mbarker: (BrainUnderRepair)
[personal profile] mbarker
 Reposted 10/30/2020

Posted Saturday, October 29, 2016 7:15 PM

(You may think you saw this before! You're right! It's deja vu all over again! Still, I think it might be helpful as we rev up for nanowrimo!)

All right. Nanowrimo is just around the corner, but we've still got a couple of days to get prepared. And looking at the book Save the Cat! By Blake Snyder, I think we can get some pointers.

After all, Blake starts out in chapter 1 talking about the logline. The one line answer to the question what's it about. What's the heart of the story? In particular, you need to include four components.

The first one is what Blake calls irony, or the hook. Something unexpected, emotionally intriguing, something that makes you want to read that story.

The second one is a compelling mental picture. Something that sparks our imagination.

The third one is the one that you may not think you need. A good logline for the movie industry suggests who the audience is and how much it's going to cost. For your story, you probably want to think about the audience. Cost… Well, how big is this story?

Fourth, and final, a really good logline usually includes a killer title. Not generic, the headline of a specific story.

So spend a little time figuring out what your story's going to be about. You need some ideas?

1. Switcheroo -- take a dramatic, thriller, or horror story and make it a comedy. Or, take a comedy story and turn it into a dramatic, thriller, or horror story. Switch those genres, and see what happens!

2. Fish out of water -- name five places that no one would send an FBI agent to solve a crime, and then send an FBI agent there. Private eye, secret agent, teenager -- take a character and put them somewhere unexpected.

3. What kind of a school? Name five examples of unusual kinds of schools, camps, classrooms. What happens when someone tries to put your students in that school?

4. Opposites attract? Take a couple of people who would naturally be on opposite sides of a burning issue, and get them together.

5. Are you after me? Pick an unusual person, animal, or thing that someone might suspect of being a serial killer, murderer, arsonist, or something else. Why did your character suspect them? And what is your character going to do about it?

Psst? Let me toss in that Marion Zimmer Bradley said a good story is

1. A likable character
2. Overcomes almost insuperable odds (opposition, conflict!)
3. By his or her own efforts
4. Achieving a worthwhile goal.

I kind of think that filling in those four parts also makes a pretty good statement about what your story is.

All right. Once you've got your idea, your logline, you probably need to think about the genre. Maybe you already did, but take a minute and figure out which of these "standard" stories you're telling. It'll help you to figure out what needs to go into it.

1. Monster in the house -- there's some limited area, and a monster is loose in it.
2. The Golden fleece -- a quest by any other name.
3. Out of the bottle -- wish fulfillment.
4. Dude with a problem -- an ordinary guy in extraordinary circumstances.
5. Rites of passage -- change of life.
6. Buddy love -- two people. Odd couple, starcrossed lovers, all kinds of two-somes.
7. Whydunit -- a mystery!
8. The fool triumphant -- when the clown wins, we all cheer.
9. Institutionalized -- the system or the individual?
10. Superhero -- the extraordinary guy in ordinary circumstances.

20 master plots, these 10 genres, add in your own favorites. Right now cross genre mash ups seem to be popular, so if you really want to do a steam punk
romance with vampires, go for it. But whatever it is, figure out the general type of story.

Now, with your idea and genre in hand, Blake suggests you focus on whom it's about. Who is the hero? What do they want? Who is going to have the most conflict, the longest and hardest emotional journey, and a primal goal that we can all root for? Who can the readers identify with, learn from, be compelled to follow, believe deserves to win, and has a primal reason that the readers will buy? What's the key to your good guy and your bad guy?

Idea, genre, characters. The next step is where Blake recommends a 15 step pattern. His very own beats. Some people use the hero's journey, other people use three act structure, or a seven step story structure. One way or another, a lot of people recommend hanging your story on a standard scaffold.

Blake Snyder's 15 Beats
1. Opening image
2. Statement of the theme
3. Set up -- who are the characters, and what's the hero missing?
4. Catalyst -- What kicks off the action?
5. Debate -- wait a minute?
6. Break into act two -- The hero takes that step
7. The B story -- changeup
8. Fun and games -- let's try it out
9. Midpoint -- raise the stakes, hit a false victory
10. The bad guys close in
11. All is lost! The mentor dies, friends turn away
12. The dark night of the soul.
13. The break into act three. Aha! There is hope!
14. The finale. The climax. The hero wins.
15. The final image

You can find the hero's journey or the seven step story structure out there on the web. Briefly, the hero's journey looks like:

1. Ordinary world
2. Call to adventure
3. Refusal of the call
4. Meeting the mentor
5. Crossing the first threshold
6. Tests, allies, enemies
7. Approach to the inmost cave
8. Supreme ordeal
9. Reward (seizing the sword)
10. The road back
11. Resurrection
12. Return with elixir

The seven step story structure is

1. Hook: where does the character start?
2. Plot turn one: what is the call to action?
3. Pinch one: what makes this difficult for the character?
4. Midpoint: when does the character quit reacting and start acting?
5. Pinch two: what makes this absolutely necessary for the character?
6. Plot turn two: what is the final bit of information, the aha! that lets the
character save the day?
7. Resolution or climax: where does the character end? Do they save the day, or
lose it all?

