Seems instantly, that it is a hybrid genre Horror/Sci Fi but I may be wrong, about world it’s set in & who real antagonists are. I’ll read as a whole later then catch up. The reason I answer now and not later, is for the reason producer’s/ script readers need to know what the story is about, before they even pick it up.

Hi, James LO. I’m a Stage 32 Lounge Moderator. I wanted to let you know I moved your post from the Screenwriting Lounge to the Authoring & Playwriting Lounge since you’re asking for feedback on a short story. Let me know if you have any questions.

I really like Foreign Body! Catchy title. I can see the short story being a feature film or TV series.

I suggest describing the location at the start of the story. It’ll help the reader picture the scene and know where the story is taking place. And you can use the location to tell the reader thinks about the characters and story.

I also suggest describing the characters when they’re introduced, but I’m not sure if that’s something writers do in short stories.

appreciate the feedback received so far

Maurice Vaughan i think I’ll update and tidy the screenplay then post it here—that will have the usual slug lines showing location and time, and also brief descriptions of each character when they appear

Debbie Croysdale it’s a short one so i hope you’ll have time to come back to read it. i feel the only way to have a logline or synopsis would be a producer-facing version which contains spoilers. although very short, the tale twists a couple of times—as i hope you’ll agree after you’ve had a chance to read it

Thanks, Matthew. Those quotes are from other authors' words to me. According to the SCOTUS, March 4, 2019, litigation cannot commence unless there is a registered copyright in existence. The particular case involved a registered copyright that was pending, and litigation was premature. Thanks again for weighing in. https://www.klgates.com/US-Supreme-Court-Decides-Two-Copyright-Cases-and... refers.

Jeff E. Gregory They say it is copyrighted once you put pen to paper. But having a paper trail to prove it's yours (electronic documentation is best) helps even more. To really have legal on your side, registering with the U.S. Copyright Office is a good plan.

Kat Spencer, yes, that is true, but it is the level of proof tht courts required that the work or rights belong to the content creator.

I did both the WGA and copyright on my scripts. The copyright lets you copyright up to 10 unproduced screenplays with one submission ($85) and they require that each script is uploaded. I don't believe I would ever have to use it but then again I said that about my flood insurance and I was wrong about that.

I've been really close to selling a couple of my screenplays. One of the questions asked was, did I have a copyright. This experience made me more confident about it.

I copyright every screenplay as soon as I finish it. Because if someone steals it, I have a paper trail to assist should there be legal issues. Besides, it tells you on the Writer's Guild website that registering a screenplay with them is not a copyright. Inferring, in my opinion, that a copyright with the Library of Congress is legally more substantial.

I've spoken to a couple of writers too afraid to show people their work because they were really, really scared that someone is going to steal their ideas. I suggested that they copyright their screenplays. It helped give them peace of mind.