Barbara Thomas

About Barbara Thomas

I'm a writer, curator, and community builder. I'm also a passionate advocate of increasing diversity in stories and supporting under-represented writers. I have more than a decade of experience in offering online workshops to support writers in developing their voices and telling their own stories. To find out more about me, read my full bio.

Idea Factory Writing Prompt #10 4 comments

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Barbara Thomas on March 7, 2015 by Barbara Thomas (updated on March 7, 2015)

Today’s Idea Factory Writing Prompt is a guest post by Barbara Thomas about how to use Odd News stories for writing inspiration. It’s a funny […]

Steampunk heart with 'Idea Factory' Banner

The Keys to Unlocking Your Writing Career 30 comments

This entry was posted in Writing and tagged professional development writing career on March 5, 2015 by Shaula Evans

I’ve been having some interesting conversations lately with people who want to provide the keys to unlock successful writing careers for a wide range of […]

Do your locations reflect your protagonist’s mood? 1 comment

This entry was posted in Writing and tagged Julie Taymor location visual storytelling on March 4, 2015 by Shaula Evans (updated on March 3, 2015)

Cinema attracts me because it gives me the opportunity to express something that isn’t possible on a stage. At the same time, I’ve had a […]

Salma Hayek as the title character in the 2004 Frida Kahlo biopic 'Frida', in red, lying against an embroidered pillow

Can You Copyright a Treatment? 1 comment

This entry was posted in Writing and tagged copyright screenwriting treatment on March 3, 2015 by Shaula Evans (updated on July 16, 2015)

Can you copyright a treatment? Yes, you can copyright a treatment–at least if you’re in the US. Let’s look at when and why you might […]

Quick Tips for Adding Female Characters 4 comments

This entry was posted in Diversity Writing and tagged diversity gender infographic representation on March 2, 2015 by Shaula Evans (updated on March 2, 2015)

Quick Tips for Boosting Your Female Quotient 1. Go through your [story] and change several male characters to female! 2. Ensure that your crowd scenes […]

Infographic: 'Every Month is Add Female Characters Month'

'A Girl Writing; The Pet Goldfinch', oil painting by Henriette Brown (1829 - 1901)

Weekly Check In: 2015 Week Nine 27 comments

This entry was posted in Weekly Check In on March 1, 2015 by Shaula Evans (updated on March 2, 2015)

How are we in March and Week 9 already? How Weekly Check In Works 1. Let us know how you fared with last week’s writing […]

Rachael Prior: Treatments & Outlines 5 comments

This entry was posted in Writing and tagged outline screenwriting story synopsis treatment on February 28, 2015 by Shaula Evans (updated on November 1, 2015)

Rachael Prior, Head of Development – Film for UK production company Big Talk Pictures, shares advice on how to write outlines and treatments for feature […]

Sequels, Rewrites & Reimaginationings! 3 comments

This entry was posted in Prompts & Writing Games and tagged Mark Walker on February 26, 2015 by Mark Walker

Today’s Idea Factory Writing Prompt is a guest post by Mark Walker about sequels, rewrites & reimaginationings. How many times have you sat through a […]

Charles Wright: 11 Things To Think About 2 comments

This entry was posted in Writing and tagged Charles Wright writing tips 正名 on February 26, 2015 by Shaula Evans (updated on February 26, 2015)

This handout is from US Poet Laureate Charles Wright‘s undergraduate writing workshop, circa 1992, via Amy Woolard. 11 THINGS TO THINK ABOUT – 正名 = […]

SHAULA EVANS

Inspiration & Support for Writers