Writing Stories

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WRITIN G
S t o r i e s

A TIMELESS IMAGE IN A DREAM

WRITING A STORY A story begins the first moment you capture the human heart. Memorable stories are about IMAGES , TIMELESS IMAGES IN A DREAM, not just words, but images that touch our heart, that touch the humanity within us. What does our heart want and feel? From what new vantage point do we view the world? How do we illuminate the everyday experience of our normal world to gain new insight into our lives? What is at the meaning of our lifes experience? FICTION : A story exists as an imaginary world, one that we are taken into by our own mind through the vehicle of a hero. The hero is the heart of the story. We enter this imaginary world to experience it vicariously through her, and hope that by understanding her world, which is created within our minds eye, we just might experience what that character experiences and for a while see with her eyes and discover a new world with new insights into our own. There is nothing in a play but the CHARACTERS, every word that is uttered is uttered by a character. A play is an arrangement of words spoken by the characters to tell a story. Therefore, a play is nothing more than a character's action. SIMON CALLOW, English Actor You begin with people, within them, and travel into their world behind their eyes, and within their hearts. Welcome to the world within.
The Writers Journey
By Christopher Vogler
Normal life: How do we get to know this character? The Call: Set the story in motion, get the ball rolling. Denial: The hero has doubts. Meet the Wise One: The hero learns the inside story. Full Commitment: The hero decides to take a chance. Friends & Enemies: Conicts Inside the Enemys castle: The battle of life and death. Escape with the Key: Small victory / the hero runs away. The Climax: The Final Battle!

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ELEMENTS TH A T D EF INE:
The Seven Elements of Character 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Self Concept (Relationship Roles) Main Motivations (Needs / Wants) Action (actions of speech) Points of View (Roles) Attitudes Dramatic Changes (Inner & Outer) Differences

C H A RA C TER

THEME: The theme of a story is the main idea which runs through the entire story and unifies it as a whole. Theme is what the story is about. Not the heros action, but the idea behind the story. Theme is what the story is saying about humanity. Its a comment on the human condition in a specific situation. The theme is definitely a strong opinion or a very specific point of view. Say for example your content or idea is about sex. You can approach sex from several different points of view: control, love, romance, emptiness, fear, connection. All of these ways of approaching sex changes our idea about sex. We are either saying its a good or bad thing, or we can take a neutral stance and just lay it out there. Sex happens. To produce a mighty book or story you must produce a mighty theme. A theme gives us an insight into life. We bring this insight to life, in our emotions, in our actions, to our senses, not just to our intellect. Do not ask what does my story teach -- but, What does the story reveal?

The core of the character lies in his motives, his self-concept, and his strong points of view and attitudes. By contrasting them with other characters motives, selfconcepts, and points of view, and by showing those differences in action, you create conflict. You define your character and the drama begins to unfold. Drama is conflict. Conflict makes your story interesting.
Examples:

Hamlet believed he could challenge the king, while everyone else feared the king. Othello believed in perfect love, but everyone else believed that love was awed.

CONFLICT

When the Heros points of view is at odds with the popular concepts of those in his environment, with those of the modern day, with authority, those in power, then you have drama. The hero is alone, facing great odds for what she believes deeply. Now that is interesting. I. CONFLICT ORIGINATES WITHIN THE CHARACTER:

The audience roots for the characters struggle -- for what she wants. There is a chance of her failure. We empathize with the struggle through what she feels. We want to see her succeed and get what she wants. So always keep the audience wanting more; dont give her what she wants until the end because the audience cares about people that stand up and fight for what they want. If we give her what she wants in the beginning there would be no story. Nobody watches the village of happy nice people and the girl who gets the man of her dreams with no struggle. If character is the heart of the story, conflict is the pulse.