Heck, here's a quickie 3 act, 2 door version:

1. Inciting incident
2. The first door of no return
3. Conflicts and complications
4. The second door of no return
5. The climax

The key to all of these is realizing that they are suggesting some key steps in the plot, some scenes that almost always are there. Show where the character is starting, and what kicks them out of that. Make them struggle, and then... take the first step! Now, in the middle, there should be tests, struggles, conflicts, leading up to... taking the second step! And, now, we have the climax, the point of the whole thing.

But aren't there more than (seven, 12, 15) scenes? Of course there. Blake suggests that most movies have about 40. So you need to add more scenes around
and between the key ones. This is where Blake suggests using a cork board, index cards, and pushpins. But you can also do this on paper. A lot of people simply write one sentence for each scene, and move them around as needed. I used to recommend "stepping stone" diagrams. Put your beginning at the top of the page, and your ending at the bottom, then put bubbles in between with a
phrase for each scene. This works reasonably well for short stories, but for longer works, the page is likely to get pretty crowded. Whatever works for you.

Blake does suggest an interesting structure for his cards. He starts off with the setting, where are we. Under this is the basic action of the scene in simple sentences. Characters in conflict, mostly. And at the very bottom,
there's a plus/minus which is where you write the emotional change that occurs in the scene. The other one is >< and beside that you should write the conflict, what someone wants, and what's blocking them.

You might also want to think about scene and sequel, the idea that we have a scene full of action followed by a sequel where the character reacts, analyzes, thinks about what to do next, and makes a decision.

Idea, genre, characters, broadbrush outline, and a list of scenes, with setting, action, emotional change, and conflict? Hey, if you have all that...

YOU'RE READY TO WRITE!

Psst? I'll write something later about brainstorming before writing scenes. For right now, just get your scenes in order!

Nanowrimo, here we come!
mbarker: (Fireworks Delight)
[personal profile] mbarker
Original Posting 5/31/2019
 
Writer's Digest, May 1993, pages 30-34 and 50, have an article by Renni Browne and Dave King with the title Meet "The Beat." But, what kind of a beat do they mean? They actually start with a chunk of dialogue, that they tighten up by removing some mechanics. What they call beats. "Beats are the little bits of action interspersed through a scene, such as a character walking to a window or removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes – the literary equivalent of what is known in the theater as stage business." Physical gestures, or sometimes internal monologue. "Beats enable your readers to picture the action in a scene, allow you to vary the rhythm of the dialogue, and help reveal your character's personalities."
 
They're useful, but it's easy to get carried away. Too many beats can damage the flow, which is what they are showing us with their first example. Even interesting and well-written beats can be irritating.
 
Sometimes authors overuse beats because they're not sure that the dialogue really carries the story. As usual, don't go too far. Give your readers some hints, but allow them to fill in blanks. To put enough beats in to anchor the dialogue. You need to balance dialogue and beats.
 
So, how do you figure out when to include a beat. Give your readers enough detail so they can picture the action, but leave them free to imagine some parts of it. Also, use beats to vary the rhythm. High tension, keep the beats minimal. Relaxing a bit, and in some beats. Sometimes a continued action in steps actually helps support the dialogue. Try reading it aloud, and see if the pauses need a little beat.
 
Also, beats defined characters. See if you can use a beat to help do that.
 
Do be careful about pointless, distracting, clichéd, and repetitive beats. Try to make your beats fresh and unique.
 
How do you find beats? Keep your eyes open. Seriously, watch people. What do they do? Watch movies and TV? Of course, you might dig them out as your reading. Both good ones and bad ones!
 
So, you might use beats to turn up the tension, or to provide breathing space in a tense scene. Sometimes they do both.
 
So, think about your beats. Try not to have too many or too few, but just the right ones!
 
For me, at least, thinking about it as stage business seems like the easiest approach. Your characters are busy talking on the stage in your mind. Now, are they doing things at the same time? Are they things that you want the reader to know about, or are they just the ordinary stuff that the reader is going to imagine anyway? Sure, big Jim just pulled a knife out of his pocket and started cleaning his fingernails as he says, "Are you sure you want to do that?" You don't have to mention it, but… It does add a little bit to the menace of the scene.
 
Go ahead, get with the beat. Or maybe it's "the beat goes on..."?
 
There's a checklist on page 33 that you might want to use:
1. How many beats do you have? How often does it interrupt?
2. What are your beats describing? Everyday actions?
3. How often do you repeat a beat?
4. Do your beats illuminate your characters? Are they individual?
5. Do your beats fit the rhythm of your dialogue? Read it aloud to check!
 
