TECH: Super Structure (part 4)

[mbarker]

 Original Posting Jan. 4, 2019

Okay. Death, brainstorming, keeping creativity going while you write... and now, scenes! The building blocks of fiction. But, what do you need in a scene? Well, James recommends these ingredients...

1. Objective. What is happening? In particular, what does the POV character want in the scene? It might be explicit or just implied, but... it is going to be there. So what is the objective?

2. Opposition! What person, place, thing, or circumstance is keeping the POV character from their objective? Might be outer or inner, individual, social, natural? But what is in the way?

3. Outcome. James suggests it could be good, bad, or horrible. Usually, for fiction, it isn’t going to be good, in fact, it is going to be pretty bad. Now, elsewhere I’ve seen it suggested that this is usually either a yes-but or a no-and. Yes-but? Yes, they succeeded, but now there’s another problem. No-and? No, they didn’t succeed, and there’s an added complication. Trials and tribulations make a story strong, and a character.

4. Something unexpected. It might be a plot twist, a new character, a new setting, or something else that the reader wouldn’t expect. How do you come up with them? James suggests brainstorm for five minutes. Write down the POV character, objective, and possible obstacles. Put down a tentative outcome. Now, what is something unexpected you could put in? Make a list, and go Wild! Then pick one that you like. And... you are just about ready to write!

We’re about to dive into the beats of Super Structure. But before we get there, James has one more section, looking at emotions. Then we’ll look at the beats that Super Structure lays out for you to use...

TECH: Super Structure (part 5) (400 words)

[mbarker]

 Original Posting Jan. 11, 2019

All right. One more warming up piece, before we dive into the structure. See, James points out that many people seem to think using a structure is going to suck the emotion right out of the writing, and... that’s wrong. As James sees it, first you get the emotions in the writer, then in the characters (and writing). So, how do we get the emotion with the structure?

Well, he suggests a paradigm from golf. See it, feel it, trust it!

See it? Visualize it first, in your head.

Feel it? Let yourself do it.

Trust it? That’s the part where you pull back the internal editor and trust that you are doing it right. Later, afterwards (or should that be afterwords?) you can check for mistakes and mechanics, and fix things up. But right now, write!

So. See it. In your head, on the stage (movie screen, tv screen, 3d virtual reality... whatever your internal stage looks like), set it up and let it unfold. Can you feel what the characters are going through?

Feel it! James suggests that music may help you to get the beat and feel it. A playlist? Sure...

Trust it. Write! Let the feeling fill you and roll out in the words. If you need to, stop for five minutes and brainstorm the emotions and thoughts of your POV character. Then let those emotions rip! Overwrite, if anything.

Now go back and fix it up. Revision is when you check the emotional structure and tighten it up, if you need to.

Ask yourself James’s five questions about the emotions in the scene:

1. Does it feel right?
2. Is it consistent with the character?
3. Does it reveal a new side of the character?
4. Does it enhance the scene?
5. Does it contribute to the overall plot?

You may want to consider the various ways to render emotion.

1. You can name it. This is usually best used sparingly, and in low-intensity parts.
2. Show it in action.
3. Show it in physical reaction.
4. Show it in internal thoughts.
5. Show it in dialogue.

Mix and match to suit your writing, your style, your characters, your scenes...

Whoosh! So, with death, brainstorming, keeping creativity going while you write, scenes, and emotional backlighting, we are ready to dive into the structure, and... write!

And away we go! 14 signposts of Super Structure next!

EXERCISE: Writing prompt...

[mbarker]

 Original Posting Jan. 16, 2019

Short and sweet...

The new neighbor stomped through the fall leaves and up to our door. When we opened it, he grimaced and said, "I'm sorry, my dragon ate a sparkly vampire and now he's sneezing glitter everywhere. Is there a local vet I can call?" Then he stood there, looking woebegone.

There you go. That's the situation. Go ahead, figure out what happened beforehand, and just who this neighbor is, and his dragon, and... oh, yeah, who are we? What happens next?

Have fun!

TECH: Super Structure (part 6) (400 words)

[mbarker]

 Original Posting Jan. 18, 2019

Okay. This is from Super Structure by James Scott Bell. So far, in part one, he has suggested

Death: physical, professional, or psychological? What are the stakes?
Brainstorming to get started...
Keep the creative fires going while you write
Use scenes, the building blocks of fiction. Objective, opposition, outcome, and a twist?
Write with emotions engaged!

Now, in part two, he’s going to talk about each of the fourteen signposts. He starts by reminding us that this is intended to help, not force us. So, first, keep your eyes open for the five “tent poles” of structure: Disturbance, Doorway of no return #1, mirror moment, doorway of no return #2, and final battle. Heck, stop a minute and think. Something sets the story in motion, something upsets the apple cart... that’s disturbance! The first doorway of no return? Well, the protagonist has to get engaged and decide to do something about it, right? Yes, that’s the first doorway of no return, setting out on that voyage! Mirror moment? Ah... at some point, the protagonist looks at him or herself and says, “I’m going to do it!” That’s the mirror moment. Doorway #2? The struggle is lined up, the final battle is in sight, and the protagonist steps up to do or die... yep, that’s the second doorway of no return. And, of course, the final battle, the climax, the PI revealing just who did it, or whatever finishes the story... sure.

But as James explains, there are several other stepping stones, signposts, natural turns in stories, and they have a natural progression. That’s what we’re about to look at. Here are the steps, in order...

Act I (no greater than 20% of your novel)
1. Disturbance
2. Care Package
3. Argument against Transformation
4. Trouble Brewing
5. Doorway of No Return #1
Act II (that large middle portion where the main action takes place)
6. Kick in the Shins
7. The Mirror Moment
8. Pet the Dog
9. Doorway of No Return #2
Act III (the resolution)
10. Mounting Forces
11. Lights Out
12. Q Factor
13. Final Battle
14. Transformation

There you go. 14 signposts. Don’t worry, we’ll go through them one at a time, starting with disturbance. But from the Hero’s Journey or other descriptions of the backbone of a story, I suspect these already look kind of familiar.