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DEFINING CONFLICT
Where does Conflict originate? Social - Friends, relatives, lovers, coworkers etc. Emotional - Love, hate, fear, joy, laughter, greed Racial Religious Monetary Spiritual Moral

While opposition may be wide spread in a large group, the major source of opposition should only be represented by just one person. One persons opinion represents the entire organizations opinion. So that when their point of view directly opposes the heros ideas, it means the entire group is opposed to the hero. SELF CONCEPT First, match the Heros self-concept with her needs and wants. Keep these in mind when you flesh out her SELF CONCEPT. Self Concept is composed of three things: 1. Self Concept: Who we believe we are. 2. Self Esteem: The judgments we pass on ourself. 3. Values: What we want, and what we dont. 1. SELF CONCEPT Who do they believe they are, what is their self-concept? I am a man of action, I am a woman of my word, I keep my promises, I am a sensualist, I am a surrealist, I am a king, I am a loser. We constantly look for evidence to prove to ourselves that we are what we think, and if we dont find any, we create situations and self generate this evidence.

Problems are posed by fate, the world or society, natural disaster, life circumstance, other people, and dont forget our own inner faults. We either find a way to succeed or we fail. Failure is tragic; success is heroic. Seek the maximum effect of conflict which is life or death stakes. Raise the stakes. Shorten the time limits to achieve goals. Basically increase the Drama. Ask questions: What does the hero want? (Specifically) What is she willing to fight for? Why is it vital to her happiness? Who stands in her way? Fill in the blank: They all thought it was disgraceful and upsetting to find out that I __________________. For example: ( that I took the job with the traveling circus and married an outlaw vampire.)

2. Self Esteem Are we worthy of love, are we

capable to achieve our goals? Self esteem, like self image are self fulfilling prophecies. They determine whether or not we get what we want. If I feel like I will never get what I want, then I probably wont. The judgments we pass on ourselves are the hardest.

3. Values - Our life is a non-stop pursuit of values.

We seek that which we love. We avoid that which we hate. In life this is automatic, but in art we must reOne way to define a character is by opposing her to others negative points of view. This shows that create this process by identifying what it is that our she is independent of others points of view and gives hero loves most of all. her a clear and definite reason for leaving her old life Our self concept is defined by what we value. behind. No one supported her -- so she left town.

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SELF CONCEPT
did them, how do you feel about yourself. What good for me, and what is not. determines a persons selfValues are that which we move concept is what one does. toward or away from. Core values How do I operate day by are the source of emotions. This day, habitually, over and over will determine whether the again? A way of behaving character is conservative or liberal. becomes a way of Being. To I value winning. I am a winner. I nd this Beingness, nd the feeling never lose. I never give up until I within the center of this behavior. win. If the seed feeling is Value Examples: pride, or fear, connect that to the moment of who this person is. life / death Our primary Look also at the end of the truth / indulgence play. Hamlet is not separate love / hate goal is not from his death and the death freedom / slavery Survival but the of his Uncle. No, it is his seed lies / honesty feeling, his self-concept, that loyalty / betrayal Preservation of I have been wronged and can wisdom / ignorance our Self-Concept. not trust anyone. I am joy / pain misunderstood and am strength / weakness unsure of what I should do? This feeling runs from start to These values may shift in the story kind of woman who breaks nish, it is the feeling her promises. over the course of events. By Self concept resides within contained within his center. gaining or losing that which we As a noun, Betrayal, as a ones center. It is what I think value makes the character rise in verb, to seek the truth. I am and feel about myself. Not a betrayed man who seeks the joy, or fall into sorrow. Their what others think about me. truth. actions lead them toward their It is how I measure up to my FORMULA: values. The more obstacles are in expectations of myself. What I am a (noun/adj) man the way, the more interesting. do I feel about what I am who verb (the what). The doing? action is done to the what. How do I do this? Self-concept is a selfThe Goal of the fullling prophecy. I believe I I raise my level of character comes out consciousness am this way so I will prove it A way of of his self-concept. again and again. I am a man within. What does Behaving How we dress, of action. So when problems this individual do becomes a way speak, walk, work, that creates his are presented where I can of Being. play roles, buy cars, self-concept? prove that this is true, I will SEEK friends, and What does he feel take action. I am a lady of food, and do kind things about what hes quality so I restrain myself for others is all apart of done? Daydream on the from acting indecently and whom we think we are say, I am not that kind of lady. things hes done as if you

VALUES Awareness of what is

Or I am a man who doesnt forgive and forget. And to prove this I seek to take revenge on those who have done me wrong. Or I am a man who never gives up. So give me something impossible and I will show you that it is possible. Or a woman who stays with an abusive man because she promised shed stay loyal, and Shes not the