tink
 
mbarker: (Me typing?)
[personal profile] mbarker
 Original Posting May 3, 2019

James ended his book with a short section that starts out, "Super Structure is all about making sure the power of story – the guts and blood and heart and emotion of it – connects to the reader in the most effective form." Use the signposts, the 14 beats. But if you want to try another approach, or rearrange things, go for it.James suggests that knowing the structure, the framework that he provides here, can help make your stories better, clearer, stronger, more powerful.He says that the principle is that the power of story is proportional to the experience of the reader, and the experience of the reader is proportional to the soundness of the structure. So, get the structure right, and… Everything else will follow.Basically, use Super Structure, the 14 beats, to render a solid story. Fill it in with your voice, vision, characters, dialogue, scenes, surprises… Your style! It really isn't a straitjacket, it's a tool to help you put together a story that really works for the readers.The final bit in the book is a reprise or collection of the reminders. It's a checklist of the little bits and pieces that James used at the end of each section.Similarly, I think I'm going to end this series with the 14 beats, but looking at kind of how I think they hang together. First, there's a thread of trouble or conflict. Disturbance, trouble brewing, a kick in the shins, mounting forces, and the final battle. Second, there is a thread of engagement with the character, making us care about the character. It starts with the care package, and continues with pet the dog. Then there's the transformation, the change in the character. That one starts with the argument against the transformation, turns around the mirror moment, hits the blackest darkness with lights out, adds a ray of hope with the Q factor, and finishes with transformation. Then, we've got two real traffic signals, the doorways of no return #1 and #2. Each of them marks the boundary between acts, and serves as a one-way voyage to the next act.Or, you can look at it this wayDisturbance. What's wrong here?Care package. What's good about this character?Argument against transformation. Why this character isn't going to change!Trouble brewing. A glimpse of the real conflict ahead.The doorway of no return #1. Here we go!A kick in the shins. Ouch, there's real trouble ahead.The mirror moment. Who am I? What is this going to cost me?Pet the dog. I can still take time to help someone else.The doorway of no return #2. And now, I'm committed!Mounting forces. Let's gather the good guys and the bad guys!Lights out. This looks bad!The Q factor. But wait, maybe…The final battle. And now, we fight!Transformation. The character really has changed.There you go. It's a simple set of beats that you can use to help outlining or discovery writing.Actually, as an exercise, you might take a movie or a story that you like, and see if you can identify the beats in it. Also, take a look at what else is in there. I think you'll find most of the beats are there, plus a fair amount of other good stuff.Now, take something you're working on, and try looking for those beats… Or add them in, if they aren't quite there.
mbarker: (Burp)
[personal profile] mbarker
 Original Posting March 8, 2019

All right! We've gone through the Doorway of No Return #1, crossed out of Act I into Act II.

Act II? The middle, where most of the action takes place, setting up Act III, the resolution, climax, final confrontation, and so forth. So, our hero sets forth blithely along the path, off to do great things, and...

Gets a kick in the shins?

Yep.

James tells us that we need a kick in the shins! "An obstacle, the first real test in the death stakes of Act II." Some new trouble, the first challenge headed for that major confrontation in the future.

Don't wait too long. Go through the Doorway of No Return #1, and… Where's the problem? Give us that kick in the shins. Complication, emotional jolt, something to deepen the emotional and internal stakes. An outer obstacle? Trouble, but… You probably still want the big question to be a little bit mysterious.

Now, why do we want this here? Well, James reminds us that we are building tension and conflict. This is just the first hit of Act II. It's leading to bigger and better obstacles. But it does kick off the complications and action of this part.

How do you come up with it? Well, James suggests that whether you are a plotter or a discovery writer, when you are ready to figure this out, stop and do some brainstorming. What obstacles, what opposition, what characters can get in the way of the lead? They've gone to the doorway, and are heading onward. What can go wrong? Come up with 15 or 20 ideas. Yes, include the wild ones! Then, pick out the best. Which ones really make you excited? Put them in order, from bad to worst. That bad one? That's probably your Kick in the Shins.

James reminds us that trouble or conflict is really at the core of story. Every scene needs a little. This one helps make sure that we know the hero isn't going to get everything easily. So… Kick them right in the shins!

Now, the kick in the shins comes fairly early in Act II. We're headed towards The Mirror Moment next, but… There's some space in between. Go ahead, add in your complications and scenes. First, wake-up your readers with that kick in the shins, and then keep going!

On the way to the mirror…
mbarker: (Fireworks Delight)
[personal profile] mbarker
 Original Posting Feb. 15, 2019

Right! Disturbance, care package, argument against transformation, and next, we have trouble brewing. Smell the conflict burning?

James suggests that the trouble brewing moment, beat, or scene usually happens about halfway through Act 1. You’ve got the disturbance up front, a care package that convinces us this is a worthwhile character (just a little dose of caring makes the character go down...), maybe an argument against the transformation, mixed well with scenes introducing setting, characters, and actions, but now there’s “a whiff of big trouble to come.” That’s right, a portent, a foreshadowing, a change in the wind. This is not the major conflict, that would drag us into Act 2 territory, but it’s a strong hint that bad things are ahead. A mysterious sound, maybe worried talk among the characters...

Why toss this in? Well, you’ve introduced your characters, set things in motion, and laid out the world or setting to some extent already. There is some conflict and tension, mostly between characters. But the trouble brewing moment ups the stakes, giving us a glimpse of the mountains ahead, the overriding conflict that is going to shape it all.

James suggests that both plotters and pantsers think about how often the brew gets stirred with some surprising information. So, think about bits of information that might be revealed to make your trouble brewing moment boil. Another way to work this out is to look at what the villain is up to over there in the shadows. Could whatever they are working on make a flash in the scenes, making the characters jump?

