Tag: Plot

Categories
Screenwriting

Plot Driven Story Telling

Recently I began working on a new screenplay project I pitched  to a management team. For almost a year now, I’ve known the concept of the story, but for my pitch, I needed to break down some specifics.

  • Message/theme
  • character sketches
  • plot points

My focus for this project hinged on specific plot points, not only to set up my story but to develop my character and the conflict he will face; which would eventually lead to a satisfying conclusion that demonstrated my message.

Although my story focuses on one main character and his arc, the narrative is driven by a specific plot with unique twists. In a sense, this story is more focused on the plot and how it changes my character, his relationships, and his outlook on life. The plot points are critical to the telling of the story and that makes this project plot-driven.

Plot-Driven Storytelling

In the early days of filmmaking, the plot took center stage. Meaning, the plot gets more emphasis over character development; which allows plot twists, fantastic worlds, and breathtaking action to take center stage. Remember, the plot is simply a sequence of events that a character encounters as they progress from point A to point B in your story.

Laurie R. King noted, “In silent films, quite complex plots are built around action, setting, and the actors’ gestures and facial expressions, with  very few storyboards to nail down specific plot points.”

Plot-driven stories still have amazing characters for the audience to connect with; however, this approach shows more of what the characters do, rather than who they are and what they think.

This is why plot-driven storytelling works well for movies; it allows the audience to see the action and fantastic worlds the characters live in. It is especially helpful for fantasy and mystery narratives.

Examples of Plot-Driven Movies

  1. Ready Player One
  2. Jurassic Park
  3. Dark Matter
  4. Gone Girl
  5. The Da Vinci Code
  6. The Poppy War
  7. The Tigers Wife
  8. Robocop
  9. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
  10. Wedding Chasers

Keep in mind any of these films would still work with different characters going on the journey from point A to point B.  Plot-driven movies focus more on the action, plot points move the characters in the story forward more than the characters themselves.

“Mysteries and thrillers are not the same things, though they are literary siblings. Roughly put, I would say the distinction is that mysteries emphasize motive and psychology whereas thrillers rely more heavily on action and plot.”

Jon Meacham

It is the action of the plot that propels a narrative towards its conclusion.

Moving on

As the plot advances our narrative, ideally our character/characters will change in the process. Plot-driven stories often have more revelations or questions for the characters to deal with, driving the story further ahead.

“There’s almost always a point in a book where something happens that triggers the rest of the plot.”

Novelist Jonathan Carroll

Plot-driven stories are unique because they shape our character during the narrative, as opposed to the character shaping the plot.

Tips From masterclass.com on How to Write Plot-Driven Stories

  • Focus on external conflict – If you are attempting to write a plot-driven story it’s important to focus on external conflict as opposed to inward conflict as the action that drives your story forward. Internal conflict often takes place within a character and serves character-driven narratives well. External conflict, on the other hand, requires multiple forces and helps to build a driving plot.
  • Carefully outline plot points – Plot-driven stories require a tight and well develop story structure and a logical sequence. Plot is not something you find on the pages as you write. It requires a large amount of planning and foresight. You should have a detailed view of your major plot lines and arcs before you begin any plot-driven story.
  • Develop high-concept plots -High-concept stories are widely accessible storylines with clear and communicable plots. These stories are often found in screenwriting and film. Screenwriters use a high-concept plot as the driving force in a thriller or other plot-driven film. These premises are a good place to start for a plot-driven story.
  • Include plot twists – A good story should subvert audience expectations by including multiple subplots and unexpected storylines. Once you have a cohesive plot drawn out, think about ways you can surprise your reader and push back what they expect in a story by introducing a plot twist.

Ideally, these tips will change our character all the while advancing our plot towards a satisfying conclusion. Plot points change our character, reveal truth, and subplots in plot-driven storytelling!

Martin Johnson

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at MartinThomasJonhson.com  and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

Categories
Becoming an Author

Acting Techniques to Deepen Your Writing – Part 2

As I mentioned in the previous post, there is much we can learn on the writing craft by studying acting techniques. Last week, we discussed characterization, so check that out here if you missed it!

Today I want to share with you the tips writers can learn from actors on the breakdown of plot/scene and the conveying of emotion.

On Scene/Plot Breakdown…

1. Characters do not leave a scene the same way they entered it. There is always a moment that brings about transformation—externally, internally, or both. Allow this progression to take place naturally within the character rather than being forced upon for the sake of the story.

2. Understand how the previous scene influences the current scene. Did it result in the development of a new minor goal for the POV character? What are the character’s expectations? What decisions did they make in the previous scene that resulted in their current state of circumstances?

3. Identify the scenes in the overall plot that result in a major shift internally within the character.

4. In a scene, an actor never simply stands around. They are always doing something: listening, thinking, fidgeting, etc. Allow the pause moments of your character to serve as a reflection of who they are.