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C H A RA C TER M O TI V A TI O N
2. CORE MOTIVES NEEDS WANTS When you ask yourself, What do I want? You will find that what you want differs from what others want. What would you do with fifty grand? Is that what your father would do? What a character wants is different from any other character. The villain wants the opposite of what the hero wants. And what opposes the character gives the character a chance to show you who she is. There are different ways to react to a ship sinking, or a man cheating, etc. It all hinges on what you value. obstacles in her way. Then your character will react to whether or not she gets what she wants. Making strong motives for what the character wants and doesnt want is the first step. Now give them what they want, along with what they dont want. You tie obstacles in with the desired goal. So you get what you want but, you also get something you dont want.

Examples: You get a knew boyfriend, but you dont like his dog pissing in your shoe. You get your dream job, but you hate your new bosss breath. You get a new car, but it breaks down just when you need it most. A vacation goes bad. You get married, then the Character is about: MOTIVE, MOTIVE, MOTIVE. rest of the family moves in to your house. etc. So she got what she wanted, but its tied to some problem. {Character = Motivation} ! {Strong Motive=Strong Character} The problem is what is in the characters way? What stops her from getting what she wants completely? Is the problem within herself? The hero character reveals what the story is about by what they do, by their behavior and choices. In this way you can write an entire story. Your The hero's desires must be made visible. Meaning, the Character wants something specific we can see. She hero must want something the audience can see. faces an obstacle or two, overcomes them, and gets When you state that the hero character wants something, then the audience wonders, will she get it? It creates the question in their mind. This makes the reader root for the hero and helps them to identify with the character. By clearly stating what your hero wants at the start of your story, you are specifically telling the audience: this is what the story is about. The question that drives the story is: will this girl achieve her goal? Goal motivation stems from what the character values. The audience must know what to worry about. How do you show this? You make her objective clear, you root down the reason imaginatively, not dryly, and you focus your character on achieving it and throwing what she wants but... That comes with another obstacle. How many obstacles will she have to face before she finally gets what she wants? Well, once she gets what she wants, the storys over. Now the character is forced into action again and again. She has to fight for what she wants. Ask yourself, what motive is at stake in my characters life at this moment in the scene? Clarity each situation. This is a story about _______who wants_________. The climax is in solving this sentence. Once it is solved thats it, stories over.

The End.
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TH E MA IN MO TIV A TIO N & A C TIO N

Main Motive:
There are many motivations throughout a story. Each motive causes our hero to take an action. Each action always has a specific objective (an end). people feel the same way he does and he can help them. In every scene ask yourself: What is the difference between what this character wants and what this character needs? What ACTION does she take to get where she wants to go? (Physical movement - gestures - words.) Every good action has at its heart, a strong clear motive. VERBS: Actions are expressed by verbs. Always look for a better verb.

Define this end. It is the ! At the end he usually overall motivation for the character. gets what he needs but not what All actions lead toward one end. he wants.

The birds flew away suddenly. Or the birds scattered! This end, or overall motive, What is it that this character Express the meaning in the action. which threads through the entire needs to overcome in order to get Dont tell, Lead. Dont be literal. Try to have the characters say the story, through every action is the what he wants? opposite of what they mean even arrow which guides the character in though they mean something else. every scene. It's like starting at the 3. ACTION Dont tell, show. Find the end with the essential idea why the Unexpected. They get a flat tire, story was written and working A characters action reveals weird phone call, and unexpected backwards. It is what the story is paycheck. Dont show them about. It is the reason the character who that character is. everything. The characters does what she does. Every action, every gesture, thoughts can stay private. Thoughts There is always a denite each word, expands our knowledge are best seen in action. of who that character is. reason for everything she does and it has to do with her main In this world of action; A character IS what he does. actions SHOW us who you are. We motivation for the entire plot. A man can make a hundred know intuitively. Tell me what you promises, but its the ones he keeps do and Ill tell you who you are. To find the Main that define who he is. Motivation ask this question: The selection of actions in their specific sequence reveals the The Heros actions are This is a story about a human beings heart. composed of a movement in time CHARACTER who, (does this action/verb) and becomes (identify from point A to point B. the change or transformation of the Point A has a location and a main character.) back-story. The Hero is driven to Point B by desire to that destination ! EX. Rebel without a which contains his OBJECT OF Cause is about James Dean ATTRACTION. Her motive, her who can't control his emotional frustration and learns that other heart, is at point B.

