tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-110606472011-04-21T20:39:21.796-04:00Here's where you'll find out why the movies and books you love work--from a writer's perspective. You'll see stories in a deeper dimension!MLMnoreply@blogger.comBlogger621100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11060647.post-1134491826703700862005-12-13T11:35:00.000-05:002005-12-13T11:37:06.716-05:00

A protagonist may be defined by many other terms: "hero," "main character," "focal character," "central character." Whatever label a protagonist wears, it is the primary character the story is about. The protagonist is actively on the side of moral good. The protagonist also changes, and by doing so expresses the theme of the story.Perhaps the most indispensable job of a protagonist is serving as

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Blessed with fascinating photography of the South Pole, this documentary chronicles the trials and triumphs of the Emperor penguins' annual trek to and back from their breeding grounds. The birds brave endless hardships--exhaustion, starvation, deadly cold, blizzards, predators, and repeated separation--in their quest to bring new penguin life into the world.Documentaries benefit from adopting

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1. What the Story is About -- This should go without saying, but occasionally writers do forget what kind of story they started out with and write an ending that belongs to a different genre. It's an incredibly dissatisfying experience for a reader. For example, the critically praised movie The Dark of the Sun begins as a very interesting adventure story about a mercenary racing Congo rebels for

MLMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11060647.post-1133273037437337952005-11-29T09:00:00.000-05:002005-11-29T09:03:57.450-05:00

To "pitch" a story to an editor, agent, or other interested person is to answer the question, "What is it about?" as succinctly as possible. Anyone who has attended a writer's conference or spoken with a publishing professional understands the time pressure involved. Securing a fifteen minute appointment with an agent or editor is the equivalent of winning a silver mine. For most, however, the

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There are a lot of opinions about Universal Truth. One is that it doesn't exist; each person has his or her personal truth, which is a very fluid thing, i.e., situation ethics. Other opinions are that Universal truth is found in the ancient wisdom of the Masters. This is more of a universal spirituality than universal truth, as it proclaims every man is God incarnate. Ironically, these two

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Comes a Horseman balances suspense and thriller conventions with an "outside the box" story concept that goes beyond combining a police procedural and end-times prophecies. The serial killer is as frightening, complex, and human as Hannibal Lector--but even more original. At the same time, the story is part Apocalyptic thriller, but with a credible and thought-provoking twist setting it apart

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Anagrams are the letters of a word, phrase, or name rearranged to form a different word, phrase, or name. Letters, representing specific sounds, communicate emotional content and trigger different chemicals in the hearer's body. Anagrams, because they contain the same sounds as the source word, often communicate similar emotional and chemical stimuli.When choosing a name for a character, a writer

MLMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11060647.post-1130533197196849892005-10-28T16:57:00.000-04:002005-10-28T16:59:57.213-04:00

Readers like to anticipate events. Anticipation is the element that hooks into a reader's emotions, taking them alternatively high and low. How does a writer create anticipation?Dangle an event in front of them, something the character wants (or maybe doesn't want) to happen. It doesn't have to be anything huge, though it might be if the genre calls for it. It could be simple. The only thing it

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"Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them... But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again" (Genesis 15:13, 16, KJV).God revealed to Abram (before re-naming him Abraham) that his descendents would live for four hundred years in a foreign land. They would be in bondage and suffer hardship. But afterward they would come out

MLMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11060647.post-1130024429878898482005-10-22T19:37:00.000-04:002005-10-22T19:40:29.890-04:00

Many character sheets ask, "What is your character's favorite color?"But another question a writer may benefit from asking herself is, "What color symbolizes my character?"Colors contain special symbolic influences. It's common knowledge that red roses send messages of love, while yellow roses signify remembrance. One successful football couch courted controversy when he painted the visiting