By the way, James suggests that anytime you are planning or writing and you aren’t quite sure what the main characters, scenes, or plot should do next, looking at what the other characters are doing offstage can be a useful tool. Just let the main line rest for a moment, and do some brainstorming about what the rest of the characters are up to. Think about how that ties into and influences the main characters and action, and... see what happens!

So. Basically, this is a dash of foreshadowing about the big trouble that is ahead. Think of it as spice in the middle of the Act 1 brew, just a hint of what is coming. The percolator making that first lazy burp, maybe?

And then we’re headed for the first doorway of no return! Watch for it!
mbarker: (Burp)
[personal profile] 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.
mbarker: (Me typing?)
[personal profile] mbarker
 Original Posting Dec. 20, 2018

Just another chunk of Super Structure by James Scott Bell.

Next, James Scott Bell offers an array of ways to brainstorm stories. As he says, none of these is the right way. Try them out, then mix-and-match to your own tastes. Here are his suggestions with my notes.

1. The White-Hot Document

Just write. Jot down whatever ideas you have. Then set it aside, and come back tomorrow to go over it. Add to it, pick out pieces, and write some more. Ask yourself questions, and answer them. (Basic pantsing 101)

2. Scene cards

James says he takes 50 or so index cards, and then starts imagining scenes. When something is vivid or cool, he writes it down on a card. Use prompts, random words, or whatever to help make the soup bubble. Then, when you have a bunch, shuffle and pick two. Look at them and see what connects, what do they make you think about? Go ahead and add more scenes if you need to. Then take the stack, and organize it into acts. The natural order, so to speak. And poof – you have an outline!

3. The elevator pitch

Write an elevator pitch. You can use the framework that James suggests, of three sentences.

1. Describe the character, vocation, and initial circumstances.
2. What is the doorway of no return?
3. What are the death stakes?

4. Try the LOCK approach

Lead: what will bond your readers to the lead?
Objective: What is the fight with death?
Confrontation: What is the opposition?
Knockout Ending: what is the battle at the end? Inner/outer, mental/physical?

5. Start with a concept

First, what is your concept? Typically what if… Then flesh out the character of the lead. Add some scenes. Think about the mirror moment. And now what is the transformation that the lead will undergo?

6. Flesh out the basic five beats

Act I
1. Disturbance
2. The door of no return #1
Act II
3. The mirror moment
4. The door of no return #2
Act III
5. The final battle

There you go, six different ways to tackle brainstorming your story. Not sure which one you want to try? Get out your die and roll. As the game players will tell you, one D6 can help you make that decision!

All right? So we have our death stakes, and some brainstorming to fill out the story. Next James is going to talk about keeping up your creativity while you write.
mbarker: (BrainUnderRepair)
[personal profile] mbarker
 Original Posting March 16, 2018

Okay, let's consider tackling that six-weeks, six stories, from a slightly different slant! Suppose, as you look at it, that you would really rather tie everything together, instead of having six shooting stars? Well, in that case, maybe you could take something like... hum, how about this.

1. Setup (what's life like for our hero?)
2. The call and refusing the call (hey, there's something that needs doing? But not me, I'll let the cops, the government, somebody else take care of it!)
3. First doorway of no return (the pinch, the kick in the butt that sends the hero out of the ordinary and into the extraordinary?)
4. Complications, conflicts, try-fail cycles...
5. Second doorway of no return (another pinch, a twist, the decision that the hero makes that pushes us into...)
6. Climax

Or another of the beat sheets, plot points, or whatever? Blake Snyder's 15 beats?

1. Opening image
2. The theme
3. Set up
4. Catalyst
5. Debate
6. Break into act two
7. The B story
8. Fun and games
9. Midpoint
10. The bad guys
11. All is lost!
12. The dark night
13. Break into act three.
14. The finale.
15. The final image

Or maybe the Hero's Journey 12 points?
1. Ordinary world
2. Call to adventure
3. Refusal of the call
4. Meeting the mentor
5. Crossing the first threshold
6. Tests, allies, enemies
7. Approach to the inmost cave
8. Supreme ordeal
9. Reward (seizing the sword)
10. The road back
11. Resurrection
12. Return with elixir

Anyway, take some of these points, and scatter them across the six weeks? I'd probably suggest starting with the climax, and kind of working backwards, but tackle it your way! I mean, think about writing a scene each week, and calling it a short story (or actually using the short story framework as a way to structure your scenes?). So maybe the first week, you write the triumphant climax, when truth, love, and honor win again? Then drop back to the the scene where the hero faces their own inner demons, and realizes that they have to take on the bad guy, even if they think they are going to lose? And back up again, for some fun and action as the hero faces trials and tribulations? Then back up one more step, and tell us about the fateful day that the hero set out, in a mismatched set of armor with a rusty sword, all to find ... With the final week devoted to telling us just what kind of life our hero started out in, a pig farmer, a shepherd, a kangaroo rassler?

There you go. Yet another way to tackle six weeks, six stories. And I suspect you are chomping at the bit, with ideas scattered here and there? Good! So get on your marks, get ready....

WRITE!
mbarker: (Default)
[personal profile] mbarker
 Original Posting Nov. 4, 2017

Hum. Poking at my files, I found one called nano template. Sounded intriguing, so I read it. Aha! Just a short list of things that might be worth thinking about while crunching away in the Nanowrimo word mines. Here's the main ones.