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P O IN TS O F V IEW
4.! Daydream about the events in your characters life as if it were What are your ideas and you. This is how you discover your opinions about the people, places, Point of View for your character and things you encounter? Chiefly through yourself. You have to important are your relationships. If P.O.V. OBJECTS -- All the make it personal to you by putting you havent determined the physical things in your Past/ yourself there. How do you feel opinions your character has about Present/Future that you about the relationship, about where the other people in her life, you have a history with, that you you live? Daydream as much as cannot write. The more points of own and have a special view (P.O.V.) she has, the more feeling about. Is it special to you can. real shell appear to the audience you? Why? This is a discovery process. Allow and the easier she will be to write. the process to unfold and let it P.O.V. CONVERSATION -occur without pushing it, but slowly Whats being talked about? P.O.V. RELATIONSHIP What are my opinions about find out how you feel. Either you The most important view these ideas? Do I even have are in love or you are not. This is point your character has is an opinion about it? your Point of View. When its true, her attitude toward other how you feel will come up naturally characters. In love stories P.O.V. WORDS OTHER IS and you wont try to push it or fake the entire focus of the SPEAKING What is protagonist is on her love. it or pretend. beneath what they say? Your focus will be on their P.O.V. PLACE -- Do I like or You need a point of view for body language. dislike this place Im at? every relationship your character Whats its mood? Is it my P.O.V. PAST MEMORIES Of has a meaningful relationship with. rst time here? Whats the people, places or things. weather like? Is it cold or Tune into your inner When your character talks hot? How does it make me about the past, dont just dialogue around that person. How feel? Why am I here? have them repeat the words, do they affect your behavior? but go back and relive it, be Notice your thoughts. What do you P.O.V. CIRCUMSTANCE -there. believe about them? What are you You will have a specic curious about them? Are you feeling about what is P.O.V. FUTURE IDEAS close? What do you like dislike? happening right now. What Objectives and Intentions/ How do they make you feel? What just happened the moment Dreams or Wishes. do they make you want to do? Do before? and also they get away with murder? Get What is about to happen? P.O.V. CLOTHES OTHERS personal. Get specific. ARE WEARING Are they P.O.V. SELF -- My sense of appealing or not? self creates my ability to be motivated. I am worthy of P.O.V. CLOTHES I AM love or am I unworthy and WEARING -- How do they should give up? Am I affect my behavior?
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POINT OF VIEW

capable to do? Can I overcome these obstacles or I am incapable and should run away? This is your heros Self Concept.

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P O IN T O F V IEW EX ERC IS E
POINT OF VIEW PERSPECTIVE This exercise is to help you look at a situation from several different points of view within the same situation. 1st. State what the problem is. Get out of your own perspective and what you feel personally, and get into the other persons point of view. habitat for wild life, so logging should be stopped. Their action is (To Protect) environment. So they protest in the small town. slowing down their work schedule. They are losing money fast and theres a possibility of going bankrupt. Their action is (To Protect) the company. THE WORLD: For our long term survival we need to lobby for anti-foresting issues and promote new resources in order to replace the lack of natural resources and prevent the growing green house effect. The worlds action is (To Protect) our children in generations to come. To Protect our world. Notice, everyones action is the same, to protect, and the place is the same for all as well, the town. Its the point of view that changes based on the role they play. By discovering your opinion you are able to have a Point of View - a ROLE. It puts you on the table, or in the game. Now you have to take a stand for your views.

PLACE
A SCENE isnt just a location, its a SITUATION. Yes, this SITUATION takes place somewhere, but if that place has no one in it, there is no meaning. To find meaning, is to discover the characters role & purpose in that situation.

Point of View = Role

CONFLICT is the Logging industrys BUDGET CUTS. There is a lack of funding in a small town to continue cutting down trees in the forest. The company lays off workers. The protesters continue to protest. LOGGERS: The loggers feel that because of the political issues, there is no longer any job security in logging. Their action is (To protect) Self. They go on strike. PROTESTERS:

THE TOWN SHOP KEEPERS: They feel the hard hitting layoff in the drop of income in their stores. Their issue is that the decline in logging creates an inability to generate revenue. So they either need to attract a new industry or support the logging industry (To Protect) their store.