5. What is the subtext of a scene? In real life, we don’t always say what we mean—however, we show what we mean by our tone of voice, our actions, expressions, etc. What is the story beneath the dialogue at hand, and how can you show that to your readers? How do your characters reflect their true intentions?

6. Allow the internal desires and external goals of your character to guide the story and scenes. In each scene, an actor must be in touch with the goal(s) and desire(s) that guide the character through both the scene and the overall plot journey. Doing this accomplishes the following: it allows the actor to create natural responses to the given circumstances, provides motivation for the journey, and creates tension when those desires/goals go unmet.

7. Identify the tension in every scene. Conflict adds a spark of interest and keeps the audience (readers) engaged.

On Emotion…

1. The acting technique of substitution allows actors to tap into intended emotions and reactions in a given scene. They do this by recalling a time when they experienced a similar emotion in their own life. As writers, we, too, can allow our own memories to help us recreate emotions on a page. These authentic emotions will bring readers deeper into the story, allowing them to connect on a heart level with the character.

2. The acting instructor, Uta Hagen, advised actors to use sense memory to connect with emotions. This involves recalling a specific memory and the senses attached. For example, think about a specific time when you felt appreciated. What did you see, feel, taste, smell, and hear? When you can specifically recall those details, the memory will strengthen, as well as the emotion attached. As writers, when we struggle to portray a specific emotion, let’s return to a time when we experienced a similar emotion. We can allow the sensory details of that memory to help us convey that in our writing.

3. Don’t force tears. People often think crying on cue is equivalent to good acting, but that’s not the case. Forcing tears comes across as unauthentic to the audience and does not connect with them. If an actor truly wants to convey the emotion, they must experience it. So, if a script calls for tears in an actor but s/he isn’t feeling it, then the actor must not fake it.

We can use the same principle in our writing by only portraying emotion that make sense for the character, given who they are and their state of circumstances. In acting, even more important than the manifestation of tears is the emotional depth the actor can bring. In fact, it’s often more powerful to watch a character trying to resist the urge of tears. Let’s remember this when we write emotional scenes. Forced tears are not equivalent to powerful emotion; in fact, it comes across as melodramatic and unrealistic. The acting instructor, Uta Hagen, once said, “Emotion takes us; we can’t take it.”

Don’t forget to check out the list of recommended reads included in the previous post!

Next time, we will discuss the tips actors teach us on the craft of writing and the overall career and process of writing.

Which of these tips most resonates with you? Let me know in the comments!

Tessa Emily Hall is an award-winning author who writes inspirational yet authentic books for teens to remind them they’re not alone. She writes both fiction and devotionals for teens, including her upcoming release, LOVE YOUR SELFIE (October 2020, Ellie Claire). Her latest devotional, COFFEE SHOP DEVOS, encourages teens to pursue a personal relationship with Christ. Tessa’s passion for shedding light on clean entertainment and media for teens led her to a career as a Literary Agent at Cyle Young Literary Elite, YA Acquisitions Editor for Illuminate YA (LPC Imprint), and Founder/Editor of PursueMagazine.net. She’s guilty of making way too many lattes and never finishing her to-read list. When her fingers aren’t flying 128 WPM across the keyboard, she can be found speaking to teens, decorating art journals, and acting in Christian films. Her favorite way to procrastinate is through connecting with readers on her blog, mailing list, social media (@tessaemilyhall), and website: tessaemilyhall.com.

Categories
Screenwriting

What’s the Plot?

Recently, I finished the first draft of my latest screenplay. The crazy part is I didn’t think I had the training to write it. I wanted to use television techniques to bring this action film to the big screen.

However, due to the pandemic and my freed-up schedule, I had the time to do the research and prewriting prep work needed to write this narrative, including:

  • Set locations.
  • Character sketches.
  • Action script notes.
  • Gaming research.
  • Military command research.
  • I.T. research.

With these pieces of the puzzle, I was eager to put them together to reveal the big picture I wanted my audience to see. I had written a storyboard outline on my screenwriting software and was ready to connect the dots in a visual story.

With my story’s theme, I was cautiously ready to dive in. Then I remembered screenwriting teacher and legend Scott Myers’ advice for screenwriting, “It doesn’t have to be perfect in the first draft, just get the story out!”

With my outline as a blueprint, I began to plot the course of the narrative. But, I soon realized that my characters wanted to tell their own story and it wasn’t long before the plot changed.

By the time I got to the words “fade out,” the plot, genre, and subplots had changed. I still had the take-away I intended, just through an improvised plot.

Plot?

Most of the time when I ask people about movies they’ve seen, I ask them about the plot, but the response is always about the message or take-away. The average person doesn’t understand that a story’s plot isn’t what a movie is about—it’s how the writer gets the characters through the story.

Simply put the plot is how we get from point A (the beginning) to point B (the end.) Master storyteller and screenwriting genius Robert McKee explains, “Plot is an accurate term that names the internally consistent, interrelated pattern of events that move through time to shape and design a story.1”

Our jobs as screenwriters is to plot the events leading from point A to point B and hopefully craft an entertaining story along the way; these events are more than just information, like dominoes they have a cause and effect on each other to move our narrative forward. Take for example the plots of movies like The Sixth Sense or Split.

The plot is the road map for your story. In my limited experience in writing fiction, I’ve had to learn to listen to my characters as they share the parts of their stories that influence my narratives’ plot. Keep in mind the following seven elements of the plot as you write:

  1. Inciting action – this is the first domino that gets the story moving.
  2. Rising action – A sequence of events that causes the protagonist to struggle with some sort of conflict.
  3. Climax – the highest point of conflict when change occurs for the protagonist.
  4. Falling action – the bridge between the climax and the denouement.
  5. Denouement – Where the loose ends of your story are wrapped up.
  6. Resolution – this wraps up the story.

The more time I spend with my characters and in their world, the more I understand their journey; how each of the previous elements will fit together in my narrative puzzle.

In sticking with Scott Myers’ teaching on first drafts, it’s okay to have loose ends and unclear motives in the first draft, because at this point we’re just setting up the dominoes where they’ll connect with the others as the momentum moves the story forward.

  Don’t expect to hit a home run with your first draft. The average screenplay goes through at least 30 rewrites before it’s sold or optioned. You’ll have plenty of time to tie up those loose ends, tighten the dialogue, and clarify the scene descriptions along the way. Stories tend to change with each rewrite and that’s okay.

Change It up!

In case you haven’t heard, editing is writing. Editing is about more than just catching typos, misspelled words, and bad punctuation. Editing is an opportunity to tell a better story.

The most successful screenwriters know they can’t love their script to the point that they won’t allow any changes, because with each change the story is improved. Studios, directors, and producers only make changes that will make a stronger story, so be prepared to let go of your favorite scene or welcome a few other common changes, such as:

  • Character names and personalities.
  • Scene locations may need to be moved for budget purposes.
  • Subplots can be built up or cut out completely, especially if they take away from the main plot.

The production team wants to be sure that all the pieces fit together perfectly so that the audience knows what’s the plot!

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at Spiritual Perspectives of Da Single Guy and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

1  McKee R. (1997). Story: Substance, Structure, Style, And The Principle of Screenwriting (Kindle edition) pg 43.

Categories
Screenwriting

The Plot

A few months ago, I was asked by an agency to do a rewrite of an older screenplay I wrote. Idealistically, this sounds rather simple. However, the process of reworking the narrative while maintaining the plot is proving to be both time-consuming and difficult, to say the least.

Imagine taking a completed puzzle apart adding a few new pieces and then putting it all together in a different order and ending up with the same picture as before. Yes, the process is just as confusing as the analogy sounds.

Since I’ve taken over this column earlier this year, I’ve purposely been going through the main pieces of the puzzle we call screenwriting.

  1. Action (Moving Along, Sound Off)
  2. Characters (Keep It Real)
  3. Genre (Messy)
  4. Conflict (Friction)
  5. Setting

Robert McKee noted, “A beautifully told story is a symphonic unity in which structure, setting, genre and idea meld seamlessly.” Together these elements make up the plot of our story. And that is what I want to focus on in this post before we finish the year up next month.

Plot?

When I talk about plot, I’m referencing the noun form of the word and not the verb form which is an action. A movie’s plot is not the same as its theme; however, it can be the vehicle to express your underlying theme or message.

It is simply the main events of the screenplay that someone creates and arranges in a specific order to tell a story. A strong and clear plot is essential to great screenwriting…and great storytelling.

Great movies are ones where the writer has balanced each of the elements to a degree where they enhance one another. Weak writing places more emphasis on one element over another.

  • There may be lots of action visually, but no depth to any of the characters.
  • Characters may be explicitly described physically but have no depth or personality.
  • The conflict may be so intense, yet the story seems chaotic, without any direction.
  • Perhaps the setting is so defined; there is no room for the story or our imaginations to grow.

How many times have many of us walked out of the theater after forking out our hard-earned money for good entertainment to only be let down by an overrated light show or misleading and hyped up advertising that never satisfies our longing for a narrative?

So far this year the biggest flop has been the much-anticipated screen adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time, it has been reported that Disney has lost $100 million from its production.

Last year the film The Promise lost $80 million.

The solution for tipping the scales in the right direction of the balance act we call plot is taking the time to plot–meaning the verb sense of the word, where writers take the time to painstakingly brainstorm and lay out each of the puzzle pieces (characters, events, scenes, turning points, subplots) they plan to use to tell their story.

The end result will be a clearer and more fulfilling plot and our audience will leave the theater having understood not just our story, but its theme, which brings everything together neatly through our plot.

Together?

Once we have our plot, we will see what genre our story fits in. In simple terms, genre in films or literary works categorized by similar subjects, styles, and format. I will discuss this more next year. But for now, the five basic genres screenwriting are

  1. Tragedy – drama that tackles serious or sorrowful events in life.

  1. Comedy – stories that incite humorous narratives about life.

  1. Romances– drama which focuses on a plot about love, between two people or at the least an attempt to find love.

  1. Horror – Plots that offer incite negative responses by our audience, playing off primal fear.

  1. Fantasy/sci-fi – stories that often involve magic or supernatural causes, lots of action sequences as a primary story element or theme.

One of the ironies of screenwriting is the importance of drama. Most of us do not like or tolerate drama in our lives and we go to whatever means we have to avoid it.

However, drama in film helps us to relate to the story, whether it’s a tragedy, comedy or romance. How often do we visualize ourselves into the world of the story?

Each type of drama has its purpose and place: tragedies give us hope in suffering, comedies make us laugh at life, and romances inspire us to love.

Whatever your purpose, it will be a direct result of the plot.

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Truamatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at Spiritual Perspectives of Da Single Guy and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

Categories
The Picky Pen

Editing the Plot

Okay. Most of you (myself included) admit it’s challenging and exciting to plan the next book. It must be simple, right? Think of an idea. Create characters and compelling scenes. Write a few hundred pages. And you’re done. Right?

Wrong. Not. That. Simple.

You’ve got to think of a plot that works. A plot that includes a beginning, middle, and end. You may not think plotting a book is part of editing, but it is, my friend. What I’m going to say next is vital to the life and breath of your story. If we don’t analyze how our story flows at the macro level we won’t have a solid story to edit at the micro level.

What? There’s a structure to tying it all together? I’m afraid so. A story isn’t Friday Mish Mash. (Although some writers have successfully pulled off a great mish mash story . . . that’s another conversation for another day.)

  • Beginning. Introduce your characters, bring in a conflict or desire between your main character and an antagonist (can be an animate or inanimate object), and set up how the main character is going to achieve their goal.
  • Middle. Continue story with riveting twists and turns for the character to achieve the solution to the problem or desire. You can even introduce subplot, which is often more exciting than the main plot.
  • End. Begin to wrap up the solution to the problem, but not before your character is forced to choose between good and evil in order to obtain their goal. This is the most exciting part in your story because you’ll hook your readers even more and keep them reading late into the night. (A very good thing!) Your conclusion should be satisfying and solve the problem your character faced in the beginning of the story.

Remember. Readers who have a reason to care about the characters you’ve created will be hooked from beginning to end.

Here’s an example of my own WWII story:

Beginning
Clara must babysit her little sister while their mother goes shopping. In addition to babysitting, Clara has to put up the tomatoes (goal). Little sister Bevy proceeds to wreck Clara’s work (problem). Clara tries to work with Bevy to no avail (aggravated problem.)

Middle
Clara is frustrated that Bevy is squashing all of the tomatoes and reacts angrily toward Bevy. Bevy runs outside (climax).

End
While cleaning up the tomato mess, Clara sees Beverly running toward the tractor where their dad is harvesting crops (unexpected climax that causes reader to care). Clara realizes the importance of her attitude toward Bevy (resolution to the problem).

The instructions might sound simple. But it takes practice to grasp the concept of beginning, middle, and end structure and then to execute it. Grasping the concepts are also determined by editing the plot to make sure it sings like a canary rather than a crow. Then. It. Will. Be. Simple.

Join in the discussion!

What part of the novel do you struggle with and what resources help you conquer the struggle part(s)?

Tisha Martin writes historical fiction and nonfiction but also edits and proofreads for beginning and best-selling writers, professional editing agencies, and publishing houses. She has a BA in Professional Writing, an MS in English Education, and an editing certificate from the PEN Institute, affordable continuing education for editors. Active in American Christian Fiction Writers and The PEN, she appreciates the writing and editing communities. As Assistant Director of PENCON, a conference for editors, she enjoys travel marketing and updating PENCON’s Facebook Page. Connect with Tisha on her website www.tishamartin.com and engage in the conversation.

 

Categories
A3 Contributor Book Release Bestsellers

Story Foundations for the Serious Writer by Best-Selling Author DiAnn Mills

Story ideas can be like fireworks. They soar and explode in beautiful colors…then their dance fizzles to the ground and we turn our attention to the next one. But story ideas don’t have to fade away. A writer can take those wild moments of inspiration and build a credible, colorful, creative, and compelling story.

Where do story ideas come from when we’ve spent hours brainstorming and feel like giving up? Buster Moon from Sing says: “When you’ve reached rock bottom, there’s only one way to go, and that’s up!”

Here are suggestions to give your story idea bestseller (up) status.

  • Pieces of a conversation…juicy tidbits that move us to explore story and character
  • An article in the news that grasps our attention
  • Books we’ve read—fiction or non-fiction
  • Music—including lyrics
  • Poetry
  • Nature—with all its beauty and danger
  • A movie you’d have written differently
  • The behavior of family or friends
  • Historic events about people and places
  • Genealogy
  • Personal experiences
  • Dreams

          Deep within our subconscious activity lies this realm where plot problems find answers, character situations resolve, and new characters are born.