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Part of the reason for the enduring popularity of Disney's Cinderella is its exquisite simplicity. One of the simply purrr-fect wonders of this story is the Lucifer-mice subplot.Subplots can be very complex, or very simple. But no one should mistake simple for weak. The subplot in Cinderella is easily one of the stronger elements in the story.First, it's introduced fairly early in the story. One

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Disney's enduringly appealing Cinderella is at heart a simple story. It's an ageless tale of the archetypal underdog, the damsel in distress, that finds appeal with anyone who's ever felt disadvantaged or unfairly treated. This ability to empathize with the title character is important in a story, but wouldn't go far unless the character rose above her condition eventually. If the fact Cinderella

MLMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11060647.post-1128976854455855092005-10-10T16:38:00.000-04:002005-10-10T16:40:54.470-04:00

On a dark and stormy night reformed town-prodigal Andrew Somerville picks up a brutalized woman and confused child along the roadside. He leaves Hannah Currey and little JJ at a shelter for abused women, but can't dismiss them from his thoughts. He recognizes a kindred spirit in her and a chance to redeem his shady past.For the sake of her son, Hannah grudgingly allows Andrew into her life. She

MLMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11060647.post-1128739785475881142005-10-07T22:47:00.000-04:002005-10-07T22:49:45.483-04:00

Lots of elements go into crafting a three-dimensional scene--one that jumps out at the reader, one that comes to life in the reader's imagination. Characters, obviously, are key. So are goal, motivation, and conflict--all of which suggest or implicate plot.The idea of three-dimensionality suggests contrast. Contrast is all about striking differences. For the action and emotion within a scene to

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There are a minimum of two threads that run through traditional Three-Act story structure. The External, which consists of plot-propelling events (Act 1 - Decision / Act 2 - Action / Act 3 - Consequences), and the Internal, which consists of character-changing events. Some authors add the Romantic and/or Spiritual threads. Ideally, these are tied or braided together in every scene.For study

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Aristotle, observing the Greek playwrights of his time, wrote in the Poetics that successful stories have a beginning, middle, and end. This was later interpreted as the Three-Act Structure: Act 1 Beginning Act 2 Middle Act 3 End The Three-Act Structure gained popularity through time, especially in Italian opera and later in Hollywood movies. In Christopher Vogler's The

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Sometimes this phrase is shortened to TSTL. Some, like Jennie Crusie, call it Too Dumb To Live (TDTL). The point is the hero/heroine does something that in the real world would get them or someone else dead... but in the story, it doesn't, because he/she is the main character. If the main character dies, the story would most likely be over. Or at the very least, the ending would probably be a

MLMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11060647.post-1127786680083981642005-09-26T21:52:00.000-04:002005-09-26T22:04:40.090-04:00

As the third anniversary of the death of her husband and daughter nears, Joanne starts hearing the voice of her daughter in danger. Has the stress of a recent job promotion and the approaching holidays pushed her over the brink? Is she losing her mind?Her mothering instincts are convinced the voice is true. Only Benjamin, an old friend recently returned to town, understands. She felt abandoned

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The bad weather made it impossible to drive. He pulled over to the curb, and waited until it was safe to continue. He passed the time listening to loud radio shows. They were really noisy. And the hosts didn't talk about anything he was interested in. After awhile, he quit listening.The above passage is an example of telling, not showing. How can you recognize the difference? Telling ignores the

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In fiction, seeing is believing. If a character says, "I love animals," than kicks his dog, which will influence the reader's opinion more? Actions definitely speak louder than words.But before a character acts, he or she thinks. I'm not talking about the function of certain personalities that ruminates for days about a specific action before doing anything. I'm talking about a lifestyle of

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Giving a main character a compelling goal is the first building block to energizing a story. Character goals give the reader something to root for (or against, in the case of a villain). Character goals also give the reader a yardstick with which to measure pacing.The second building block is activating the character's pursuit of the goal. In other words, the character must make things happen.