First, consider a logline or premise.. What's the story about? Think about the Hook, compelling image, or killer title.

Second, consider this simple description of a story. A likable  character overcomes opposition/conflict through his own efforts to achieve worthwhile goal. Can you pick out or describe these for your story? A likable character, opposition and/or conflict (things in the way!), the efforts of the character, and the worthwhile goal?

Third, which genre is your nanowrimo tale? It doesn't have to be one of these, but sometimes you can use one or more of these as a framework to build on. These are taken from Save the Cat, but you can add your own favorite genres, too. Monster in the house, Golden Fleece, wish fulfillment, dude in wonderland, rite of passage, buddy love, whydunit, fool triumphant, institutionalized, superhero next door. The Golden Fleece is the well-known quest by any other name. Dude in Wonderland? That's an ordinary guy in an extraordinary situation. Oh, and the superhero next door is the extraordinary person in an ordinary situation.

Fourth, pay attention to that main character. What are their goals and motivation? What do they dream about?

Fifth, look at beats. I  like a simple structure, basically just 5 big points. Inciting incident, door of no return, complications, door of no return, climax. The 2 door of no return are where the character first commits to the struggle and then takes on the final climactic action. You can use one of the many other plot outlines if you prefer (e.g. 7 beats, Hero's  Journey).

Sixth, especially for Nanowrimo boosting word count, think about scenes galore! Give us settings in plenty, with characters in conflict, emotional change, and more conflict (who wants what, and what blocks them). Set pieces? Sure, why not? 

There you go. Oh, if you're happily turning out the words about how your hero faced the big bad and fought like never before, keep going! But if you need a little breather, something to help shape the dazzling rainbow of images that you are creating, well, you might find these helpful.

Write, and having written, write some more. To make Nanowrimo 2017 shine!
[identity profile] mbarker.livejournal.com
Original Posting Oct. 31, 2015

Don't panic, just think about it. I mean you could start with the four parts

1. A likable character
2. Opposition/conflict
3. He is, her own efforts
4. A worthwhile goal

Or maybe you prefer thinking about who hurts (characters!), What can go wrong (plot!), and who is going to pay what? (The climax!).

Actually, I think I like the notion of organizing on the run. First, think about your ending! That's right, go ahead and lay out where we are headed, what incredible wonderful climax you are headed for. Write that first! Then you've got a choice, either go back and write a beginning, with that inciting incident and the characters that lead up to that ending, or you could do some pieces for the middle – try-fail cycles are your friend! Your character wants to achieve something, they have something they want to try, for least one scene, and action, cameras, dialogue, all that good stuff leading up to failure (no, and it gets worse!) Or sometimes what looks like success (yes, but new problems rear their ugly head). Repeat as needed.

You might want to think about using a genre, or perhaps one of the beat formulas? Five beats -- inciting event, first doorway of no return, complications, second doorway of no return, no the climax? Or perhaps the Hero's Journey?

Wait a minute, we've been here before. Take a look over here

http://writercises.livejournal.com/313019.html

Where I talk about Save the Cat meets Nanowrimo, with a bunch of suggestions about ways to quickly figure out what you were going to be writing about. And then there's

http://writercises.livejournal.com/313310.html

Which talks about the idea of jumpstarting your daily writing or at least your writing of a scene by thinking about some questions, doing a little brainstorming before writing.

OK? So the starting flag is tomorrow, and the writers are already warming up their fingers, little brain cells, and all that stuff? Sounds good.

Now all we got to do is write?
[identity profile] mbarker.livejournal.com
[I know, it's long, but... I thought you might want it for your Halloween writing pleasure! Don't forget, we've got a contest running! So you might just be in the mood to write a story -- and Blake has some advice about how to do that.]

Blake Snyder, in his book on screenwriting with the title "Save the Cat!" describes a process for writing that you might find useful. This is my summary. For more details, of course, read the book. I think you'll find it worthwhile.
 
1. What's it about? Summarize your story in one line. Blake suggests that great loglines -- one line summaries -- have four key qualities. They're ironic, meaning they hook your interest. They create a compelling mental picture. They tell you who the audience is. Finally, they have a killer title. That's right, a one line summary plus a killer title!

2. What genre is it? Audiences want the same thing only different. The way you do that is figure out what it's like. Now Blake doesn't recommend the standard genres -- romance, western, and so on. He's got 10 that he thinks covers things pretty well. You're welcome to come up with your own, or use his.
  1.        Monster in the house: a confined space, somebody did something wrong, and there is a monster loose!
  2.        Golden fleece: the quest! A hero, their search, and their internal growth.
  3.        Out of the bottle: a wish fulfilled, and then...
  4.        Dude with a problem: an ordinary guy in extraordinary circumstances.
  5.        Rites of passage: growing up and other crises at any age
  6.        Buddy love: the odd couple learns to like it (romance fits in here!)
  7.        Whydunit: crime and digging into the hidden side of ourselves
  8.        Fool Triumphant: the underdog beats the institution
  9.        Institutionalized: the group versus the individual
  10.        Superhero: the extraordinary person in an ordinary world
3. Who is the main character? What is their primal goal? Who's the bad guy? What do they want? Use adjectives to let us know who these people are.

