EXERCISE: Revision? Tear it apart, juggle, and rebuild!

[mbarker]

 Original posting Feb. 21, 2019

Inspired by #20 of Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling (one version over here https://www.fripp.com/pixars-22-rules-of-storytelling/). The Rule says:

Exercise: Take the building blocks of a movie you dislike. How do you rearrange them into what you do like?

Okay, let's see...

1. Take a movie, TV show, story, or even a work in progress that you don't like, that isn't working, whatever. It's broke, okay?
2. Take it apart! What are the elements that are there? Setting, characters, plot (events, scenes, you know?).
3. Now, what would you change to make it work, for you? What's missing, what's extra, what's wrong with it, and how can you add/subtract/modify to make it work?
4. (bonus points!) Now that you know what's wrong and how you want to change it, as Nike advises, DO IT!

I think of this as revision at the strategic level -- building blocks, not details.

TECH: Super Structure: Doorway of No Return #1 (part 11) (750 words)

[mbarker]

 Original Posting Feb. 22, 2019

The Doorway of No Return #1! (Too bad we don't have a soundtrack... we could have ominous music playing to set the mood...)

Almost makes me think about a game show -- behind door number 1, we have... But, no, seriously...

This is a key transition between Act 1 and Act 2. As James points out, in the beginning, Act 1, we find out who are the main characters? What's the situation? We have the disturbance up front, and the trouble brewing to hint at the real big trouble ahead. Plenty of conflict and tension, because that makes good scenes. But... the story really starts with the confrontation in Act 2. And between all the good stuff in Act 1 and the fun and games of Act 2, we have the Doorway of No Return #1.

Hum. Let's see. Disturbance and care package, to kick things off and make us care about this character. Maybe an argument against the transformation to set up the character arc, the growth in the character that will come? A healthy dose of trouble brewing to let us know that there is trouble on the way. Interspersed with scenes and such to introduce the setting, characters, and so forth. And then...

The Doorway of No Return #1!

When you take this step, when you turn and go this way on the path, there is no way back! You are committed, and must face death (physical, professional, psychological) and overcome it, or die!

What's ahead? High stakes trouble! Civil war, professional disaster, psychological toil and trouble... and when you step through this door, you go from the ordinary world into the dark world of the unknown, where these troubles lurk. Act II is all about the death stakes.

Now, why do you need the Doorway of No Return #1? Well, readers want that transition, that marker, to let them know that it's time for the main event. So... slam the door, have a twister blow your heroine off into Oz, or whatever, but tell the reader that the setup is over, and we are about to pull the curtains back on the real troubles.

James recommends doublechecking that your beginning has a disturbance in the opening, and a character worth following (Disturbance? Right! Care package? Right! Huh... he doesn't mention the Argument against the Transformation or Trouble Brewing, but think about those, too, okay?).

Then craft your scene that forces the character forward. Think about what could happen to make them take this step, to make the commitment. Can they resist? Well, what else could twist their arm, or convince them to walk into the trouble with their head up and eyes open? Oh, and one other thing to think about -- is it early enough? Sometimes we stretch the beginning out a little, but it's better to have the Doorway of No Return #1 as early as possible. So think about whether you can slide it up, and get them into the real conflict earlier.

Let's make a handy-dandy checklist out of that.

1. Do I have a disturbance in the opening pages to kick things off right?
2. Do I have a care package to show us that this character is worth following?
3. Do I have an argument against the transformation to foreshadow the character change or theme?
4. Do I have trouble brewing to hint at the problems ahead?
5. Does my Doorway of No Return #1 force the character to step through and commit themselves?
6. Can they resist? How can I close those escape hatches?
7. Is the Doorway of No Return #1 as early as possible?

Alright? Now, James reminds us that a story really is about a character who confronts challenges and overcomes them with strength of will. If there is no action, no conflict, no problem or challenge for the character... nothing happens. On the other hand, sometimes you have things that are outside the character's control -- a twister blowing your house away! -- a door slamming behind the character, a landslide... and those plot thrusts can be good for your character, forcing them into action even when they are a little reluctant to take that step.

One way or another, your character has to step out of the ordinary world, through the Doorway of No Return #1, and into the dark world of Act 2. That's the final step of Act 1.