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Author Lynda Simons' writing workshop article, "Character Arc."Script consultant James P. Mercurio's "Three Definitions of Character Arc."Author Robyn DeHart's online article, "Theme & Premise: Or How to Plot a Character Driven Book in 3 Easy Steps."The Writers' Workshop online article, "The Ultimate Character Building Exercise."Kathryn McCullough's online article, "The Character Arc."Typingchimp

MLMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11060647.post-1126570716501823332005-09-12T20:17:00.000-04:002005-09-12T20:18:36.510-04:00

Perhaps the advice given most often when selecting which character's point of view (POV) to write a scene in is: write it from the POV of the character with the most to lose.It's good advice. But there are other sides to the POV coin. So many sides, in fact, that it might better be called a sphere. The issues this decision rests on wrap around each other and blend together like a ball of

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Characters come alive in the reader's mind by reason of their emotional dimensions. They feel joy, anger, hope, despair, etc. To feel real to the reader, these emotions need to represent more than the present moment. Real people's feelings are a complicated whirlpool blending past, present, and future attitudes, behaviors, and experiences. To understand why a character feels a certain way now,

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Developing story ideas is often a process of connection. This character connects to this situation, which connects to this event, which connects to this plot, which connects to another event, which connects to another character, which connects to this theme... And so on until the puzzle is complete and the original idea has sprouted and grown into a towering tree.But, there are other times when

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At the core of a story resides a situation: the basic state of circumstances the protagonist finds himself or herself in. It may involve an exotic setting or unusual job chosen by the writer to hook a reader's interest. A story can rise above the slush pile or stand out on a bookshelf because of a strong foundational situation.For example, in Joel Rosenberg's The Ezekiel Option, the situation

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This is a question writers encounter often. Where do their ideas for stories come from? It's a question they may ask themselves when facing a deadline and paralyzed by writers block.I've gotten most of my ideas for stories while watching movies and TV episodes, reading single-paragraph summaries of other stories, and odd news articles on the Internet. Oh, yes, and songs. I love the evocativeness

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It's part of a writer's job to craft stories that build anticipation in readers and keep them wondering, "What's going to happen next?" That question is the brick and mortar of a bigger question, "How's it going to end?" that compels readers to actually finish the book.But, what to do when readers already know for certain or can guess fairly accurately the story's conclusion? Epic historical

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Once upon a time it was unthinkable. Now the inevitable occurs. A hijacked airliner heads for Washington, DC on a suicide mission. Terrified passengers plot a desperate revolt. F-16s scramble to intercept, and the president of the United States is given no option. To save thousands of American lives on the ground, the plane must be shot down!Meanwhile, in Moscow... senior White House advisor Jon

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Tone is how a story feels to the reader. It may feel cool or warm, heavy or light. Literary novels may feel cool, romance novels warm. Family sagas may feel heavy, Chick Lit novels light. The effect is completely emotional, but the materials that build tone are as tangible as ink and paper: word choice.A single well-turned metaphor or simile can color the tone of a story for half a page. For

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Sometimes a story has everything working for it, yet it still feels...lacking. That's a good time to consider introducing a devil's devil. The devil's devil is a character representing the villain's worst nightmare. He's the devil's devil, not simply another villain, because he gives the bad guy a hard time instead of the protagonist. The hero may not even know the devil's devil exists, and their

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Villains and antagonists perform the Shadow function in stories. They reflect the impulses and drives within the protagonist he tries to suppress and avoid dealing with directly. For example: ambition, fear, anger, etc. Externalizing these "shadows" of the hero's psychological makeup as villains and antagonists helps focus the protagonist's character arc.(Antagonists and villains share a ruthless

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Stories benefit from mentor characters in at least two highly important ways. First, mentors can give reluctant protagonists a necessary push to get the plot rolling. Second, mentors often personify the core values or lesson manifested in the protagonist's character arc.The stakes in a story are what makes the story "important" to the protagonist. They make the main character keep going when he/