4. Fill out the beats. Blake uses 15 steps as the structure. I know, I know, that's so mechanical. But you can always start with these 15 points and then change it to suit yourself. Again, you'll need to read the book to get the details, but here's a short list:
  1.        Opening Image: the starting point
  2.        Theme Stated: someone poses a question or makes a statement that is the theme.
  3.        Set up: introduce the main characters, show what's missing, get ready
  4.        Catalyst: the life-changing event that makes things happen
  5.        Debate: the hero waffles. Do I really want to do this? Ask a question.
  6.        Break into two: the hero takes the step across the threshold
  7.        B Story: the love story, the other line.
  8.        Fun and games: the good stuff. Show off the idea and enjoy it.
  9.        Midpoint: up or down, the hero is at an extreme. Raise the stakes, and get set for all is lost a.k.a. false defeat.
  10.        Bad guys close in: the bad guys start to win.
  11.        All is lost: opposite of the midpoint, false defeat, everything has gone wrong. Often with a whiff of death, even in comedies.
  12.        Dark night of the soul. The main character really struggles.
  13.        Break into three: but maybe... The B story, the hero thinking it through, there is a solution.
  14.        Finale. The hero triumphs, the bad guys lose, and the world is changed.
  15.        Final image: usually the opposite of the opening image, shows that things have changed.
5. If that's too complicated, try this one. Blake suggests using a cork board and cards. 4 rows -- act one, act two, act two, and act three. Yes, act two gets split into two pieces, before the midpoint and after the midpoint. And there are five key parts -- the opening set piece, the break into two, the midpoint, the all is lost point near the end of the second act two, and the break into three. Aside from that, you can put about 10 cards on a row, 40 cards altogether. That's for a two-hour movie. Obviously, for short stories, multivolume epics, and other variations, you might have fewer or more cards.

Oh, and on each card besides a short description of the scene, you need two notations. One is the +/- notation. This is the emotional change in a character that happens in this scene. Second is the >< notation which is where you indicate the core conflict of this scene -- how are two people butting heads in this scene.

6. With those five, you're ready to write. So go ahead and write it out. Now in Blake's chapter 6, he suggests some helpful rules to consider:
  1.        Save the Cat: early in your story, have the hero do something so that the audience likes him and wants him to win.
  2.        The pope in the pool: exposition, infodumps, backstory are boring, so bury them in something funny or exciting.
  3.        Double mumbo-jumbo: audiences only accept one piece of magic. One incredible coincidence. Two times is too much.
  4.        Don't lay too much pipe: too much set up before you turn on the water
  5.        too much marzipan: too many great ideas spoil the broth
  6.        watch out for that glacier: slow danger is
  7.        covenant of the arc: every character must change
  8.        keep the press out: keep it cozy, not a worldwide mess
7. Last, but not least, revise your draft. Take a look at these questions
  1.        Does my hero lead? Strong goal stated, works to get information, active, tells people what to do?
  2.        Do I "talk the plot" or do the actors do things?
  3.        Is the bad guy bad enough? Does he challenge the hero?
  4.        Turn, turn, turn -- do things go faster and more intense as we move along? Are there more and more revelations, changes, and twists?
  5.        Emotional rainbow: mix it up!
  6.        Do you have flat dialogue? Take the names off and see if you can tell who's talking.
  7.        Take a step back: does the hero grow? Start far enough back to let the hero change.
  8.        A limp and an eye patch: even minor characters should be memorable. Speech, look, manner -- make them stand out.
  9.        Primal urges. Do your characters act out of primal, basic desires? Love, survival, protecting family, revenge?
That's it. Simple, right?

Now sit down and start writing.
[identity profile] mbarker.livejournal.com
Original posting 14 November 2010

Oddly enough, although today has been somewhat restful, I haven't really produced very many words so far. But I did get interested in a series that Darcy Pattison has been writing -- 30 days to a stronger scene -- and she's been putting out one a day in November. If you go over here http://www.darcypattison.com/tag/scene/ I think you can see most of them, or even sign up for her e-mail postings. Something else to keep you writing!

Reading through it, I found it interesting first to be reminded of kind of the key points about scenes. Mostly materials and points that I had seen before, but it's good to be reminded again. One thing that particularly caught my eye was the notion that a scene is both external action and internal change. Oh, I know that's not the first time I've seen this, but for some reason balancing the two seems like something I should pay more attention to.

Maybe it's just that this podcast http://www.writingexcuses.com/2010/10/31/writing-excuses-5-9-character-arcs/ had emphasized character arcs, and then I see Darcy also putting a little bit more attention on the internal side than some writing advice seems to, but it's something I'm going to think about. I also appreciated the advice about listing possible scenes, and then selecting among those -- and taking a scene and developing it through lists of what she calls beats (and I would tend to call bits of action) before writing. Fun!

And over here in the aging Nanowrimo notes http://community.livejournal.com/writercises/144414.html, we have some hints about using beats (where this means little actions among the dialogue).  The kind of interspersed fiddling with the menu, playing with a pen, or whatever that helps to keep your dialogue from being just two or more talking heads.

Scenes. The basic building blocks of a plot. Where a character sets out to do something, runs into obstacles and complications, and most of the time fails. Followed by a short regrouping and reaction, which sets up the next scene. Scene-by-scene, slowly they turned? and the plot grew! Yeah!