So behind the Doorway of No Return #1, we have... Act 2, with death (physical, professional, or psychological) waiting for our character! Open that door... and step into trouble.

Write?

EXERCISE: Doing a 6x6?

[mbarker]

 Original posting Feb. 25. 2019

Okay, it looks as if most everybody wants to do a 6x6? So, basically, the idea is simple. Let's pick a start time (this weekend?) and aim to write a story (flash is fine, short story, heck, if someone wants to do poetry, that would be fine. Just write, okay?) each week. So aim at... Sunday, March 10? Send in a sub to the list by or on that day?

Do we want to have a theme, or prompt, or something like that? I mean, I can pretty easily dig up something (take a look at https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/ ) and sometimes it's easier to respond to a prompt. Not required, just an aid to help.

Right now, it looks as if Dale, Michelle, Nora, Anthony and I are likely to join in this exercise in crowd-sourced creativity! Even if'n you didn't say anything, if you want to join in, go for it! Write it up, and send it to the list!

Target Dates:
1st sub: March 10
2nd sub: March 17
3rd sub: March 24
4th sub: March 31
5th sub: April 7
6th sub: April 14

So we'll be done in time for taxes? Something like that, anyway. Let the story telling begin! Huddle around the fire, and watch out for the ghosts and ghoulies that go bump in the night, right? Or is there a dead body in the kitchen (no, not for cooking! For a mystery!). Blast off for Mars? Who knows, but here come the stories of our bunch...

TECH: Super Structure: Act I review (part 11b) (299 words)

[mbarker]

 Original Posting Feb. 28, 2019

Wait a minute. Disturbance, care package, argument against the transformation, trouble brewing, doorway of no return #1... these all sound good, but that’s not a whole story? I mean, it’s not even a whole beginning.

Step back and think. Signposts, stepping stones, pick your metaphor. These are important pieces that you can use, but, yes, you will need to mix in other stuff. If you are doing a short story, say of the thriller variety, you might even try to do a couple of these together. E.g., you might have the disturbance and the care package together, right there at the start. Let’s face it, the common bit with the girlfriend/wife/daughter missing/kidnapped/whatever right at the start brings in the disturbance and a hint of a care package. The hero may very well sneer and tell us they aren’t going to change, even as the phone rings and the villain laughs... yep, an argument and trouble brewing? And we’re only a few sentences in!

On the other hand, a novel may very well spread these out, adding in plenty of other material. Scene and sequel, action and reaction, side stories and minor characters... you don’t have to do it all on the first page.

So. At least as I see it, James is recommending these as structural members for your story, which you get to place within your story, along with the rest. Nowhere near a complete plot outline, but... that means you get to do it your way!

Whether you build it as an outline, and then write, or just dive in and write, looking up occasionally to see whether you've gone past the signs or not, these are useful pieces for you to incorporate.

Nice.

(No, this will not be included on the test. What test?)

EXER: 6x6 Prompts?

[mbarker]

Original posting March 1, 2019

(Let's see... start writing this weekend, and aim at Sunday, March 10 as the deadline for the first 6x6 tale? Sounds good to me!)

I have a random generator that basically cranks out a character, a problem, a genre, a scruple, an RPG plot, and a oddball element (something in something). So I just ran it six times, and kind of put together the elements in a little prompt about the story. Feel free to use as much of it as is helpful, dropout pieces, change pieces, or whatever. But I thought I would provide you with some seeds to help in writing your short stories.

In a story about that old black magic wish fulfillment, a pilot who is having trouble with his/her boss sets out on a quest to break in and steal money in the living room. Along the way, he or she has to deal with the moral dilemma of knowing that a friend has a terminal illness, but the family has begged everyone to keep it from the patient. When the friend asks, will the pilot tell them the truth or not?

So, genre is old black magic wish fulfillment.
Character? A pilot.
Problem: trouble with his/her boss.
RPG plot: quest, break in and steal something.
Element: money in the living room.
Scruple: a friend has a terminal illness. The family has asked everyone to not tell the friend. The friend asks you about it. Do you tell them or not?

Lots of bits and pieces there that might spark something in your story telling soup. Have fun!