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Thursday, 02.09.2012 |
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| Creativity Rules! |
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Product Details
Notes
INTRODUCTION
you have the ultimate choice to decide what to write and whether to write it
you can choose to not finish a piece, you can choose to write something dumb
own your right to be wrong on the written page
your choices will improve with knowledge, and bad choices lead to good ones
you get to create, it's something many people yearn to do and never can
the writer's war is the struggle to make choices without going nuts
without second guessing, diverting, stopping or just getting annoyed
the goal is to communicate our thoughts in a meaningful way
big goals are hard to swallow whole, you have to break them up
the enemies are procrastination, doubt, bills and inner battles
but in this war, you can't get killed and you get to call the shots
get out there and attack, get bloody, and advance on some fronts
expect to make breakthroughs in unexpected places
if you want to improve your writing a lot, write a lot more
also study yourself and your experiences and learn from them
try to be a better writer today than you were yesterday
skill builds confidence and confidence builds skill through practice
take small steps, and take as many as you can
choose to learn and serve the writer you'll be in the long run
GOOD WRITING
good writing equals honesty plus style
one way to add style is to come up with creative lies, which become fiction
you can also exaggerate, inject humor, be bold, or be inventive
good writing breaks it down
you start by being honest, then you apply your choice of style
it happens in stages, and builds up in complexity
your goal is to link a simple human truth to a dynamic display of words
the particular style you select is what you feel most comfortable with
read your sentences and ask yourself: was it honest? did it have style?
good writing comes from rewriting
interim drafts don't matter, so set yourself free, know that you will change it
to rewrite, first clarify what you want out of the rewrite, then apply the changes
break the task into two parts, writing and rewriting, each stage is simpler
anytime you get stuck, break things down into smaller, easier parts
be precise when articulating what you want out of the rewrite
give yourself specific direction and make choices to narrow the options
when you can't decide, make an arbitrary choice, because it doesn't matter
any writing is good writing if you learn from it
good writing is imaginative
imagine something, then write it down
this is pure discovery, grab the first image that pops in your head and go with it
when you're in this mode, let it go long, crank out quantity not quality
generate tons of material to prove that you can, and to learn from it all
good writing comes from conflict
conflict is created by fully utilizing the word "but"
someone wants something, but someone else wants something else
good writing makes them care about the characters
it's also a simple expression of complex ideas
good writing is entertainment and instruction
it moves the reader, challenges the reader, and makes them keep reading
good writing is fresh and original, it's artistic
define what good writing means to you personally, then set that as your target
BAD WRITING
try to purposely write badly
set a task or goal, then execute a plan to achieve it
overuse alliteration as practice, use bad spelling and grammar
try creating the longest possible run-on sentence
make up a short story using nonsense words
be derivative, use cliches, make bad analogies, be repetitious
think of a character's viewpoint
what would they be honest about? how do they talk? what are their conflicts?
try writing a paragraph summary of a bad movie
make up a fake magazine and write a bad article for it
write a Christmas letter from a crazy family and hide a subtext of a family secret
invent a fake letter of complaint to the city or some business or organization
use bad writing as a workout exercise for your writing muscles
RECORDING REALITY
it's a text generator, you can draw from inner or outer reality
start by simply making lists of things
like things people collect, films you love, magazine titles, types of crime
now make a list within one of the topics
then pick something from that list, and list aspects of that thing
you can keep going deeper, this sharpens your focus and descriptive ability
you can do this with a character too, list their traits, then elaborate on them
the character details can suggest a starting point for a story line
as you make your lists, notice which items are most interesting to you
make choices that are pleasing to you, because they are arbitrary anyway
use lists to address problems with plot when you're not sure what to do next
make a list of all the possible things that could happen, or not happen
brainstorm clever options, strange and weird choices, or powerful ones
the root of most plot problems is simply lack of information
we don't know our story or characters well enough to solve the problem yet
recording reality lets us generate more data to work from
if you're stuck in a blind alley, study the alley more closely, something will turn up
what you're doing is moving from the general to the specific
practice describing a place you can see in your mind's eye
now try describing an incident of human interaction in full detail
emotions and desire drive stories more than facts and setting
FILTERS
character filters are personality traits that affect how they act, feel, and think
to develop a character, take a specific trait and elaborate on it using lists
the filter or character trait can drive the action in a scene
remember to let arbitrary choice be your friend
try to invent characters by summing several filters
a set of personality traits can suggest a particular character in a setting
look for places where filters intersect in interesting ways
there are three key filters you can assign to any character:
1) controlling idea - the thing a character wants or needs the most, core value
2) primary orientation - self identity, the answer to the question, what are you?