Sigh. Why is it that doing the research and thinking to make the writing time productive feels like somehow slacking off? Oh, well, time to hit the wordmills!

Tilting at wordmills, the author felt like Don Quixote, and wondered where Pablo had vanished?

Write!
[identity profile] mbarker.livejournal.com
Original posting 4 February 2009

Beating Plots into Stories

Writer's Digest, July 2005, in the column on niches on pages 53 and 57, talks about screenwriting. Aury Wallington describes a beat sheet, and how the TV industry beats out a script. It's a little different approach to the question of how to put your story together, and I think any of us might find it useful.

First, there's some terminology. Apparently in the TV industry, "beating out a script" is the phrase that used to describe breaking a story into individual story points -- step by step, what will happen next? Each beat is one unit of action. A beat sheet is "a chronological list of all the story beats they're going to use in their script." So beats are little chunks of action, and you put them together to make a scene. Scenes of course form acts, which are the script. "The best way to approach a new script is to be out of each story line individually, then decide how best to combine them to tell your story." TV scripts have 5 to 7 beats per act for the main ("A") story line, 3 to 5 beats per act for the "B" storyline, and one or two beats per act for any other subplots.

So how do you work out the beats? First, decide what the individual storyline is going to be about. Then consider -- a three-act script has about 20 beats to tell the story. Try writing up a list of the possible actions for the "A" line. Don't make them too detailed -- you don't want to get stuck in second-by-second stuff, but you do need to know what is going to happen at each step. Then look at the "B" line, and figure out those beats. Somewhere around 12 beats for that storyline. And then tackle any subplots.

Once you have the beats for each story line individually, you can start moving them to the final combined beat sheet. Look for places where two or more beats can be combined into one scene, and for spots where the sweep of the action moves from one beat to the next without pause. Also, watch for the beats that require time passing. Weave the bits and pieces from the individual storylines together.

Most of the time, you'll be putting "A" and "B" lines together. Try to balance the acts, so that all the main characters get some time on the stage. Juxtaposition beats -- indoors and outdoors, funny and dramatic, etc. Don't forget to work the subplots in, too.

The key here is that your finished script includes beats from all your plots, woven together into a cohesive script.

Exercise? Take the work in progress, and make up individual beat sheets for the main lines. Then create the combined one. And use that as a part of the framework for putting the tale together.

Or, if you prefer, take a story, novel, TV show, or whatever that you enjoy. Now take it apart. First make a draft of the combined beat sheet. Then tear that apart and make up the individual beat sheets. Then think a little about how you might have created those plot lines and wove the whole thing together.

Kind of kewl. Weaving plot lines 101 for writers? Knit one, purl two . . .
[identity profile] mbarker.livejournal.com
Tightening the Screws On Plot and Structure (16)

Chapter 7 on Scenes in Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell starts right out with two pithy paragraphs.
"A good plot is about disturbance to characters' inner and outer lives."

"Scenes are what we use to illustrate and dramatize those disturbances. Scenes are the essential building blocks of plot. And the plot is only as strong as its weakest block."
So we are going to talk about scenes for a little bit. Bell starts by telling us that a scene is a fictional unit, and that we need to make them unforgettable. Fresh, surprising, emotionally intense, with characters we care about doing things that we must pay attention to. Tension, originality. Most often, unforgettable scenes have an intense clash between two characters who have the strongest possible reasons for their opposition.

Bell suggests four chords of fiction that thread throughout the scenes. The two major chords are action and reaction. The two minor chords are setup and deepening. They are often combined in a scene. Oh, and don't forget to separate scenes and beats. A scene takes place in a single location, usually in real time. A beat is a unit within a scene, a stroke of action, an exchange of dialogue, etc.

The action chord is when a character does something to attain an objective. In the scene, the character has a scene purpose. This is a step towards the story goal. Usually, there is conflict and confrontation, with someone frustrating the character, pushing them away from achieving their objective.

Reaction scenes are the emotional response of a character when something happens to them (often bad). Instead of getting the information that would help, the character gets information that makes it harder for them. How do they feel when they are tired, frustrated, and nothing seems to be working? Sometimes reaction is just a beat within a scene.
"Character takes action, is frustrated by conflict, and usually ends up with a setback. He reacts to this development, thinks things over, and decides on another action."
Action and reaction, a ping-pong game to keep the reader watching.

Setup scenes or beats are units that occur to provide a basis for subsequent scenes. They introduce the characters, what they are doing, and their motivations. They reveal the problem that leads to the central predicament of the book. At various places in the story, there may need to be other setup scenes or beats. To avoid making them dull, make sure there are some problems, some conflict, in every scene. Remember, setup scenes are a minor chord, and should be kept to a minimum. Most of them will occur early in the book, leading to a series of action and reaction scenes that drive the rest of the book.

Deepening scenes? Or beats? These are the spices, added to deepen the reader's understanding of the character or setting. Don't overdo it, but the little interludes where a character suddenly tells a story or displays an unexpected talent can be good for pacing, and help to make your story rich.

Not a scene? Bell talks about summarizing, the editorial descriptions that move the reader from one scene to another. I'd also think about scenic descriptions, those word pictures that some authors provide to help us "see" the setting.