I know you have a story idea. It’s banging against your head and heart, keeping you awake at night. You’re not sure what to do with all the information, and you fear you may lose it. So, let’s turn your burning thoughts into a book project.

Ready? Are your fingers poised on your keyboard? The exercises below will take a little time but so worth the effort.

Step One

Write your story idea in one sentence. Don’t concern yourself with character names, setting, and genre.

A few examples:

  1. A young mother confesses to her police officer husband she is not only addicted to drugs, but she also deals them.
  2. A businessman discovers the owner of his company is smuggling assault rifles into the country.
  3. A newly married couple is left behind on a wagon train when the husband is suspected of carrying a terrible disease.
  4. A young woman travels west to marry a man she’s never met—only to discover he doesn’t exist.
  5. A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s means a middle-aged woman must become the caretaker for her mother, with whom she already has a strained relationship.
  6. A couple is wakened by thieves in their home. While the husband attempts to overpower the intruders, the wife is killed.
  7. During wartime, a prince is forced to take the throne for his ailing father. Then the prince learns he’s not the real heir, but the son of the warring king.
  8. The inhabitants of a planet wracked by pollution face extinction. Their only solution is to exterminate half of the population.

Take a deep breath and congratulate yourself. You’ve given your story life.

Now perfect your one-sentence storyline. Tweak it until you’re satisfied. Do you envision your protagonist(s) and antagonist(s)?

 Step Two

Take your one-sentence idea and write at least one paragraph about your story. Extend the idea to include what you know about your characters and the storyline. (Close your eyes while you write this.) Don’t worry about grammar and punctuation. Simply envision the story. When you’re finished, save and edit your paragraph(s).

Step Three

What is your story’s genre? Consider the list below and find a home for your idea.

  1. Contemporary
  2. Historical
  3. Romance
  4. Suspense/Thriller
  5. Mystery
  6. Western
  7. Women’s Fiction
  8. Speculative (includes science fiction, fantasy, allegory, etc.)
  9. Young Adult

Story ideas often mix genres with romance, such as:

Contemporary Romance

Historical Romance

Romantic Suspense

By including a thread of romance, writers increase their readership. It’s been said that 80 percent of book buyers are women. Half of them buy romance. Do the math and consider adding a spark of love to your project.

Where do you find the foundation for your story ideas?

Her latest book, High Treason, will be released February 6th.

DiAnn Mills is an award-winning, bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She combines unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels. She is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. She is co-director of The Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference and The Mountainside Marketing Conference with social media specialist Edie Melson where she continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on Facebook: www.facebook.com/diannmills, Twitter: https://twitter.com/diannmills or any of the social media platforms listed at www.diannmills.com.

 

Categories
Talking Character

Which Comes First, Plot Or Character?

Plot and character. Two halves of any great story. Both are critical, whether you are telling a character-driven literary story or a plot-driven spy thriller.

Disagree? Consider this quote:

Plot and character are integral to one another. Remove either one from the equation (or even just try to approach them as if they were independent of one another), and you risk creating a story that may have awesome parts, but which will not be an awesome whole. K. M. Weiland in Creating Character Arcs.

Or, to put it differently, consider this statement from Lisa Cron in Wired for Story:

Myth: The plot is what the story is about.
Reality: A story is about how the plot affects the protagonist.

So then, a good story is one where the plot affects the main character. Does that mean plot comes first?

Not necessarily.

I don’t think it matters where a writer begins, so long as you remember that the two are intertwined.  The character must have goals and issues that are challenged by the plot. The plot is nothing but a series of unconnected events unless there is a character whose struggles give them meaning. A writer cannot get too far along in one before he needs to consider the other.

The big mistake is to forget they are two sides of the same whole. The great discovery is when you allow your developing character to spark plot ideas, or vice versa.

Where do you start?

 

Character first

If you are a character-first writer, you begin by crafting an intriguing character. But at some point the character will need a goal, and obstacles that stand in his way. Remember, it is a reader’s anticipation of what the character will do next that sucks them into the story. A protagonist without a clear goal gives a reader no reason to care—and thus no reason to keep reading.

Therefore a character-first writer will need to consider the complex, flawed character you have created and ask what climax moment will force the hero to face the strongest of his inner demons. Come up with a climax that forces the character to dig deep, to strive against the enemy with every fiber of his moral and physical being, and then work the plot backwards from that moment.

Plot first

If you are a plot-first writer, you start with an intriguing what-if or an awesome idea for an amazing climax scene. But at some point you will need to create a character worthy of your plot. One whose inner demons threaten to keep her from defeating the opposition.

The most powerful stories are built on a character whose exterior plot goal is in direct conflict with her inner story goal. This is true whether the story has a classic character arc or not. Even in stories where the character does not change (a flat arc) she still needs to overcome something beyond the antagonist’s evil plans. That something might be as simple as convincing everyone around her that the evil villain is truly an evil villain, but the plot must force her to dig deep inside herself to find the strength to keep fighting when no one else believes.