3) fundamental question - basic human concerns, life questions we all face
look for conflict between the controlling idea and primary orientation
like a con artist (orientation) who falls in love (he wants a girl)
the fundamental question often hides a secret fear that drives a character
like if the question is "am I respected?" that indicates a fear of lack of respect
so a character may then go overboard doing lots of things to gain respect
SHE'S DEEPLY CONFUSED
have fun with fabrication, take phrases and artifacts of language and build
give your characters a fascinating history and background
describe their ambitions, triumphs and struggles, and hidden agendas
steal the voice from a theater playbill, a women's magazine, etc.
then cast it onto a new character you create using the voice you found
also notice the particular language choices you make
see if that suggests a unique voice that can be placed into a character
look for unique family history or personal events that are quirky
what types of characters do you write about most frequently and effectively?
admit your own personality traits, even the bad ones, and incorporate them
look for situations that create conflict with the voice of the character
like a wisecracker in a situation that requires emotional honesty
SEQUENCE
story is a sequence of events plus a surprise
the surprise is one that defeats the character's expectations
given a character with a specific point of view, or controlling idea
there are logical things that would happen, and ways that character would act
but instead, we choose a series of events that run counter to expectations
the key distinction is between gratuitous surprise and character-based surprise
gratuitous surprise feels forced or random, character-based surprise works
remember also that for every writing task, there is an appropriate level of detail
when you are first mapping out your story, use the least detail possible
otherwise you bog down your thinking and obscure the essence of the story
details can feel productive, but they don't move the story forward
only make choices you need to make, other choices don't matter right now
try writing short synopses of famous movies or books, or your own stories
boil down the essence of each story and note the character-based surprise
THEME
stories convey information, instruction is expressed through theme
a theme is a call to action, not just an observation or state of being
it's something you want to persuade others to believe, not just acknowledge
you need to take a stand, convince readers to think and act in a certain way
to test the power of your theme, try adding an exclamation point to the end
some writers are afraid that others will tell them they have a big ego
but you need to have a powerful theme that you urgently want to write
take responsibility for your vision and the core beliefs you hold
if you could teach one person in the world one thing, what would it be?
your themes may change as you write the story, or they may emerge naturally
start with a theme in mind, but allow your characters to change it
SNAPSHOT
a story snapshot is a small lump of text that reverses a character's viewpoint
start with a character's pre-existing condition, the opposite of the theme's goal
then allow the theme to transform the character so that he can reach his goal
as you sketch the initial story, it's okay to have missing details
the focus is on the theme and overall developments
fight the urge to pretty up your prose at this early stage
just make notes on what needs to be cleaned up, fixed, or added later
you're looking for authentic transformation in the character's heart
push through to the end, any end, just to complete the paragraph summary
this is a technique to kick-start ideas without waiting for inspiration:
1) invent a character
2) select a theme
3) assign the opposite point of view
4) identify a pre-existing condition
5) describe a transformation in three sentences
6) expand it to a healthy paragraph
treat story as a problem to be solved, a puzzle or treasure to discover
it's not some voodoo magic or ethereal mystery
some snapshots will develop more quickly than others
don't waste time on the hard ones, just play with the ones that come easily
CHANGE BOMB
a change bomb ignites a story by upsetting the pre-existing condition
if you're stuck, try anchoring the change bomb to the theme
what does my character want most in the world and how can i take it away?
PRESSURE AND RESPONSE
truth is revealed under pressure, your characters must confront their fears
look for pressure that's appropriate to the genre you're writing
think of implied pressure, internal pressure, or unexpected pressure
when you get stuck, ask what new types of pressure you can introduce
ask questions that have a simple yes/no answer to avoid getting lost in choices
does the pressure increase here? is the pressure linked to the theme?
there is more than one right answer, choose pressure based on your theme
pressure/response means add pressure, then have the character respond
pressure should escalate, each instance should get bigger
make things spin out of control, where events can no longer be contained
BOOM
how far should you take a story? all the way, until your characters explode
watch out for passive stalling, you don't recognize if pressure is escalating
there's also active stalling, where you're afraid to commit to a story choice
make each event bigger than the last, and don't fear the wrong choice
if your story scares you, explore why and try to finish it on some level anyway
your words can't hurt you, so write it down even if it scares you
boom happens naturally if you let it, think of the phrase, "at last..."