Okay. That's probably enough of Chapter 7 for this time. There's a bit more in the book about three essentials for a scene (hook, intensity, and prompt) and Bell's Intensity Scale, but those will have to wait for a while.

An exercise? How about taking a chapter or so of a book you like, and analyzing how it uses scenes? Is the chapter one long scene or several short ones? Can you identify the beats in a scene, and how is the mix and balance between action and reaction, setup and deepening? What kind of scene do you feel comfortable writing, and which do you think you need to practice?
[identity profile] mbarker.livejournal.com
Work Your Body

Or at least your character's body . . . characters' bodies? Anyway, as you thunder along the nanowrimo chapters, you've got people saying and doing things, right? And part of what's going on is what's called body language -- nonverbal communication using posture and motions. Yes, it does include those hand gestures that we all have seen, but there's a lot more to it than just that.

http://changingminds.org/techniques/body/body_language.htm has a whole section about different kinds of messages that are often identified in body language:
1. Aggression
2. attention
3. boredom
4. closed -- sort of the opposite of attention
5. deception
6. defensive
7. dominating
8. emotional
9. evaluating, judging and deciding
10. greetings
11. openness -- that's the real opposite of closed
12. power
13. readiness
14. relaxation
15. romantic
16. submissive
To some extent, we can all think of how people express most of those -- the way they stand, the way they hold their body, their arms, their expression. The trick is simply to figure out what your character is communicating, and whether the point of view narrator notices it or not. Then you can add the dance of body language to the dialogue, action, and all the rest.

You might want to consider the four major parts: the head or face, the arms, the torso, and the legs. Obviously, you can refine those -- fingers and such do a lot of the work. But ask yourself what the character is doing with the big parts first - then get down to the details.

One of the common places that body language gets worked into stories is around the dialogue tags. Instead of the simple "he said" or "she said" tags, we start getting "He tapped his fingers on the table." Or some other reference to body language bits and pieces. Spend a little time thinking about what the character would genuinely do -- the action tag should make sense -- and about how the POV character would notice it. And try to make it somewhat meaningful. One of the amazing things about stories and movies from a little bit earlier was how often characters lit cigarettes, puffed on them, stubbed them out, and so forth. Not that most of it meant anything except that the writer was nervous :-)

So there's another way to mix things up in your nanowrimo stories. Don't just have talking heads with dialogue, let them communicate with their bodies -- even if it isn't a romance. Not just action - also motions, glances, and all the other body language that makes communications so much fun!

tink
(about 400 words)
swing yo' partner, dosedo . . .
[identity profile] mbarker.livejournal.com
The Beats Go On ... Er, In?

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King has a whole chapter on beats. What the heck are they? It's little bits of action interspersed through a scene. Usually physical gestures, they're the story writers' equivalent of stage business. And they're great for revealing character and providing depth to dialogue. He said, she said, he said dialogue tags are a necessary part, but they don't provide the action and spice that beats do.

"Beats enable your readers to picture the action of the scene, allow you to vary the rhythm of the dialogue, and help reveal your character's personalities. In effect, they remind your readers of who your characters are and what they are doing." Browne and King
 
They do warn you not to get carried away with them. A light touch sketching the ongoing action behind the dialogue works -- heavy-handed detailing of every step makes it hard to follow the dialogue. Trust your readers to fill in the blanks. Beats connect the dialogue with reality -- people really do fiddle with papers, light cigarettes, swirl their beer, and so forth. But keep the balance.
When and how often do you use a beat?

First, to let the readers picture the dialogue taking place with actions. Enough details, but not too much.
Second, to vary the rhythm. When the tension is high, spare the beats. Relax with more beats.
Third, use beats to define characters.
 
Remember, good beats are unobtrusive. Sometimes they fill in reactions, or turn up the tension, or provide a break. Make sure you don't have too many beats, and beware of repeating trite beats. Make sure that your beats are individual, unique, special for this character. And check that if you read it aloud, the beats fit.

http://www.expert-editor.com/id11.html has a nice discussion of dialogue that includes a little about beats.

So, as you dash for the nanowrimo goal, consider beating your dialogue. When your characters are talking, what are they doing? If they're in a bar, are they ordering drinks, dealing with the help staff, looking around at the other inhabitants, looking at the news playing silently on the TV, fiddling with the coasters, ripping a napkin to shreds -- or just jittering on their stools? No matter where they are, there is likely to be some action going on. Imagine a movie where as soon as the characters started to talk, they froze -- and didn't do anything until they had finished talking? That would be a really strange scene, and yet too often that seems to be what we write about. So as you start the dialogue, think about the action -- the heartbeats of the setting and characters that keep it real. And write some of them in!

What would your character be doing while they are talking in a scene? What about the other characters? What are the interruptions? Don't get carried away, but add enough action to remind us that they are people, not just talking heads.

Okay? As the beat goes on . . .

tink
(about 500 words)
baby, baby, can't you hear my heartbeat?

Profile

The Place For My Writers Notes

February 2025

S M T W T F S
      1
2 345 6 7 8
910 11121314 15
161718192021 22
232425262728 

Syndicate

RSS Atom

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jul. 7th, 2025 05:51 pm
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios