Help in writing

[HRSegovia]

I found that often running a game has little to do with knowing the rules and much to do with telling a story (at least in my successful games). Sure, often players are introduced as children with search-kill-loot-search-kill-loot, but as one gets older, one often finds the best games are those with character depth and involvement; this is achieved with a great story.

At one point I had a blog that helped my fellow writers on getting started. Perhaps these articles can help you develop a good story.

 

[HRSegovia]

[FONT=&quot]Why Isn't it Working? [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]One of my friends brought a handful of pages to me. She said something was wrong. When I asked here what the problem was, she couldn’t point it out to me. All she could say was “Something isn’t working”.

This is a common issue. Her story was about a teen forced to move from the city to a backwoods town in Kentucky. The teen witnesses a murder and resorts to calling her friends back in the city for help. But there was something very linear about it. The story seemed to move from point “A” to “B” to “C” too fast, with no real “story” other than its face-value. It was almost like watching a series of events rather than “experiencing” the story.

We discovered that there was a problem in her character development. Each character brought something to the story with them, but neither one had a story of their own or conflicts. It was merely four teens solving the problem through a series of events, then getting caught and escaping certain death. She had her outside/action, but not her inside/need.

While this problem was unique to her, many writers find that their scene is too bland (talking heads), they’ve written themselves into a corner, (failure in structure), the characters are too flat (failure to develop characters). It is important that you solve a problem as you approach it rather than leaving it alone and hoping it will solve itself later as the story develops. The second you realize that something isn’t working, step back. Don’t wait till your stuck to stop. By then, it may be too late and the story may require more repair.

Learn and practice how to identify a problem before it becomes a bigger one.[/FONT]

 

[HRSegovia]

[FONT=&quot]Plagiarism [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I always find people telling me, “Okay, I’ll tell you. But you have to promise not to steal the idea,” So I’ve decided that this issue warranted an article.

A common fear for the beginning writer is the theft of work. You pour yourself out into the story. Your life is in the pages of your work. And you feel it can be taken from you on a whim and carry someone else’s name. There is nothing wrong with this fear. However, the outright expression to someone else about this fear is the sign of an amateur that turns agents off.

Theft is not something that happens in the industry as often as you think. It is a very PERSONAL business and everyone knows everything about everybody. In addition, everyone has their own style of writing and agents are familiar with these styles.


[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The same time that ARMAGEDDON was released, so was DEEP IMPACT.

Before that, James Cameron released THE ABYSS. At the same time, other production companies released DEEP STAR SIX and LEVIATHAN. It was the summer of deep water horror.

So why do works come out that are similar to each other? Did someone steal something? Here’s how it works in Hollywood.

1) Someone writes a great story and it is bought by an agent.

2) This agent sells it to a production company who puts it in a vault.

3) Then some crackpot decides to film what they think is a blockbuster, and other production companies try to cash in on the summer theme and look through their vaults for similar stories to compete.

So don’t be afraid if a story comes out that is quite similar to yours. It happens, but is most likely not theft.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Like fashion, Hollywood looks for “What’s Hot” this summer and cashes in on it.[/FONT]

 

[HRSegovia]

[FONT=&quot]Broadening Your Inspirations: Music [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]In order to broaden your options when writing, you must open yourself up to new inspirations. Music is a good place to start when broadening your tastes. The word "music" itself derives from "muse". But how do you expose yourself to new tastes? By the time you see a band on television or hear them on the radio, they are already mainstream.

Here are two ideas in exposing yourself to new bands and new styles of music:

1) VARIOUS ARTISTS CD'S: "Powerful lyrics inspire powerful situations" - Hit the "Various Artists" section of your music store. Many of these CD's are so cheap they hardly dent your pocket. PUNK-O-RAMA sells for $5-$7 and you get anywhere from 23-29 bands. HOPELESLY DEVOTED TO YOU does the same as well. Soundtracks are also good for exposing yourself to various artists. How many of us were exposed to LORDS OF ACID for the first time when we bought MORTAL KOMBAT and STRANGE DAYS?

2) ORCHESTRATED: "Powerful emotions inspire powerful scenes" - What would CONAN: THE BARBARIAN have been without the soundtrack. Basil Poledouris extracted the best of the scenes with this music. I recommend (especially if your into the fantasy genre) buying this album and listening to it. Other soundtracks may bring the same emotion. With this, maybe you can imagine a scene you are writing out and organize it better. Action oriented music may inspire a better action scene. Or maybe a love scene, etc.[/FONT]

 

[HRSegovia]

[FONT=&quot]10 Keys to Great Story Scenes [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]DOES IT MOVE THE CHARACTER AND PLOT FORWARD? - Often, scenes are removed because they just don't belong. If it doesn't move anything in the story, its best to cut it out.

NEVER TELL WHAT YOU CAN SHOW. - Moving lips are boring. If people wanted to listen, they'd turn on the radio. Use visualizations.

AVOID TALKING HEADS. – Cutting back and forth between faces in a conversation just doesn't work. When the director says "action", give him action!