be frivolous, arbitrary, and contradictory at this early stage of ideas
change your mind, start over, throw it away, but keep writing no matter what
you get to the right answer by going through all the wrong ones
THE BRINK
the character started out in opposite to the theme
the change bomb shattered their pre-existing condition
then they were driven toward truth through escalating pressure
the boom happened, and now they are standing on the brink
the next step is for the character to surrender to the theme
then they'll step over the brink, and they won't fall, they'll fly
at the peak, the character moves from opposition to acceptance of the theme
the whole story is a way of transforming the character to accept the theme
you do this through pressure until the truth is revealed
at the key moment, the character admits that they were wrong
authentic transformation occurs when the character changes their beliefs
theme is instruction, it's a call to action strongly expressed as an imperative
when the character accepts the theme, the reader experiences a lesson learned
again, when you get stuck and are asking yourself, what happens next
remember that you are driving a character toward the brink of transformation
figure out what path would get them there in the most interesting way
you don't even have to know what exact brink you're heading toward
just ask if the scene moves toward a point of ultimate peril and transformation
the brink can be physical danger, or psychological peril
THE BLESSED BEYOND
boom = crisis, brink = climax, and blessed beyond = resolution
one option is for the character to go back home, back to the original state
but now that the transformation has occurred, the character will value things
transformation takes place when the character learns the lesson of the theme
the blessed beyond is the reward for transformation
it doesn't have to be a happy ending, but it should show a positive outcome
the reward should be tied to the theme
try building a story backwards by getting as far as possible from the reward
that will be the pre-existing condition that the character starts from
BRIDGE WRITING
ask yourself these questions before developing a story:
1) does the idea have a beginning, middle and end?
2) can I state the theme?
3) am I still interested?
rigorous development forces ideas to compete
bridge writing is rough writing and overwriting to explore the choices
wrong story leads to right story
you can delete the bridge later, but you need it to find the connections
the goal of development is to reveal the story to the writer
all the false starts, dead ends, and rewrites are a bridge to the final manuscript
treat your development documents as disposable items
don't fuss over style at this stage, seek information and clarity instead
PREMISE PAGES
start with your one paragraph idea, then write a version that's 2-3 pages long
when you boil down a story in this way, you focus on the most important stuff
after writing a few versions of premise pages, the next step will be the outline
so don't worry about prose or style again, this is just development
focus on the following:
actions, characteristics, intentions, emotions, revelations,
relationships, events, surprises, lessons, backstory
stay away from these for now:
literary pretension, analogy, opinion, tangents, too many nouns, too much style
everything in the premise pages should advance the story
avoid things that are just there for texture or mood
write the premise pages as fast as you can, quickly sketch the idea to the end
the goal is to sort things out, sift and choose among alternatives
you can quickly and easily make big story changes at this level
if you get stuck, make arbitrary choices until you reach the end, then go back
method one - incremental rewrite
work from your previous draft, but insert black space after each paragraph
rewrite each paragraph in turn, then delete the old one
method two - unitary rewrite
print out your previous draft, read it, then place it face down
write a new draft from scratch, your strongest ideas should survive in your head
OUTLINE
the outline is like the synopsis or treatment
inflate the premise pages and add more detail
try inflating each sentence in a couple different ways to explore options
an outline is still bridge writing, so write and rewrite it quickly
focus on information and decisions rather than prose and style
don't worry if some story elements conflict at first
over time, as you rewrite, the conflicts will resolve themselves
the process will take time, but get over the idea of immediate perfection
allow your creativity to flow with lots of information available
SCRIPT
a difference: manuscripts are meant to be be read, scripts are to be performed
scripts have to obey more specific rules of form
at this point, we've already answered the question of "what happens next"
now it's about elegance and style and conveying the idea in a powerful way
you should be able to write with confidence from your outline
but this is where you make the ideas come alive
use prisms
think about the expectations of the characters locked in the moment
explore what they want to happen next, and convey that desire on the page
some prisms include:
expectations, fears, urges, addictions, habits, denials, passions, and purpose
manifest some aspect of the character on the page
stay new, avoid cliches and look for new ways to describe things
this comes from a combination of vision and sheer stubbornness to rewrite
remember that cliches are not just language
they also include actions, interactions, behaviors,
feelings, emotions, hopes, dreams, and story choices
look for ways to make unconventional choices that go in new directions
delve deeply into yourself and be genuine in your writing
be honest on the page
look for the intersection between your skills and your awareness
your writing should be so completely you that it stands out
be willing to expose yourself on the page
you must say what you can't say, don't edit out the stuff that's scary
look for places where characters are uncomfortable, where they lie or deny
find the parts where you feel uncomfortable as the writer and delve deeply
take the half-truths and make them whole and bare on the page
paint the scene with original description
don't just say what a character is thinking, make the reader feel it
put the reader into an imaginative setting, and describe it in an interesting way
explore all the senses and closely examine your scenes for details
try writing a scene in script form, then in prose form, and compare the two
ghost logic means being consistent, even ghosts have rules
you select and define the rules, but once defined, you must abide by them
areas to watch for consistency:
tone, style, language choices, dialogue choices, levels of awareness
ask yourself a simple question - is this section consistent with the others?
