Chekov’s story reminds the reader that there is a fine balance between the perfection we seek in our lives and obstacles and set-backs life throws at us. And it’s how we react, together, in the face of those obstacles that defines our relationships with our loved ones.

What is there to say about Salman Rushdie that hasn’t already been said. Teller of truth. Writer of conviction. Intellectual of the crossroads between religion and contemporary society. Rushdie’s writings are both provocative, poetic, and insightful. The perfect writer to study for our modern times.

A well-designed narrative draws the reader in, hooks them by the heart, and enlivens their curiosity. The ride you take them on as you zoom in and zoom out of locations and settings and characters’ thoughts and feelings is what makes readers invest their precious time with your words.

But how? How do we create a cinematic experience on the page?

I must confess something that I’ve been struggling with since I was a kid…writing is really, really, really painful for me.

I get stuck in my head all the time. My internal critic grabs a bullhorn and yells at me to drop the pen and run. I feel like a fraud or an imposter or, at the very least, like I’m not worthy to call myself a “writer.”

Please tell me I’m not the only person who suffers from this?

George Saunders’ “Sticks” is a story about a Dad and his odd hobby of decorating a pole in his front yard. But, what the story is really about is a Dad’s struggle with his relationships with his kids and his struggle with his inevitable death.

The story is also an awesome example of how to craft a meaningful, well-told story by focusing on the periphery of a character — the importance and symbolism of a single object (a pole) and how it reflects the journey of a character (the Dad).

I love learning how to write screenplays. Spec scripts and originals. Television or features. Writing a screenplay is fun and challenging.

And since I love learning how to improve my writing, I have a handful of website I use over and over again. They have become part of my daily habit, and I recommend them to anyone and everyone who has an interest in writing screenplays.

I’m a pantser. There, I said it and I stand by it.

Some writers can jump right to pages and just follow their muse. The story comes out magically as if from Zeus’ mouth and voila…a story.

Unfortunately, my muse is a bit of a lost soul, so I have to work especially hard to get it focused and inspired.

I want to take a moment to share an exercise that’s helped me ensure my plot and characters are logically and emotionally intertwined. Yes, plot evolves from character motivation and choices, but oftentimes relying on character choices to get you from plot point A to plot point B can be overly confusing.

Whatever your challenges, the only thing I can beg of you is to keep going. The struggle is real. The challenges are realer. That is why we must create: to show others that the muscle between the ears is the only thing standing between you and what you believe you ought to be.

I found a cool video showing a side-by-side comparison of the first and last frame from a bunch of movies. And it got me thinking: What does the relationship between the first and last frame (or scene) say about a story or essay?

Efficient writers get things done. They get a lot of things done. But are those the right things? Are those the write tasks and strategies that will help you reach your goals?