I've been looking for the building blocks of story for a while now. With the overwhelming amount of information out there, a lot of it contridictory, on story I always thought their had to be a simple underlying principal that worked in all situations. From the three line joke to the 1000 page novel to the 120 page screenplay.
That's when I ran across Chris Soth's Million Dollar Screenwriting Method and I found what I was looking for. Chris's method is a modified version of what he learned at the USC Graduate Screenwritng Program. Chris teaches that all the pleasure we recieve from story is from the building up and releasing of tension, which is derived from Sigmund Freud's pleasure principal. And you create that tension by playing with the hope and fears of an audience. First you make them think their worst fear is coming true and that builds up the tension, then you make them think their fondest hope is just around the corner and it releases that built up tension. He's even has developed a shorthand equation for it. T = H v. F
Now I always look for the tension in everything I write. From The logline to treatments to scene work, all the way down to a simple beat or dialogue exchange. It's the most elementary of things and really helps focus your attention on what's important and breathes life into anything your working on. Give it a try!
Friday, February 1, 2008
The Building Blocks Of Story
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Using lists creatively
Every time that I'm stuck in my writing it's usually because I don't like what I've written and feel I can't go on without fixing it or I don't know what comes next and have to stop until I do figure out what comes next. I had a story where I knew I wanted a woman cornered by the two men in an alleyway with seemingly no escape but then something happens and she does escape and the men have to continue the chase. But I didn't know how.
Then I read about a writing technique from John Vorhaus, whose book
Creativity Rules, is full of such creative exercises, that seemed to help. The theory of the technique is that when your stuck it's because you don't have enough information about your story to figure out what comes next. So it recommends that you brainstorm a detailed list about the details in your story. Setting, characters, action beats. Anything to get your mind immersed in the moment of the story so you can hear, taste even touch that story moment in your minds eye.
So I did that. I brainstormed a list about the woman what she was wearing, what she was doing and the same for the two men. Then I began a list about the alleyway they were in and that's when I realized there were doors in the alleyway leading into the backs of stores on the main street. But I knew they were locked. She had probably tried a few while the men closed in on her. They knew she was trapped in that alleyway. They relaxed, maybe even grinned, happy the chase was over when suddenly one of the doors flew open. Someone was taking out the garbage. She did a beeline for the door and escaped into a laundry. It worked!
Two MEN follow close behind. The first man big and burly. The other short and mousy looking.
The WOMAN steps off the curb. A YELLOW TAXI CAB screeches to a hault almost hitting her. The women recoils in fright.
As she runs down it she comes to a dead end. All brick walls and locked doors. She
turns back. Only to see the two MEN enter the alleyway.
She begins to back down the alleyway again away from them. They close on
her each taking a side of the alleyway, blocking her escape.
The woman backpedals, Stepping over grabage, broken glass, bumping into a garbage can.
She begins to franticaly try the various doors on either side of the alleyway. Pulling on the doorhandles one after another, trying in vain to get one to open.
The MEN smile to one another. They know they have her cornered.
A CHINESE WORKER carries out a bundle of cotten linen.
The WOMAN flees into the LAUNDRY.
An explanation of sorts...
I'm currently an up and coming screenwriter looking for my first sale. What I wanted to do on this blog was document my writing process and collect all the random thoughts, ideas, exercises and experiences in one place that could serve as a road map of my creative/career progress.
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