On the other side of the THE COMPANY: street is a group of young activists. They march day and night, even The company is dying. tying themselves to trees, and living They cant do anything without the in trees. They believe the issue is workers and the protesters are that logging is destroying the
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EVERY ISSUE IS GOING TO AFFECT YOU IF YOU FOCUS ON IT LONG ENOUGH. SEAN PENN

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A TTITUD E & C H A N G E IN C H A RA C TER

5. ATTITUDES This is the how of the character sees life. Attitude is very similar to self concept except; its his attitude toward life in general and not his attitude toward himself. Attitude reveals itself by how the character executes actions: What quality, (Boldness or fear) does the character have? This is shown with the characters body, how they move, walk, gesture, their face, etc. Imagine an imaginary body for your character, until you can see your character clearly. Include how they dress, and present themselves to the world. Imagine them in different situations. Complete these sentences: She is the kind of person who She sees herself self as She unselfconsciously acts like Her attitude at the heart of most of her social interactions is When shes with ___________ her attitude is more Shes acted like __________(A jerk, A nice girl) when How does her attitude relate to what she does? Her work? etc. How does her attitude affect her posture, her walk, her voice (Physical Traits)? 6. CHANGE IS THREATENING Imagine a painting of what this story is about. Feel the mood.
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potion drunk, the secret discovered, WHAT IS THE CHALLENGE the truth is hidden, the passage way HERE? What is the conflict? What is found, A stranger arrives in town, is it about? Example: Reuniting or A marriage begins, a new family being alone? Love or Desire? moves next door. A girlfriend moves in only to discover some horrible fact about the apartment, How does my character like a death next door. Your change during the course of the obstacles must create a crisis in the story? Does she change? hero. A THREAT Find a problem that will A threat poses the question, threaten the self-concept of you Hero. Look at the characters Main Will she be able to adapt? The audience wants to know if she will. Objective. How is that opposed? What is the problem? SELF CONCEPT WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? Now his self-concept is in A Problem is a difficult danger, what will he do? Hes scared, threatened or at least highly situation (circumstance) with an uncertain solution, maybe seeming concerned with this new situation impossible to escape from. It is an or development. This becomes highly interesting material to read. outer obstacle which our main What will happen next? This is the character has to try different tactics to over come. stuff of drama. We go to see the characters grow and change, not to OUTER CHANGE watch someone stay the same in their same old happy life. Outer change forces the character into action. The character CONFLICT doesnt like this challenging situation and must do something Start your story with conflict. about it. The character is in conflict. An example is an outside Examples: crucial situation. This will be Hamlets father dies. Juliet must find a husband. The wife has been enough motive for the character to cheated on, left and abandoned, the act in new ways he has never before. couple separates. The bomb is planted, the cops have a warrant, Is it even possible for this the killer is discovered, the plan is character to change? Make the set in motion, the curse is cast, the
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CHANGE
change gradual and natural otherwise you will lose the believability. Next make sure his inner motivation is clear. Give a sufficient reason why the character decides to change his normal pattern, to go into action and do something different, something that challenges him. He will never grow if he never does more than what he has been doing, what hes used to. of no return. The main character must perform that dramatic action of facing the enemy and get reward of victory. REWARD: The Climax ends by gaining ones true love; Conquering the villain, or gaining something of priceless value. The REWARD should be great, and there should be some gain, some brilliant new understanding.

CHARACTER CHANGE To change your story is to change your character; to change your character is to change your story. 1. He starts off with a simple desire. 2. But his journey to get there causes him to become a greater person. At rst he has one point of view. But because of a problem overcome, he gains a new Point of View. This change is what creates Modern Drama. It is about Transformation; So the Complication and Conict is really about Growth. And the rule of thumb is we only grow with action. If we see something that makes sense to us and do nothing about it then whats the point of being aware of it? We become a better person by overcoming all obstacles and learning from mistakes. When we gain a new awareness that will change our course of action we must have courage. This Climax is the point
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RO LES IN RELA TIO NS H IP S

RELATIONSHIPS Who our hero chooses to be with reflects on what their inner needs are. Relationship 1. Emotional Connection 2. Kinship 3. The relation or mode in which one thing stands up to another. 4. State of being mutually or reciprocally interested. 5. The role of being related. values. By clarifying your heros goals in this area of her life, you know what is most important and you can make choices in writing the day to day life very realistically. Now you have to define the relationship in detail. ROLES: Define them and discover how they relate to your super objective.