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What is a mentor? The name "Mentor" comes from Homer's The Odyssey. Mentor was a character who guided Telemachus on the journey to find his father. But the function of a mentor dates to the earliest beginning of time. God, in the Garden of Eden, mentored Adam and Eve by teaching and training them how to live. He instructed them in wisdom and gave them gifts to help them in life--the chief role of

MLMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11060647.post-1124115406866283812005-08-15T10:13:00.000-04:002005-08-15T10:16:46.873-04:00

To the eyes of outsiders and her own family, Helen lives the American dream. She has a huge house, expensive clothes, fine cars, and a successful husband who--publicly at least--adores her. Only Helen's diary reveals the tarnish beneath the glitter. Her gilded world finally shatters beyond repair when, on her nineteenth wedding anniversary, Charles drags her out of their house to make way for the

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Turning points are the major events in a story that twist it in a totally new direction. Something surprising happens that forces a character to completely change course. That's a turning point driven by action. Or, certain information is revealed that forces a character to choose a path he or she would otherwise never have walked. That's a turning point driven by exposition. Sometimes turning

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Flashbacks are mini-scenes or full scenes interrupting the advance of the story to reveal information to the reader about the backstory, the character, or the theme. Flashbacks can be set off from the main story in a separate chapter or even a different font. Most often they are written like any other scene in the story, except they are bracketed at the beginning and end by a couple of had verbs

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The second kind of expositional dialogue is when both characters already know the information, whether it's about backstory, conflict, relationships, setting, or details about themselves/other characters. One character is not trying to get or give information to/from another character. Even so, it is information the writer wants the reader to have. More importantly, the writer has carefully

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Dialogue is a quick and active method of delivering expositional information to readers. Because dialogue happens in the "now" of the story, it doesn't bring everything to a dead halt; the exposition--when done well--actually keeps the story rolling forward.There are two kinds of expositional dialogue. In the first kind, one character knows the information and the other character does not. In the

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Once the writer determines what expository information the reader needs to know and in what measure, the writer can deliver it in one of three ways: Internal thoughts Dialogue Flashback While using the viewpoint character's thoughts to reveal exposition is probably the simplest method, it's also easy to abuse. It's the slippery slope into "author intrusion"--the pit writers fall into when

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Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14 KJV)For the longest time when I read this verse, I imagined it to mean, Seek holiness and peace, because if you don't you won't be ready for Jesus at His second coming. But then something Bachelorette contestant Jason Illian said during an interview on The 700 Club flipped a light switch on about that

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After completing the main characters' biographies, the writer may have up to twenty or more pages of detailed histories and information. If she boils it down to ten-percent, the absolute essentials, that's still two pages of meaty exposition. The reader can't consume all of it at once. It has to be cut up into tiny bite-size pieces.Which bite should the writer spoon to the reader first? Does the

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Year: 2005Genre: Western miniseries, made for televisionCast: Irene Bedard, David Paymer, Craig Sheffer, Chaske Spencer, John Terry, Sheila TouseyDirector: Jeremy PodeswaWriter: William MastrosimoneThe sixth and final episode of Into the West, "Ghost Dance," reunites many (though not all) of the surviving characters around the tragic events at Wounded Knee. Jacob and Thunder Heart Woman return,

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One of the most common beginner's mistakes is "information dump." That's when the writer floods the beginning of the story with information about the main character. Who she is, how she came to be the way she is, her likes and dislikes, etc. Usually the writer does this to make the character likeable and make the reader bond with her.But expository passages are incapable of achieving this noble

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Year: 2005Genre: Western miniseries, made for televisionCast: Irene Bedard, Keith Carradine, Tyler Christopher, Rachel Leigh Cook, Warren KoleDirector: Tim Van PattenWriter: William MastrosimoneInto the West: Casualties of War, episode five in the limited series, follows Jacob Jr. struggling with his assignment as a scout to General George Armstrong Custer until the massacre at the Little Big