Therefore, plot-first writers need to stop and consider what conflict of inner need and outer goal will might work with the plot. Create a believable character that embodies those two things, (giving the character enough backstory to explain the why of it) and you are well on your way to a great story.

[bctt tweet=”The character drives the plot, and the plot molds the character’s arc. They cannot work independently. K. M. Weiland #quote #writer” username=””]

Lisa E. Betz is a Bible study leader, drama director, and aspiring novelist. She lives with her husband and a neurotic cat in a scenic corner of Pennsylvania. When not teaching or sorting books at the library, Lisa blogs about intentional living at www.lisaebetz.com.

Connect with her:

Website: www.lisaebetz.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LisaEBetzWriter/
Twitter: @LisaEBetz

Categories
Screenwriting

From Script to Stage/Screen Part 4

From Script to Stage/Screen Part 4

We have explored four of the major responsibilities placed upon any director in the production of any stage or any production for the screen. The first three were: research, the script, reality level and the last is small but very important.

Moments

Moments are just that, moments that are placed within view of the audience that convey certain thoughts, doctrine, or emotion. When watching Blade Runner 2049 you can see the hundreds of placements of ads: Coke, Seiko, PanAm, Peugeot and many, many others. These are visual “Easter Eggs” for the audience to notice. Almost every sequel has some sort of moment that connects the film before it. We see Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore in 50 First Dates and later in the movie Blended. The two movies have nothing to do with each other, in fact each plays two completely different characters, but in one memorable scene at a convenient store we see Ten Second Tom make a quick appearance. Tom comes up to the counter and says, “Hi, I’m Tom.” Twice. At the end of the scene he comes back up to the same cashier and says, “Hi, I’m Tom.” For those who never saw 50 First Dates, this scene means nothing. But, to those who did see it, it is a moment of remembrance, a strong nod to another movie that Sandler and Barrymore both starred in. In Guardians of the Galaxy, the Collector has Howard the Duck, Cosmo the Dog, and even a Chitauri from the first Avengers movie in his collection.

Moments are often hidden but very satisfying when found. Disney is famous for putting in hidden messages or special appearances in their movies. High School Musical 2 has a quick appearance by Miley Cyrus. One of Disney’s newest movies, Moana, has a ton of these “Easter Eggs.” Flounder from The Little Mermaid shows up, Maui turns into Sven from Frozen, Wreck it Ralph shows up in the credits, Baymax from Big Hero Six makes an appearance in the boat filled with angry coconuts as well. These moments are great at beginning conversations, creating buzz, connecting films and shows, and continuing excitement for a franchise. But moments are not just hidden messages or advertisements. Moments are the things that enhance your particular universe, that propel your plot, that give the subtext behind things that are happening.

An example would be a movie with a character needing redemption built into the main plot. As the leads are in a coffee shop, we see a shot of the outside and a church steeple majestically rising in the background. Though subtle, this gives a sense that there might be some religious or even anti-religious themes in the production as that character begins to realize that they need redemption. Stage plays are a little more difficult because your options for set pieces are a little more limited. But moments are still extremely possible. Moments can be created from the action of the cast and not just well-placed items.

In the case of Jesus’ crucifixion, Golgotha was at a place where there was a lot of foot traffic. Instead of a static crucifixion scene, have groups walking past showing different levels of interest. Have one man and young son come by and the father forces the boy to stop and watch the crucifixion. While another, say mother and daughter walk by and the mother shields her daughter’s eyes from the spectacle. This creates movement and these moments can add to the depth of plot instead of being a distraction.

Moments cannot save a movie from a poor plot or bad acting, but it can enhance every aspect of any production. When adding moments make sure they are deliberate. Every set piece, prop, actions of cast members, angles of filming, everything has a reason. People watch all the Marvel movies and wait in anticipation for the moment Stan Lee shows up. You can see everyone in the audience reacting, pointing to the screen as he makes his one or two cameos in every movie. It is a moment that is now expected and a moment that people get to take home and discuss, tweet, and share.

Putting anything from screen to stage or screen is an awesome and great responsibility. If you have taken on this role then it is up to you to do the research, decide how the dialogue is viewed by others, create either a world based on reality or implied reality, and finally create moments that will reach out and make a memory in the hearts of those viewing.

Dr. Jim Tippins is currently President of On the Edge Productions, Inc., a resource for Christian scripts and minister aids. An award winning author, Dr. Tippins is proud to share the stories that God has laid on his heart. He has produced, written, and directed scripts, musicals, reviews, and plays all over the country. He has performed with the Kentucky Opera, Overture Opera Company, Theater of the Republic, Swamp Fox Players, Community Choral Society, Florence Symphony and Long Bay Symphony. To see resources and more information, please visit,

www.ontheedgeproductions.org. Or join his blog at drjimtippins.com

Categories
Talking Character

Do You Know What Your Character Is Doing?