DOES IT HAVE A BEGINNING, MIDDLE, and END? - Every element of a movie has a beginning, middle, and end. This includes the movie, the acts, and the scenes.

PACE YOUR SCENES. - Too much dialogue can be boring. The story should give the audience a ride on a roller coaster. Keep the dialogue and action alternating.

DOES IT CULMINATE IN SOMETHING DRAMATIC? - Nobody cares about the everyday mundane chit-chat. People have lives and watch movies to escape that reality of life.

DOES IT HAVE AN EFFECTIVE TRANSITION? - The scenes should flow together. Each scene should move the audience further into the story and not stop or move them backwards.

DOES IT HAVE A DEFINITE MOOD OR EMOTION? - If the audience does not sympathize with the characters, they won't care about the outcome. Play with their emotions.

DOES IT HAVE A WELL-MOTIVATED CONFLICT? – A conflict without a purpose is hard to swallow. While its fun to watch, there's no drive for the audience. Give them a reason to cheer for somebody.

CUT THE FAT ANYWHERE YOU CAN - Every line in the script should have a place in the story. If its only for filler or color, get rid of it. The meat for a movie should be lean.[/FONT]

 

[HRSegovia]

[FONT=&quot]If Your Work is Perfect... [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]...then don't read this article, or any other article. In fact, stop reading altogether because you know it all. Those who are willing to humble themselves (including myself; I'm not above you) can press-on.

After months of blood, sweat, and tears, you complete your work. You have so much pride in your accomplishment. You have a story from beginning to end and it's just the way you want it. Well, guess what: it's time to tear it back apart. You may think you've been through your first draft, but your first draft is complete when you say "I'm done" and think you're finished with the story.

The hardest part (and still a required part of the writing process) is the rewrite. Admitting to yourself that you need a rewrite is a difficult task. But you need a rewrite because:

- The story is fresh in your head; it makes sense there
- Each page is imprinted in your brain making it easy to overlook OBVIOUS ISSUES
- It's not perfect (and never will be) but it can always be better
- Nobody gets it right the first time

But before you do the rewrite, you must take a break... at least two weeks, preferably two months. This retreat is important because:

- Your brain needs to refuel with ideas and imagination
- You need time to soak in the story and where it went
- After a while, you can see the story as a whole
- If you're gonna tear it apart, then its best that it's done after you've rid yourself of the emotional connection

Remember, focus on the art of storytelling, and not your recent work. Here are some things to do in the meantime:

- Watch lots and lots of movies or read lots and lots of books
- Compare your stories with theirs
- What works in theirs that may not be working in yours
- Why do their stories work so well
- Research the genre or topic that your story was about

You're ready to return for the rewrite when:

- You think about writing something else.
- You no longer think about your work every day.
- You've forgotten details about how your story develops.

In a later article, I will actually discuss the rewrite.[/FONT]

 

[HRSegovia]

[FONT=&quot]1st Time Back [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Okay. You've caved-in and humbled yourself enough to break your work down and make it better. Now what to do?

The first step is to do a read-through. Read your entire work in one sitting. If this is not possible (for example, you're rewriting a novel), then get the first act out of the way and try to do the second and third act in one sitting.

In this read-through, you are going to realize that your work is crap. Not that you are a bad writer, but you will find so many screw-ups that you did not see before: bad grammar, stupid dialogue, scenes that don't belong. So much, in fact, that you're going to want to scrap it. Don't. Don't give up. This is why you have come to the rewrite. Every writer does it and experiences the same thing. As tempting as it is, don't make any corrections. Just press-on.

After your read through, get a red or green pen (something easy to see), print out a hard-copy (as it is easier to see mistakes and red-ink them), and be ready for another read-through. Now determine what symbols you are going to ink-in (the margin) for easy reference. You will need symbols for:

- Misspellings
- Grammar
- Format Issue
- Awkward Wording
- Unanswered Plot Questions
- Character Inconsistencies (Not like the character)
- Character Implausibilities (Not possible by the character)

When you encounter these, don't make ANY corrections. You will be tempted, but take note, and move on. If you like, you can take note of BIG ISSUES by jotting the page number down on the cover.

Next we will cover the second time back (yes... more revisions).[/FONT]

 

[HRSegovia]

[FONT=&quot]2nd Time Back: Poetics [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Aristotle. His doctrine entitled Poetics has become the founding work on which all works are based. Imagine, if you will, a guide on how to write ANY STORY. Such is the work of Aristotle.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Your story is like a newly carved piece of wood. It's choppy, blocky, and rough. The piece is there in it's entirety, but now it's time to make it into a work of art. Using Aristotle's manual, we are going to go through your story and smooth out the edges.

