I find that my writing is surprisingly productive when I use a modified pomodoro technique. I write until I stall, then I watch a little TV. I’ve logged an impressive word count for myself utilizing this method over the weekend.

andrew lincoln, norman reedus, walking dead, #TWDI’m currently watching The Walking Dead, season 5. When my darling companion asked me why I’d watch such a gruesome show, I had to stop and think about it.

I don’t watch it for the blood and guts, though there is an abundance of that. I watch it for the characters, the hooks, and cliffhangers. You see, I recently read Alexandra Sokolov’s Screenwriting Tips for Authors and it made complete sense to me. I always try to write stories that play out like movies so watching action/adventure like The Walking Dead is great research.

The characters each have their own arcs and the show explores them. Every episode begins with a hook and ends with a cliffhanger. The scenes are structured well.

Most importantly, and something I connect with most, is that what might have been right for a character in season 1 may not be right for them in season 5.

The zombies may provide the danger and ticking clocks, but the characters drive this story.

andrew lincoln, norman reedus, walking dead, #TWD