you can fix problems by removing inconsistencies, or by changing the rules
to keep characters consistent, endow them with powerful filters
they will then act in a consistent manner to their primary orientations and goals
if your characters are not behaving consistently, examine their filters
make sure the filters are strong and clearly defined in your head
if you're going to break the rules, break them in a big way
be bold no matter what you do
and be ready to take the heat, some people won't like it
confidence can make all the difference, break rules but be in control
HOW TO INVENT NEW WORDS
making up new words allows you to avoid cliches and be creative
you can combine two words to make an interesting new word
or change the spelling of a word slightly, or add a consonant or vowel
try adding -ing to a common noun, or -age to a common verb
think of applying old words to new ideas, like surfing the internet
come up with new slang that kids might make up in the schoolyard
try adding or subtracting prefixes or suffixes to words
HOW TO STRUCTURE AN HOUR DRAMA
commercial television drama is structured around commercials
five acts: 15min, 11min, 10min, 8min, 7min for rising tension
one page of script equals one minute of film usually
if your script is dialogue-heavy, it will run longer, action will run shorter
tension should peak at each act break, then level off at the start of the next act
episodic television shows usually tell stories that are circular in nature
the characters generally end up back where they began
look to create both physical and emotional risk for your characters
each story should reveal your characters without changing their core nature
ask yourself: in what new and interesting way is this character revealed?
then ask: how does each moment further the goal of revealing character?
one structure: trouble is predicted, it's coming, it's here, it's winning, it's gone
another one: point of attack, suspense, authentic threat, struggle, outcome
HOW TO GENERATE STORY IDEAS (FOR EPISODIC TELEVISION)
1) steal from your old ideas or by putting an old story in a new setting
2) put pairs of characters together and explore their relationships
3) look for your characters' frailties, truth is revealed under pressure
4) build story on theme, let your characters learn a lesson
5) explore aspects of your characters' inner lives - fears, vices, hopes
6) seek pain and suffering, find emotional sore spots
7) think about your personal struggles in this moment and project it
8) examine first times, impost a change of state on a character
9) look for the money scene, the funny or scary one, then build up to it
10) temporarily assign characteristics that are opposite to a character's norm
11) think about themes that are important to your audience
12) find something your character would never do or say, force them into it
13) make a list of the dumbest ideas you can imagine
14) create situations that force characters to stay together against their will
15) explore taboo subjects, look for stories that are close to the edge
16) think about things you enjoy or would enjoy writing about
17) exploit your areas of special knowledge or expertise
18) come up with interesting and fun titles, then write around those
19) explore fantasy
WRITER'S BLOCK
writer's block comes from a fear of bad outcomes, or a lack of information
disconnect from bad outcomes, today's work is only for today
also try gathering more data about your story, characters, theme, etc.
study the frame of mind you bring to your work
do you engage the writing process with joy, or with fear?
enter your writing session with authority and confidence, don't be timid
focus on confidence, precision, and honesty
avoid doubt, vagueness, and denial
strategies for dealing with writer's block:
1) set deadlines
2) externalize motivation - get someone else to keep you accountable
3) procrastinate later - make writing the first thing in the day
4) schedule mini-sessions - write in the last 15 minutes before something else
5) break it down - pick apart the big project into small tasks
6) generate text - describe in words what you're unable to write, work around it
7) step back a step - work on the previous stage instead of jumping to the next
8) fiddle with the format - take care of the little details and busy-work
9) write something else - work on an easier section instead of the hard one
in general, watch yourself work and notice how and when writer's block occurs
experience will make it easier in the long run
Q&A
write something now, you will improve if you just keep writing
write down your dreams, they provide information even if they're confusing
work on more than one project at a time, it will help you to keep writing
don't skip out on rewrites, that's how your work improves
don't write down to your audience, they are smarter than you think
characters and story are developed at the same time, not one before the other
the appropriate level of detail is the amount needed to move to the next stage
fear will never go away, but neither will creativity
the hardest part of writing is writing, it will always take more time than you think
write the truth to get to the emotional core of your work, don't shy away from it |
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