What is your main character’s goal? The thing that drives her through the story, no matter how many obstacles you throw at her. You know what it is, right?

And you also know your bad guy’s goal—the one that tries to thwart your heroine at every turn.

No?

If you can’t state your protagonists’ and antagonists’ goals in a few words, your story is probably floundering, because those goals are critical pieces of your plot’s foundation.

I recently watched an action movie. Big name actors. Good special effects. A bomb that was going to explode in Times Square unless the heroine stopped it. Should have been a good movie, but halfway through I grew bored, because: A) Nowhere in the movie was it made clear what the bad guys were trying to achieve, and B) I was never clear on what the heroine’s primary goal was. I didn’t know what was driving her, so eventually I stopped caring what happened.

Instead of her goal pushing the plot toward the final showdown where she faced her inner demons and succeeded (or failed), she was merely reacting to stuff that happened, racing from one high octane moment to the next.

Ho hum.

In a similar vein, you heroine’s goal is the reason your readers care about her and want to cheer her on to success.

To write a good story, you MUST know your character’s story goal. If you aren’t sure, try one of the following:

  • Sit down with your main character and ask hard questions about her relationships, her fears, her dreams, and her inner demons. Deep, deep down, what drives her? Her story goal should stem from some inner need. (Even if she’s not aware of it.)
  • Consider what your story is about—the Theme. What are the protagonistic and antagonistic ideals that will clash to portray this theme? What character goals might portray those ideals?
  • Start with the climax. What will happen in the final confrontation? What final obstacle must your hero overcome in order to finally defeat his nemesis? Now think back to who your hero was at the start of the story. What goal will bridge that gap, forcing the action and the change necessary to get him to the climax moment?

As you write and rewrite your story, you may tweak your goal as the plot and characters evolve, but never lose sight of it or your story will go astray. And don’t be afraid to remind your character’s if they show signs of getting off track. If they yearn for another goal, tell them it will have to wait until the next story. Stay on track.

[bctt tweet=”If you don’t know what your character is doing, neither will the reader. #goals #writetip” username=””]

Categories
Screenwriting

How Plot Can Kill Your Character

SEVEN 38

Every story begins at your Initial Stimulus – that spark of an idea that captured your imagination. The thing that got you excited and revved up. That initial flash of creativity you just knew would make for a great movie idea.

Initial Stimulus is also something much deeper though. Simply put, it’s your inspired connection to that basic story idea.

Having an inspired connection to your story idea is significant because inspiration is significant. It’s important to recognize that inspiration comes from passion, whereas motivation does not. When you’re motivated to do something you want to accomplish that objective and then move on.

Inspiration is much more profound than motivation because it stems from passion. As such, it causes you to personally invest in what you’re working on. To connect to it emotionally. In short, motivation can be fleeting, while passion always endures.

TYPES OF INITIAL STIMULUS

The Initial Stimulus can come to us in many different forms. It can be an intriguing character, like the dark side of Tyler Durden in Fight Club. It can be fascinating subject matter or event that interests you, such as the civil rights movement led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the film, Selma, or one woman’s inspiring activism portrayed in Erin Brockovich.

Or the Initial Stimulus can just be a simple “what if” that comes from the ether of your own imagination. What if a serial killer used the seven deadly sins as his modus operandi? The “what if” behind the film, Seven with Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman.

No matter how it comes to you though, it’s important to understand the psychological impact that the Initial Stimulus has on the overall creative process. Having an inspired connection to your story idea is crucial to story development.

Why? Because it’s the driving force behind why you want to tell a particular story. It’s the momentum that will sustain you throughout the lengthy process of developing and writing a feature length screenplay. And it’s also the thing that can cause your story to crash and burn, killing your character in the process.

THE PITFALL OF INITIAL STIMULUS

Having taught Screenwriting at the MFA level for almost two decades, as well as having professionally consulted on north of five-hundred screenplays and films, I can say that a pervasive mistake I see all too often is that the writer gets so excited about their Initial Stimulus, that they instantly jump in and start plotting.

Never stopping to first define the single most important building block of story – character. Character is the narrative cornerstone in building a screenplay with emotional resonance that an audience can connect with.

Jumping right in and plotting your story is the equivalent of eagerly hopping into your car to go somewhere cool and exciting… Only to have no idea where you’re going or how to get there.

It doesn’t make any sense. So why do screenwriters do this then? Two reasons.

One, because plotting a movie is one of the more creatively exciting parts of the entire story development process. It’s one of things that gets the artistic adrenaline pumping. It’s enjoyable to do.

Secondly, as people we tend to be vertical thinkers, so sequencing and creating order (or plotting) is something that is intuitive, it comes natural to us.

Think about it, if a person looks up at the stars at night, the first thing their mind will do is to form shapes and patterns out of the stars.