An Emotional connection is a response that is Valued based in essence. It is the impulse to move toward or away from, the thought that this is good for LOVE: me or bad for me. In a relationship it is the hidden Where is the love in this relationship? language of feeling and attraction or repulsion. It takes the form of love or fear. Emotion is the hidden Determine how your hero feels toward language of relationships. It makes drama absorbing. the others in the story. How your hero feels Now is imperative. How your hero felt two To begin with define your heros relationship in months ago is forgotten history unless it comes terms of the ROLE they play in others lives. Mother, up in the dialogue or as a point of view. How father, brother, sister, lover, wife, boss etc. does your hero feel now? Does she love him, hate him, or is she scared of him? How does What are they about in those roles? Whats your hero feel around him? Is she at odds with important to them? Your first task is to write down him? Who is more dominant? Why? Are the their key roles. They have a role as an individual. feelings mutual? How they might introduce themselves when they are with a person is a clear indication of the role they play FACTS: in anothers life. What actually happened before this moment? Where did she come from? What are the facts of the After determining the motives and main objectives, then establish the roles each character plays history of the relationship? What knowledge do both characters share? What agreements were made? Facts in relationship to your hero. Who is the antagonist, are everything that actually happened before the story who are your heros friends? began. It is the characters relationship history. Think of your characters main objective and write down how that relates to the important roles in her or his life. This will clarify the goals in that area of their life. The important application at this point is to identify roles and longterm goals as they relate to her main objective. These are her goals, and they give you as a writer a frame work to fulfill this relationship. The core of any family is what is changeless, what is always going to be there, ie. shared vision and
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REV IEW & WRITING D IA LO G UE

overcome unbelievable odds. When you reach your darkest hour, then you find light. Do you have a clear picture of your What do they think about the character? Answer the following: situation theyre in now/ the conversation they are in? First, STRONG Character is (BELIEFS, MEANING, P.O.V.) STRONG MOTIVE/POV: How do these thoughts lead to Who is your main Character? behavior? (ACTION) Your (SELF CONCEPT) character is revealed through his What job do they have? (ROLES, actions. You are what you do. If CHARACTER TRAITS) you look at someones behavior, What happened the moment you can know what the person is before now? (FACTS) thinking. What do they want now? What is their POV on their (OBJECTIVE) Strong motive is a relationships? (POINT OF VIEW) strong character. This is the most important What are they fighting for? What viewpoint. In love stories, my are their dreams? What do they entire focus is on my lover. Never want? What are they wishes? for a moment does my attention What do they pray for? What is leave her. the desired end result? What is How can the audience get to know the expectation for the future? I this character better? cannot want something, without A good subplot is a relationship. being able to imagine having it. Also a good subplot involves the Where are they? (PLACE) What roles the character plays. (student, is the mood of the place. How do father, employee, citizen, spiritual they feel about it? Is it hot, how aspirant, seeker of wisdom, friend, does this place effect them? avid part time fisher-man, Whats inside them, that blocks hobbies. their way? (INNER OBSTACLE) What does this character do when Do they believe they can no one is looking? overcome these obstacles? Are What are some normal things this they overwhelmed by my situation character likes to do? or relaxed? Do they avoid the What do you want this character issue and lie to themselves? to experience? Romance, theft, a What outer conflicts confront their good friend? values? (OUTER OBSTACLE) What are they fighting to overcome? What is in their way? Who or what is threatening their life? This is a fight of survival to

REVIEW

Dialogue:
Write it as if youre talking to your closest friend. Dialogue is a function of character and has two purposes. 1. Either it moves the story forward. 2. Or reveals information about the main character. Dialogue is Action. Get at the essence of the characters action, and find the simplest way to say it. It must be important. Their P.O.V. for that circumstance is extremely important for getting into what that character would say. Find the different points of views for all the characters and then add in what they want, where they want to go, and look at what tactics that character usually uses to get around obstacles. Dont be afraid to go dramatic. What would raise the stakes of that situation? Make the complication realistic. Just pretend that youre that person and start talking like she talks and write as fast as you can. Brainstorm for a couple hours all the different possibilities and different factors, add them and subtract them, write a lot then say what if they could only say that one page of dialogue in one sentence. Have a conversation with the characters. Put them in different settings and improvise it.

