The following video was adapted from a lecture I'd been asked to give to a class of high school screenwriters shortly before the world ended.br br As I've transitioned from writing screenwriting to novels, there are a litany of things that took me years to figure out when it comes to telling stories that matter that would've saved me a lot of time and pain if I'd known earlier. In the interest of giving you the fast track so you don't repeat my mistakes, here are some things I've learned I thought you'd like to know.