James Scott Bell Quotes

• A writing teacher once told me that the most successful movies and books were simple plots about complex characters. You should be able to articulate your concept in a couple of lines.

  James Scott Bell

  Teacher, Couple, Book

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• Every hour you spend writing is an hour you don't spend worrying about your writing.

  James Scott Bell

  Writing, Worry, Hours

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• Write like you're in love. Edit like you're in charge.

  James Scott Bell

  Writing, Like You, Edits

  James Scott Bell (2016). “Just Write: Creating Unforgettable Fiction and a Rewarding Writing Life”, p.241, "F+W Media, Inc."

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• Characters who are absolutely sure about what they do, who plunge ahead without fear, are not that interesting. We don’t go through life that way. In reality, we have doubts just like everyone else.
  Bringing your Lead’s doubts to the surface in your plot pulls the reader deeper into the story, and this is an excellent way to coax the reader to lose himself in the story world you’re about to create.

  James Scott Bell

  Writing, Character, Reality

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• Structure is translation software for your imagination.

  James Scott Bell

  Imagination, Structure, Software

  James Scott Bell (2016). “Just Write: Creating Unforgettable Fiction and a Rewarding Writing Life”, p.127, "F+W Media, Inc."

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• My philosophy on writing books is that if you learn only one new thing, or even get a new take on something you already know, it's worth it.

  James Scott Bell

  Philosophy, Book, Writing

  Source: www.margielawson.com

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• The most important rule: Do not, I repeat, do not censor yourself in any way. Leave your editorial mind out of the loop. Just let the ideas come pouring out in any way, shape, or form they want to. Do not judge anything.

  James Scott Bell

  Ideas, Judging, Mind

  James Scott Bell (2004). “Write Great Fiction - Plot & Structure”, p.44, Writer's Digest Books

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• In fact, one could argue that the skill of the fiction writer boils down to the ability to exploit intensity.

  James Scott Bell

  Writing, Skills, Fiction

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• The semi-colon is a burp, a hiccup. It's a drunk staggering out of the saloon at 2 a.m., grabbing your lapels on the way and asking you to listen to one more story.

  James Scott Bell

  Drunk, Asking, Stories

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• Status, worry and comparison are ways to madness, not victory.

  James Scott Bell

  Worry, Victory, Way

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• There's a perilous word fiction writers need to watch out for. The word is 'had.'

  James Scott Bell

  Watches, Needs, Fiction

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• If you can write each day, do it, and meet a quota. Minimum 350 words a day. A baboon can do 350 words a day. Don't be shown up by a baboon

  James Scott Bell

  Writing, Each Day, Quota

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• Many writers struggle with exposition in their novels. Often they heap it on in large chunks of straight narrative. Back story – what happens before the novel opens – is especially troublesome. How can we give the essentials and avoid a mere information drop?
  Use dialogue. First, create a tension-filled scene, usually between two characters. Get them arguing, confronting each other. Then you can have the information appear in the natural course of things.

  James Scott Bell

  Struggle, Writing, Character

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• Anyone living in Los Angeles who has opposable thumbs is required to write a screenplay.

  James Scott Bell

  Writing, Thumbs, Los Angeles

  James Scott Bell (2004). “Write Great Fiction - Plot & Structure”, p.8, Writer's Digest Books

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• Think of it as the Doorway of No Return. The feeling must be that your lead character, once she passes through, cannot go home again until the major problem of the plot is solved.

  James Scott Bell

  Home, Character, Thinking

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• Superb historical romance, with a spiritual theme woven seamlessly throughout. I much enjoyed The Covered Deep and look forward to more from its author!

  James Scott Bell

  Spiritual, Romance, Historical

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• The thing I do at the beginning is a "voice journal," a free form doc that is the character speaking to me. I just work on it until I start to hear different from my own, or the other characters.

  James Scott Bell

  Character, Voice, Different

  Comment by James Scott Bell on "Five Key Ways to Create a Character’s Distinct Voice", killzoneblog.com. May 15, 2014.

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