1. Denial or the “this can’t be happening to me syndrome”. Your character looks for their loved one in familiar places, or sets the table in hopes they return. There’s no crying – no acceptance – no acknowledgement of the loss.
2. When reality begins to set in, your character will become angry –”why me?”. Sometimes they may even feel the need to fight back. They get angry at the deceased, blaming them for leaving.
3. Bargaining often takes place next. Your character may attempt to make deals with the spouse who is leaving, or attempt to make deals with God to stop or change the loss. Begging, wishing and praying for them to come back.
4. Depression-overwhelming feelings of hopelessness, frustration, bitterness, self-pity, mourning loss of person as well as the hopes, dreams and plans for the future will overwhelm your Hero. They might feel a lack of control, feel numb. Perhaps, even feel suicidal.
5. Finally, there’s acceptance. Your Hero must accept the loss, not just try to bear it quietly. She must realize that – in the case of divorce — it takes two to make or break a marriage. Or realize that the person, who has left them, possibly in death, is gone and that it was not their fault. Your character’s goal should turn toward personal growth – she stays with fond memories of person.
There it is. The third leg of your character’s Arc. Use all three – but at least two — to add dimension to your character.
Next I will show you how and where I use these stages in writing my scripts.
Keep Writing
Nope. Neither.
I’m a mild-mannered programmer by day – screenwriter by night. Well, not exactly night, more like every weekend (call me a weekend-warrior). But this got me thinking (a dangerous situation at best): how does my day job influences my screenwriting?
As a programmer I have to be a problem solver. I have to be creative. And when I am coding, I have to think ahead: if I code this function this way, how can I use it somewhere else? If I do this first, what has to happen next? What must I do four or five lines of code down the road? You get the idea.
Programming and screenwriting – or writing in general, for that matter – requires similar skills: understanding structure; the ability to think ahead; solving problems in creative ways; etc.
So, how does your day job influence your writing? We are now open for discussion.
Keep Writing!
]]>In the past I would, for the most part, develop my characters on the fly, adding attributes as situations dictated. No more – nada – uh, uh. This is my new 12 Step Program for recovering Lazy Writers. Well, maybe not exactly twelve, but close. Here we go – ask yourself (ie. your character):
1. What makes your character really mad? List three examples of what causes extreme anger in your character:
2. Now, find a time in the story when your character gets most angry and let him/her rant: “I’m so angry because…”
3. Pick one of the three examples from above that is not in the script now, but could/should be.
4. Next, imagine three things he might do as a result of the specific anger you are exploring.
5. Now, determine what makes your character afraid? List three examples.
6. Find a time in the story when your character is afraid and again, let her rant: “I’m so afraid because…”
7. Pick an example of fear not in the script now, but could/should be.
8. Imagine three things she might do as a result of the specific fear you are exploring.
9. What would lead your character to lov10. Find a time in the
story when your character feels love and let him rant: “I’m so
in love because…”
11. Pick an example of love not in the script now, but
could/should be.
12. Finally, imagine three things he might do as a result of
love
These are characteristics I never thought of when writing about my characters in the past. How about yourself?
That’s it – what I’ve learned about writing characters – so far. What I’ve learned about my own writing – so far.
Keep Writing!
]]>Resolution #1: Get in shape. Lose weight. Get healthy. Okay, that’s three, but they are all related. A healthy writer is an effective writer.
Resolution #2: Write at least two (2)– count ‘em two — new screenplays. I went to Panera yesterday at 6:30 AM and wrote until 11:30 AM. Started rewriting my screenplay, Cocos Island, after receiving feedback from my writing family over at Shmucks With Underwoods.
Resolution #3: Query as many production companies as possible – New York and L.A. I have the list of companies I plan on targeting with ‘canned’ queries and last week I sent out almost 300 queries.
Resolution #4: Update this blog more often. Hey, it’s day fifteen of the new year and this is my second post. So far so good.
What are your New Year’s Writing Resolutions?
Keep Writing!
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Wishing you all a Happy, Safe and Prosperous New Year. May 2012 bring you all that is good, nothing bad and fulfilled dreams.
And, of course, I wish you success in your writing. But to be successful, you need goals and to size those goals so they are manageable I would suggest you head on over to Scott Myers’ blog Go Into The Story: http://gointothestory.blcklst.com/2011/12/writing-goals-2012-part-1-looking-back.html and read his series of articles on writing goals for 2012. Here’s a list of topics he discusses in great detail:
Part 1: Looking Back
Part 2: Assessing Where You Are
Part 3: Where Do You Want To Go As A Writer?