Aristotle's Poetics are described as such: Imagine that you have a key chain with six lenses. Each lens is a different color with a different power/purpose. We will go through your script with each lens one-by-one. Remember, when scanning with a lens, ignore all other aspects of the story. You are looking through your script with a specific purpose.

lens 1: PLOT - A plot is a series of events that chain together. If one action does not lead to another, it is not a link, and therefore not an event that is part of the plot. If your events don't link, then the story does not hold together from beginning to end. What this lens searches for is broken links. Each link must be solid. Don't count on any "iffy" events to be an important part of your plot. Be sure there is a chain you can follow from catalyst to showdown.

lens 2: CHARACTER - With this lens, you are going to examine each character and their growth through the story. Like plot, their events need to chain. Each character's actions must be within the character's capability and personality. You cannot have the villain, for instance, help the hero without some purpose. That would be out of character. You cannot have a acrophobic leap from building to building without going through some growth period throughout the story. That would also be out of character. While you are looking for out of character issues, you must also look for ways to define the character. If a character is acrophobic, then make it apparent in some way. Don't just have him avoid jumping a building. This will just make your audience cock their heads curiously wondering what the force-field is that is blocking the character.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
lens 3: THOUGHT - This is the intangible spirit of the script. From the conceptual thought to the mindless dazing in between writing. You go back and re-examine what you were thinking when you wrote it. You examine what the characters are thinking at the moment. Rather than dialogue, through this lens, you will look at their actions and expressions (and lack thereof) so your audience can "see" into their heads without hearing the voices. In other words, can the audience get the message you are trying to send without the dialogue?

lens 4: DICTION - Now that we've examine the negative space (the space in-between), it's time to examine the dialogue. Your story is there in action, expression, and plot, now to strengthen it with diction. Your characters need to be so unique from each other that your audience can tell who is speaking without looking at the name. This comes from accents, attitude, vocabulary, and education. It's easy to do this if you have built your characters from the ground-up with a background.

lens 5: MUSIC - Music? Are you serious? Like music, writing is measured in beats. When you have a character pause for a second, it is referred to as a beat. With this lens, you are going to measure the pace of the story, imagine the background music that could be playing and see if it fits the mood you intended. In addition, you can imagine the background sounds and see if you included that in your story to set the mood for the reader. Birds sing, ironworks, clang, cars speed past - all these are "instruments" that play in your symphony and add "zing". Even The Magic Flute included an entire symphony of instruments. Use them.

Finally, lens 6: SPECTACLE - This refers to drama and design. Ever heard about someone making their "grand entrance"? This is a spectacle. Think "spectacular". You are looking for ordinary things that may be better if made extraordinary. Remember when Justice entered the restaurant in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back? What about when the Alien hissed inches from Ripley's face in Alien 3. Of course we do! They were spectacular! Now, what color were Indiana Jones' boots? We can easily find out but that particular detail did not stick with us because it wasn't important enough. Know what to make into a spectacle and DO IT!

Now, you are half way done. "Half way?!" Yes. If you write just for the hobby, then you're finished. But for a career, then it's time for the hard part... selling your script.[/FONT]

 

[HRSegovia]

[FONT=&quot]Writing for Television and Sitcoms [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Writing for television is very competitive and difficult, even taking to consideration that you'll be working with a team of eleven other writers. But the pay-off is well worth it.

MARIE: These breadsticks are old.
FRANK: Well, you are what you eat!
MARIE: Bobby, give your father his helping of Miserable Bastard.
- Everybody Loves Raymond

Remember that most sitcoms are character driven stories in situational comedy.

The Heart of every Sitcom is the What If? scenario. The plot is determined by the reaction of the main character when he is placed in a unique -- frequently uncomfortable -- situation. Not all sitcom dialogue is humorous. In Fact, more than 65 percent of a sitcom's time is taken up with serious situations, which are highlighted by comic relief.
- Comedy Writing Secrets

With this in mind, here are the ten most common setups in sitcoms. These setups are epsiode themes which provide plenty of opportunity for comedy and allow you to build an episode. Think of them as the story concept. While they tend to theme entire sitcoms, these are episodic ideas.

FAMILY AGGRESSION: People who live together long enough become bitter, even when they love each other.
WORKPLACE AGGRESSION: Scrubs and Just Shoot Me are filled with these.
MISTAKEN ASSUMPTIONS: Mistaking one fact for another can lead to disappointment and comedy. For example, Cartman mistaking the Ultravibe Pleasure 2000 in his mom's closet for a cool Christmas toy.
INTRUSIONS: A "breaking of the rules" and sometimes "cover-up" also leads to comedy. Especially when the audience experiences the extent and frequent close-calls the character goes through to continue the facade.
HEARTBREAK: Desperate Housewives and most family sitcoms test the boundaries of relationships.
MORAL AND ETHICAL CONFLICTS: Inner conflict of "right and wrong" is often extroverted in sitcoms.
SYMPATHY FOR THE DISADVANTAGED: Handicapped people have been targets secretly for a long time, and now it is becoming more acceptable to fire shots at them. A good example is Joe from Family Guy.
PHYSICAL MISHAPS: An accident of sorts renders the character helpless in some way for a short period of time.
SOMETHING OF VALUE: ...and the extents people will go through to achieve or protect it.
FAILURE TO COPE: Often includes the lead character unable to cope with a new situation.[/FONT]

 

[HRSegovia]

I have a wealth of writing knowledge. If anyone needs any help, feel free to ask.