TECH: Kick off that 6x6 thingie?

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

original posting 4 January 2009

Just in case you were wondering, today's the first day of the 2009 Writers 6x6!

Yeah!

So what does that mean? Well, some of us are going to write one story each week for the next six weeks and put them up here. Somewhere between 300 and 5,000 words. And we will be posting on Saturdays -- so keep your eyes open.

That doesn't mean that we have to stop all the other fun and fantasy. If you want to talk about an interesting insight, go ahead. But I have to admit I'm probably thinking about this week's story. Nothing up this sleeve, and, well, yeah, there's a little pile of scribbly notes in that pocket, but ignore them, here, just pull the curtain across them.

Hey! If you'd like some hints about putting together a story, let's take a look at some of the bits and pieces from Plot And Structure.

The intro talks about the need to get motivated, try stuff, play, get those first drafts out there, and keep going. Good thoughts for the 6x6 scribbling, eh? See http://community.livejournal.com/writercises/157549.html for a little summary, or read the book -- James Scott Bell.

Then there's the notion of LOCK. Lead character, Objective, Confrontation, and Knockout ending. Someone that we want to empathize with, who wants to go somewhere or do something, and runs into conflicts, complications, and problems on the way. And then there's the climax, the knockout ending that makes the reader say, "WOW! I didn't expect that, but it's really satisfying." Over here http://community.livejournal.com/writercises/158673.html is a summary. And this one http://community.livejournal.com/writercises/158902.html talks a little bit more about it, including this handy template:

• My lead is a [fill in the blank]
• Her objective is to [fill in the blank]
• She is confronted by [fill in the blank] who oppose her because [fill in more blanks]
• The ending will be a knockout when [fill in the final blank]

Fill in the blanks, and you're partway to a story!

But what about the plot? Well, we can use the old standby three act structure. Over here's there's more details http://community.livejournal.com/writercises/159814.html but for now, let's consider it as a disturbance and two doorways. The disturbance is at the beginning, when something takes the hero out of their normal routine. It could be small, or it could be catastrophic -- your choice. But the hero starts moving. The doorways are one-way doorways. The first one commits the hero to the action. This is where the hero decides they are going to do it. And then the complications really start! The second doorway ushers in the climax -- and usually has the hero at their worst, beaten, bleeding, and close to surrender. But then, they turn around, and . . . beat the odds, win the impossible gamble, do it! Simple, right? But it's amazing how many stories and novels use this structure.

What, no ideas yet? Okay, okay, take a look at these. http://community.livejournal.com/writercises/160687.html and http://community.livejournal.com/writercises/160805.html and http://community.livejournal.com/writercises/161770.html all provide some approaches to the fun of ideas. The first one talks about digging into your own beliefs and attitudes. The second one has a number of suggestions about ways to spark ideas. What if, borrow a plot, flip a genre, randomize, and have fun! And the third one helps you decide which ideas are really good -- hook, line, sinker!

And you probably thought this was going to be a quiet session of introspection? Huh. Pick a number from one to six? Got it? Good, here's your quote:

1. "Determine never to be idle... It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing." Thomas Jefferson
2. "We have too many high sounding words, and too few actions that correspond with them." Abigail Adams
3. "I have witnessed the softening of the hardest of hearts by a simple smile." Goldie Hawn
4. "My philosophy is that not only are you responsible for your life, but doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment." Oprah Winfrey
5. "For me, it's that I contributed,... That I'm on this planet doing some good and making people happy. That's to me the most important thing, that my hour of television is positive and upbeat and antidote for all the negative stuff going on in life." Ellen DeGeneres
6. "Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely." Rodin

Okay? Now, take your quote. What does it mean to you? Can you imagine a character trying to live by it, and having trouble? What kinds of trouble? Go ahead, build on that. Mix well with the LOCK and the disturbance with two doorways. Scramble well, season as needed, and . . . we'll be posting on Saturday.

Do it. Talking about it isn't enough.

Come on, six weeks, you can do it. One little story this week. See you at the storyboards.

TECH: Is there a movie in your writing?

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original posting 5 January 2009

The Silver Screen

Writer's Digest, June 2005, pages 29 to 31, have an article by Chris Eboch with the title "the Hollywood touch." The question is whether there are some useful techniques that novelists can borrow from screenwriters. Adaptation doesn't have to always go one way. "Screenwriters know a great deal about efficient storytelling -- keeping a plot moving forward, writing snappy dialogue and making characters unique, for example." So what are some guidelines or techniques that can be borrowed?

1. Open Big. Start with a big opening scene -- visuals, color, movement. Action to grab the reader's attention. Something exciting, different, weird. And it needs to be an event that affects the character. Establishing the protagonist role and goals? Sure. The key here is to make the opening grab the reader -- and then don't let go.

2. Scene by scene. "Set high expectations, then satisfy them. Consider each scene in your novel. How can you make it bigger, more dramatic?" What's the worst thing that could happen? That's what you want in your novel. You also want set pieces -- big scenes that the reader remembers. At the same time, you need a good balanced mixture of action and dialogue.

3. Get to the point. Edit. Focus on making the most of your story points, and get rid of flourishes and lazy writing. "Novelists who focus on action over description are a step closer to making their books page - turners.... Make up for the lack of visuals by appealing to all five senses. Just keep the story moving and use short descriptions to advance the plot, not distract from it."

Big openings, drama in every scene, a mixture of action and dialogue, and ruthless editing.

What about an exercise? Take your work in progress, and consider how each scene would be turned into a movie segment. Where would it be shot from (is the point of view clear?) Does it have clear setting and objects, so that the props department can produce it? Does every scene have some good dialogue and action for the characters? Is their motivation clear, so that they can act? Do the rewriting needed by thinking through your story as a movie.

And who knows, you might get your name up in lights!