Author: Hank Phillippi Ryan

Writing Prompt: Guy Walks into a Bar

Posted by Hank Phillippi Ryan | Aug 26, 2018 | Writing Prompts

A character opens a door … and anything could happen.

Writing Prompt: Animal Instincts

Posted by Hank Phillippi Ryan | Aug 12, 2018 | Writing Prompts

Take a look at your characters. What animal’s characteristics do they display—on the outside, and on the inside?

Mastering Point of View

Posted by Hank Phillippi Ryan | Aug 1, 2018 | Craft

Some say there are only two plots in the world: “A stranger comes to town” and “A person goes on a journey.” Here’s what’s even more amazing. Those two seminal plots are exactly the same—depending on the point of view.

Writing Prompt: Never Start with Weather

Posted by Hank Phillippi Ryan | Jul 29, 2018 | Writing Prompts

The maxim is: Never start with weather. And yet weather exists. What would happen if you changed the weather in a scene? Might it amp up the tension?

Writer’s Block Has No Chance When You Ask These 5 Questions

Posted by Hank Phillippi Ryan | Jul 25, 2018 | Craft, Life

“I write when I’m inspired, and I see to it that I’m inspired at nine o’clock every morning.” That’s how Peter DeVries balanced art and craft. So how do I do it? And how can you?