Part 4: Practical Matters
Part 5: Going Public
Part 6: Schedule
Part 7: Time Management
Part 8: First Draft
Part 9: The Only Way Out Is Through
Part 10: Trust The Process
Read, enjoy and always,
Keep Writing!
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May all your hopes and dreams for 2012 come true and always….
Keep Writing!
]]>Okay, your protagonist’s Ordinary World has been shaken to its very foundation for whatever reason: framed for murder, kidnapped family member, break up of a marriage. You fill in the blank.
Is your Hero afraid? Scared?
Of course she is, but the all important question now is this: how does she deal with that fear? How does she deal with her new problem, complete her character arc, and get to the end of the story safe and sound?
The simple answer is: She must handle that fear.
But how?
Your character must take these five steps to navigate through that fear:
1. Your Hero must edge forward into the story and take small steps to confront her fear. The New World your protagonist finds herself in will seem overwhelming at first and will more than likely trigger a flight or fight response. Reign in these urges and don’t let your Hero take too large a step right from the git-go.
2. Get your Hero some concrete and positive motivation. Here is where your Mentor or Love Interest can play an important part in pushing your Hero in the right direction and forcing her to realize she needs to do something, anything.
3. Of course your Hero will not succeed the first time in solving her story problem or confronting her fear, so let her see failure and rejection in a new light. This is generally around the mid-point when your Hero discovers she has been chasing the FALSE Goal. But this is good. Failure often reveals the TRUE Goal.
4. Keep your Hero in the NOW. What does this mean? It means keep your Hero focused on the current problem. Don’t let your Hero’s thoughts and emotions run away to the future or back to the past. Keep your Hero’s eyes on the prize. The TRUE Goal.
5. Finally, your Hero will be ready and able to redefine herself and her world and overcome her fears. Her arc will be complete.
Give It a shot – work these steps into your Hero’s story — add dimension to your characters and to their character arcs and always,
Keep Writing!
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1. Precontemplation is the stage at which there is no intention to change behavior in the foreseeable future. Many individuals in this stage are unaware or underaware of their problems. This is comparable to the Hero’s normal world of ACT I – the Hero has a problem but doesn’t know he has a problem.
2. Contemplation is the stage in which people are aware that a problem exists and are seriously thinking about overcoming it but have not yet made a commitment to take action. This stage corresponds to the Inciting Incident / Call to Adventure of Act I. The Hero is aware that a problem exists and is seriously thinking about overcoming it but have not yet made a commitment to take action.
3. Preparation is a stage that combines intention and behavioral criteria. Individuals in this stage are intending to take action in the next month and have unsuccessfully taken action in the past year. The third stage combines intention and behavior. This stage relates to the first part of Act II (Act IIa) - the Hero deliberates on his dilemma / perceived Need .
4. Action is the stage in which individuals modify their behavior, experiences, or environment in order to overcome their problems. Action involves the most overt behavioral changes and requires considerable commitment of time and energy. This stage is comperable to the Mid-Point of your screenplay – the Hero’s internal needs/flaws are confronted and realized for the first time.
5. Maintenance is the stage in which people work to prevent relapse and consolidate the gains attained during action. The Hero must not relapse. He should consolidate the gains/changes made during stage four. This relates to the Dark Night of the Soul, where the Hero has self doubt and no longer believes in himself and thinks All Is Lost. More importantly, it is a change in lifestyle that the Hero takes with him long after you write FADE OUT.
Try using the Five Stages of Change to help move your Hero along his Character Arc.
Keep Writing!
]]>I’ve read both of his books — Hollywood Animal and The Devil’s Guide To Hollywood — about Hollywood and screenwriting and liked them both. But after watching a very brief interview of Mr. Eszterhas, I searched the web for something more extensive. And, I found it.
Click on over to The Bat Segundo Show (http://www.edrants.com/segundo/bss-73-joe-eszterhas/) and take a listen. The intro is irritating, but the interview is worth the torture
Let me know what you think about ol’ Joe. Love him? Hate him? Why?
As an update, Mr. Eszterhas has three (3) new projects in the works:
1. LUST – a thriller: A Miami real estate broker in a loving marriage with an older man, is unexpectedly seduced into an affair with a younger, charming playboy from Los Angeles, only to suffer the consequences as she ends up in a dangerous love triangle.
2. Untitled Joe Eszterhas/Virgin of Guadalupe Project – a drama: The story of the first sighting of the virgin of Guadalupe by an Aztec peasant in the 16th century.
3. Untitled Judah Maccabee Project – a drama: Judah Maccabee leads a Jewish revolution against Seleucid Empire for outlawing their religion.
As I said last week… you can’t keep a good man down.
Keep Writing,
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