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A C TIO N S O F S P EEC H
Write like you talk. Hear the characters voices. Let your words speak for themselves. And like Laura Henry says, Dont push the objective. Life is filled with Chitchat. Movies cost a lot of money and books take a long time to read. There is no time for lets gets to know you talk. Every word counts. If it doesnt delete it. Dont be afraid to delete whole scenes after youve written them. A good writer knows how to edit and rewrite. Start from scratch and see if you can write the same scene in half the pages. Cut, Cut, Cut. Craft succinct, pointed, purposeful, confrontational language that excites and moves an assembled mass of people. Let your characters argue so each line provokes the next. Try to evoke disagreement among characters. Conflict is the pulse. The point is: Get to the Point. worse than over explaining something so the audience will get it. Make your point and move on to the next one. Dont write all character voices using what you d say, find their voice?! Youll get tired of hearing your own voice all the time. See the words on the page. Can you say that with fewer words? Small simple details have truth. Dont tell or convince but relate. the minute we walk away. Importance is not there. To Joke: It is light, fun, playful, clever, tactful. It can be used to avoid the issue or to lighten the situation, or to get attention. To Converse: Its also airy and light, but it happens in more particular social circumstances. When seated at a formal dinner party your conversation may reach the level of Conversing. Less than that would be boring. Often you see women on dates bored because all attempts at conversation are too chatty, and supercial. Smooth daters converse freely and speak about ideas with feeling.

Actions of Speech: to talk, To Chat, to Joke, To Converse, To Discuss, TO FIGHT, TO ARGUE

To Talk is easy. It is not serious, we dont listen seriously. The tone of your voice is matter of fact. Straightforward, but without Movie dialogue is not real speech, but the overall effect of real emotion & we interrupt. speech. Say a lot with a To Chat: is similar but it is little. not matter of fact. It has The goal of Dialogue is two deliberate lightness, like chitchat, it is about nothing. fold: 1. Expand the plot. 2. Move the story forward. If not, cut it. Most of all make your reader feel smart. There is nothing
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To Discuss: This is where ideas can be in conict but there is harmony in the speaking tone, and a slight disagreement. These ideas make you think. If two people simply agree on stage then we are nished. Discussion considers two points of view. These Issues We ask, How are you? but carry different weights of we dont really care. It is importance. We must have polite talk, detached, and an opinion about what we are somewhat fake, fake smiles. It is a way to pass the time in talking about. To have true polite way. Feelings are gone discussion you must be serious about the issue.

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A C TIO N S O F S P EEC H
Discussion comes out of what your partners says not what you feel. You listen carefully so you can make your next statement. Find the point in there argument at which you will argue against. No one wants to know how you feel, they want to see you argue him out of the water. Make him dock his boat. You own the sea. This is a relationship in the height of dramatic conict. 2nd: What are you trying to prove? What is the Issue youre addressing and which side are you on? Your side of the issue needs to be argued with your CLAIM. Your claim is what youre trying to prove about the issue. This Claim will lead to a conclusion. This is the argument of discussion.

You use examples and back up what you say with facts or quotes. Your partner counters you and there is a denite winner at YOUR CLAIM LEADS TO YOUR CONCLUSION. the end of the talk. This is the Point youre making. Your As an writer you should be able to point needs Backing. argue both sides. This will help you understand the Universal Theme of the story. Backing: It will help you get in touch with basic truths. Examples from present day or history This could be the greatest exercise in writing Dialogue for the writer. To take a Real events, invented stories, parables, side, have a very strong opinion on some analogies, it is like What might happen is issue, and then take the other side and argue so effectively that the listener cant tell which Reasons Opinions for a claim from other, side you really favor. hard testimonials from experts, quotes. ! First nd a topic you feel strongly about and have interest in. Read more about it to develop more of an opinion. Then develop two arguments. Set up your video camera and record yourself arguing each side and responding to the argument with a rebuttal. You dont cut your partner off because then it makes your side look weak. Your side should be so strong that you can hear the other out and nd a weak point in what hes saying and attack it verbally without emotion but with strength behind your words and condence. Ideas can excite you and the exchange should stimulate you. Statistics hard facts of surveys. Read between the lines. Connect the hard statistic to what youre talking about. Evidence Past cases or related studies. Every argument has a purpose or goal, or aim. What are you trying to prove? What is your Claim? Back it up and Cover your ass. Qualiers cover your ass. Qualiers Words like, some, not all, a few, many, sometimes occasionally, not always, not ever time. When assuming anything cover your ass. Use a qualier. CONNECTION: join your ideas.
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A C TIO N S O F S P EEC H , D IF F EREN C ES