The reason being is, they’re intuitively trying to make order out of chaos. It’s called, Pareidolia, which is where the mind perceives a familiar pattern of something where none actually exists. This is actually hardwired in us as humans.

THE NEGATIVE EFFECT OF PLOTTING FIRST

This natural instinct of wanting to jump in and instantly create order by plotting our screenplay, well it ends up causing all sorts of narrative repercussions.

Most notably of course, we end up with un-compelling characters that are afterthoughts – ones that lack authenticity. Instead, they become broad characterizations that are devices solely needed to serve our plot. Human chess pieces being moved around in a story in order to oblige a plot’s end result. Which is hands down the quickest way to cut the life of your screenplay short.

Not to mention, by putting the cart (plot) before the horse (character), we often end up losing track of that inspired connection (Initial Stimulus) we originally had with the basic story idea to begin with!

All of this is why there are more unfinished screenplays than finished ones. More first drafts that never see the light of day than do. And more just plain bad spec scripts out there than good ones.

So as you begin to develop your story idea, always remember that once you have your Initial Stimulus in place… Stop!

Resist that urge to jump in and start plotting the story. Fight that feeling of wanting to instantly work on plot. Instead, first develop and define the key building block of all successful stories – character.

In doing so, you’ll be able to better craft a plot that has emotional resonance that an audience can connect with.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tim Long is a produced screenwriter who has sold, optioned, and pitched projects at the studio level and has had original screenplays in development with Academy Award ® winning and nominated producers. Mr. Long is also a nationally recognized screenplay consultant, as well as a former Professor and Head of the MFA Screenwriting Program at FSU’s College of Motion Picture Arts, where he taught for almost two decades. He’s currently Founder of PARABLE, an innovative online screenwriting course.

Categories
Guest post archive

Freedom from Plot

by Laura L. Zimmerman

Laura L Zimmerman

I went for a swim at 6:30 this morning. 

Okay, not really, but in my story my I did. The characters in my book made the snap decision to hop in a pond and cool off. I hadn’t planned on this. In fact this swim doesn’t even have anything to do with the plot. But I wrote it, anyway. Ultimately, it was something they would do. So they did. It opened a door for conversation between two characters to grow closer and build trust. 

This is a big deal for me. This never would’ve happened in the not-too-distant past. Until recently, I’ve functioned primarily as a ‘plotter’. I would plan and plot and outline my story, until I had it structured and polished. Then I would write.

But just over a year ago, I accidentally became a ‘pantser’. It wasn’t intentional. I had a scene for a new story that I wanted to get out of my head before it disappeared, but didn’t want to take the time to plot, since I was in the middle of writing another story. So, I sat and wrote the scene. Out of that scene came another, then another and another, until I had a third of the book written – something I hadn’t imagined possible without prior planning. The experience changed my perspective on a few things.

Here are four lessons I’ve learned about writing as a ‘pantser’:

  1. Personalities stay consistent.We’ve all been there – after a beta reader or critique group finishes a section of your manuscript, the dreaded comment slaps you in the face: The action of a specific character isn���t consistent with what we know of him/her up until that point. Ouch. As a plotter, I would take painful care to review each scene and evaluate a character’s reaction. However, this didn’t stop those pesky personalities from wandering off their beaten path, because I was so focused on sticking to that plot. But whenthe character directs the flow of the book, it’s easier to think about what would come naturally for him/her. What would the next decision be for the character, not for the plot? The plot will eventually come to pass, but allowing each character to react in a natural way, will connect the reader to those characters.
  2. There’s more conversation.I’ve spoken with plenty of writers who love the chance to tell their tale, but dread that dialogue! They agonize and worry over the words that come out of a character’s mouth. As a ‘pantser’, there’s no need to push to the next scene, as much asallowing the characters to take the reader to the next scene through conversation. I’ve found the characters share more meaningful words, once I allow them the privilege to speak freely.
  3. Fewer worries about the plot.But what about that plot, you ask? Of course, don’t abandon it all together – we’ve all experienced frustration as we’ve read a book with plot holes and inconsistencies. But when the characters ‘drive’ the story, those characters and the decisions they make become more important. Plot holes and inconsistencies can always be corrected during revision and editing. But the general flow of the book will be more credible if you allow for deep, connected characters.
  4. Beat that Writer’s Block. We’ve all cringed at that blank sheet of paper at some point. However, I’ve found this happens more often as a ‘plotter’, than it does now. When my brain felt forced to write something without inspiration, I couldn’t find the words. As a ‘pantser’, the words come easier when I ask myself, “What would this character do next?”

What about you? Are you a plotter or pantser? Which do you prefer? Feel free to comment below and share your experience!

 

Bio: Laura L. Zimmerman is a homeschooling mom to three daughters, and a doting wife to one husband. Besides writing, she is passionate about loving Jesus, singing, drinking coffee and anything Star Wars. You can connect with her through Facebook and Twitter and at her website, www.lauralzimmerman.com

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