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Exposition is information that explains or describes: Backstory -- She took in a stray kitten when she was twelve. Characters -- She had blond hair and flashing green eyes that could stop any man in his tracks. Conflict -- She loved Jack, but she hated cats and he lived with twenty of them. Psychology -- She was a soulful young woman, full of melancholy moods and capable of holding a

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In the wilderness of Idaho, the Hunter comes upon a logging camp and his prey's latest victim. Taking precious time away from the pursuit, he rearranges the corpse to make the violent death appear accidental. Then he melts back into the forest.Reed and Beck hike into the wilderness to begin a week long vacation "roughing it" with another couple in the hills. Her husband's enthusiasm for the trip

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Year: 2005Genre: Western miniseries, made for televisionCast: Irene Bedard, Tom Berenger, Tyler Christopher, Rachel Leigh Cook, Lance Henriksen, Christian Kane, Warren KoleDirector: Michael WatkinsTeleplay: Kirk EllisStory: William MastrosimoneThe fourth episode of Into the West, "Hell on Wheels," focuses on the second generation of Wheelers and introduces another branch of the family in Omaha,

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Year: 1942Genre: Children/FantasyStory Author: Felix SaltenScreen Story: George StallingsScreenwriters: Perce Pearce, Chuck Couch, Larry Morey, Melvin Shaw, Ralph Wright(Note: this analysis contains information about key plot points. If you haven't seen the movie, please be advised some info may be considered a "spoiler.")Widely acclaimed as one of Walt Disney's finest masterpieces, Bambi is the

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Year: 1981Genre: AdventureCast: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, John Rhys-Davies, Denholm ElliottDirector: Steven SpielbergStory: George Lucas and Philip KaufmanScreenplay: Lawrence Kasdan(Note: this analysis contains information about key plot points. If you haven't seen the movie, please be advised some info may be considered a "spoiler.")When the story opens, archeologist Indiana

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Each type of character mixes naturally with a certain kind of story, like seasonings work best in certain dishes. For instance, cayenne pepper makes for a zesty main dish, but isn't most people's spice of choice for a dessert.Just so, a certain type of protagonist fits naturally with a Choice Story. She's likely to be contemplative, rational, calm, and uncertain about what her personal yellow

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Year: 1993Genre: Romantic comedyCast: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Bill Pullman, Rosie O'Donnell, Rob ReinerDirector: Nora EphronStory: Jeff ArchScreenplay: Nora Ephron, David S. Ward, & Jeff Arch(Note: this analysis contains information about key plot points. If you haven't seen the movie, please be advised some info may be considered a "spoiler.")When the story opens, Sam and Annie are both commencing

MLMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11060647.post-1120519290213527522005-07-04T19:17:00.000-04:002005-07-04T19:21:30.216-04:00

It's one of those questions that remain largely unsettled. How many types of stories are there?Are there two? (Comedy and drama.) Or seven? (Man versus God / supernatural / himself / man / society / machine / nature.) Or twenty, as Ronald Tobias suggests in his book, Twenty Master Plots (And How to Build Them)? Or thirty-six, as defined by George Polti in his classic 1921 book, Thirty-Six

MLMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11060647.post-1120252391301042262005-07-01T17:08:00.000-04:002005-07-01T17:13:11.310-04:00

Year: 2005Genre: Western miniseries, made for televisionCast: Matthew Settle, Tonantzin Carmelo, Matthew Modine, Sean Astin, Skeet Ulrich, Tyler PoseyDirector: Sergio Mimica-GezzanTeleplay: Craig StorperStory: William MastrosimoneThe third installment of Into the West spans the years between the California gold rush and the American Civil War. Thunder Heart Woman watches her family slowly

MLMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11060647.post-1120052839667628082005-06-29T09:39:00.000-04:002005-06-29T09:47:19.680-04:00