1. Thus, Similarly, Moreover, Also, But, Another, Factor is, On the other hand, another reason is, Another point of view is, here we have, There are many reasons. Etc. Conclude Explain why your examples support your claim. And restate your claim as fact. When youve done this be ready to defend what you have said by agreeing with the other side. Address the opposite side but then show how it is awed. You build one reason on another. You are selling your idea. ALL SIDES OF AN IDEA HAVE AN OPPOSITE SIDE. After to discuss is To ARGUE: Now emotion comes into play. You hear the other side but you are intent on having your side understood first. You blame, you point fingers, you lack evidence, and the argument can take place anywhere. If it takes place somewhere socially unacceptable thats okay. To FIGHT: ! It is like a violent verbal war. There is no control, its all emotion and zero listening, yelling screaming, pulling hair, pinching, slapping, pushing, throwing oneself down the stairs, self destructive behavior. No logic. Words dont complete sentences; one idea is unrelated to the next. Total blame
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to the point of self-protection, there is accusation. To accuse. You dont wait, you cut the other off. And potential for blood. 7. DIFFERENCES List the Differences

List the Differences between your character and yourself and other characters. Is your character dominated by Thinking, Feeling, or Willing? Which is predominant? 1st what is the difference between my characters thinking and my thinking. Is he more passionate? Am I more intellectual and precise? Is he a vague thinker? The more differences I nd the more I will discover what this character is. What are these characters Motives, his reasons that drive him? How does he justify his wants, his Objectives? (Images) 2nd. What is the difference between my feelings and my characters. Is he cold and temperamental? How are we different? (Sensations) 3rd Look at my will and my characters will? Am I more aimless than this one pointed character? Am I more singular in purpose and he is a scatterbrain? Basically, how is the character different from others and how do they stand out?

IMAGINARY ATMOSPHERE
An atmosphere consists of two things:

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MO O D & A T MOSP H E R E
1. 1. A PLACE (LOCATION,INSIDE OR OUT) 2. AN EVENT - (SITUATION, CIRCUMSTANCE)

ATMOSPHERE
In order to recreate an atmosphere, you must rst experience it for yourself. Imagine a circle on the ground before you encased in a bubble. Call upon that great ocean of imagination above you; imagine a beam of light connecting you to it. Send out what atmosphere you wish to call upon, a graveyard, a shopping mall, and a war eld. Let this atmosphere come down to you and place it in your sphere. Then look at it, esh it out, notice a few details, colors and people. Imagine the gestures some of these people have and what they are doing, hear their voices, notice what other sounds you hear, and strongly get the Feeling of the place. Then step into it. Put your character in that environment. When inside, let it in, feel it, breathe it in, and see specically several objects. Use these specic objects to bring the rest of the atmosphere into clearer focus. By focusing on a diamond ring, you can bring a jewel store to life. Dont try to see the entire store, just the ring. Now put your character in different atmospheres and notice how they change. How does a church effect your character differently than a club? Play around with this until you get the hang of it. Its easy and fun. : ) The ATMOSPHERIC PAUSE: The atmosphere is 90% inside and only 10% outside. Use the art of the ; use that stillness to hold it inside. Best used upon rst entering a place and feeling out the situation. Its then that Atmosphere rushes in. In Conclusion All of the elements listed above are starting points to get the ball rolling. If the ball is already rolling, dont ruminate too long over intellectual theory. Its all about the process. These guidelines are just that. Guidelines. The most important thing is just to write.

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