In an article about Steven Spielberg's new release, War of the Worlds, Newsweek describes how screenwriter David Koepp (pronounced: Kep) created a list of genre-specific cliches he did not want in the $135 million movie:"One: no destruction of famous landmarks.Two: no unnecessary beating up of New York City.Three: no politicians or scientists or generals as main characters.Four: no shots of

MLMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11060647.post-1119877275207750512005-06-27T08:52:00.000-04:002005-06-27T09:01:15.216-04:00

What is genre fiction and why should writers care?Genre fiction most often focuses on a central protagonist involved in conflict with another character over a specific goal or decision. Some genres are most often plot-driven (for instance, action-adventure stories), while some genres are most often character-driven (for instance, women's fiction). But even character-driven stories in genre

MLMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11060647.post-1119651618069126662005-06-24T18:13:00.000-04:002005-06-24T18:20:18.076-04:00

Year: 2005Genre: Western miniseries, made for televisionCast: Matthew Settle, Tonantzin Carmelo, Beau Bridges, Keri RussellDirector: Simon WincerTeleplay: Cyrus NowrastehStory: William MastrosimoneInto the West: Manifest Destiny continues the story of Jacob Wheeler and his family. Jacob moves his growing family back east to live with his parents, but his attempt to plant roots withers rapidly

MLMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11060647.post-1119457259527342882005-06-22T12:13:00.000-04:002005-06-22T12:20:59.556-04:00

Year: 2005 Genre: Western miniseries, made for television Cast: Matthew Settle, Simon R. Baker, Will Patton, Josh Brolin, Tonantzin Carmelo Director: Robert Dornhelm Writer: William MastrosimoneInto the West: Wheel to the Stars begins the story of Jacob and Loved By the Buffalo, two very different young men whose paths finally intersect at the end of part one (of six). Jacob is the restless

MLMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11060647.post-1119269981819053372005-06-20T08:12:00.000-04:002005-06-20T08:19:41.826-04:00

Writing for the DenverPost.com, novelist and Colorado State University professor David Milofsky facetiously translates euphemisms bandied around by agents/editors. On his list, "plot-driven" equals "superficial" and "character-driven" means "no story." Unfortunately, Professor Milofsky's tongue-in-cheek glossary is an all-too-true commentary on many manuscripts.An all-or-nothing approach to plot

MLMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11060647.post-1119022012187637912005-06-17T11:25:00.000-04:002005-06-17T11:26:52.190-04:00

Kemp is the protagonist of this story, and James Stewart portrays him with honor and intensity. But the real star of the show is Robert Ryan's character, Ben.Because, as someone once said, a story is only as strong as its villain.Ben is ruthless, cunning, and unprincipled. He has no pride, at least not enough to risk his life for. He has the soul of a psychiatrist, and the heart of a

MLMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11060647.post-1118839424061172192005-06-15T08:39:00.000-04:002005-06-15T08:43:44.066-04:00

There are a total of five characters in Naked Spur--The protagonist, Kemp.The antagonist, Ben.The romantic interest, Lina.Secondary character, Jesse.Secondary character, Roy.The relationships between these characters change back and forth during the course of the story. Loyalties are courted and shift. Circumstances force uneasy and temporary alliances. The motives for alliances change. This

MLMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11060647.post-1118688454234396512005-06-13T14:35:00.000-04:002005-06-13T21:21:22.803-04:00

Year: 1953Genre: WesternCast: James Stewart, Janet Leigh, Robert Ryan, Ralph Meeker, & Millard MitchellDirector: Anthony MannWriters: Sam Rolfe & Harold Jack BloomHoward Kemp (James Stewart) is on the trail of a man wanted for murder. He's followed Ben (Robert Ryan) all the way from Kansas to the Colorado Rockies. When down-on-his-luck miner Jesse (Ralph Meeker) tips him off to the fresh trail,

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