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LifeWriting Articles
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Written by Steven Barnes
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Tuesday, 10 August 2010 14:58 |
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The "Dark Night of the Soul" is the moment when it feels that all of your abilities are insufficient, and all your efforts will be for nothing. If the stakes are high, say, life and death, this can be so devastating the character contemplates suicide. This is the "emptying out" moment, when there seems to be nothing left. And this moment is SO critical! Remember, we change only when we have to. As long as we feel there is hope that our current abilities or reality map will work, we will cling to hope, cling to the past, fight like the dickens to remain the person we are comfortable being. The sad thing is that this moment of "failure" is absolutely predictable: we will face it WHENEVER we approach some new goal. And the feeling of depression that accompanies it is not a sign of our absolute incapacity, it is a sign of our temporary limits. This is one of the most valuable things to teach our children…and ourselves. That the sense of hopelessness and loss is not some secret shame or private hell, it is the human condition, that it accompanies all effort, and it is the doorway to accomplishment—if we can move through it. Again, the way to understand this is to look at the ways it has played out in your own life: 1) Body. Ever broken a diet, telling yourself "it’s no use"? Given up an exercise program? Lied to family or friends about your weight or habits? Why, or why not? 2) Mind. Ever avoided doing your bills or balancing your checkbook due to the pain of acknowledging your past mistakes, or low balance? Ever waited until the last minute to do a paper or study for a test, due to performance anxiety? 3) Spirit. Ever given up on a relationship, or failed to stand up for what you need, want, or deserve, because of fear you deserve no better? Answer these questions…and/or devise your own, and you’re on your way to a deeper understanding of this process, one no teacher can put into words for you! Steve ## Lifewriting ™ is the first 360-degree high-performance system for writers. You have absolutely nothing to lose…and everything to gain by ordering yours today. WWW.Lifewriting.biz! Dark Dream 906 Ashworth Pl Glendora, CA 91741 US |
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LifeWriting Articles
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Written by Steven Barnes
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Tuesday, 10 August 2010 14:55 |
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The sixth step of the hero’s journey is the moment of greatest defeat. For Luke Skywalker in the original "Star Wars: A New Hope" this is the moment in the trench on the death star, when his companions have been killed, and he believes his computer can’t "make the shot." Or, from an emotional point of view, the greatest defeat would be the death of Obi-Wan Kinobi, since this was Luke’s father figure. The point is that no story of any consequence can exist without pushing your character to the limits of her ability. Only then will she grow or fail…and any good story is about the moment that a character changes, for good or ill. It is tragic that we learn to fear failure, rather than seeing it as another step in the overall process of life. Storytelling can help us to understand this great truth: the only way we know how far we can go is by going too far. Look into your own life, and seek understanding in the following ways: 1) What was your greatest failure in the arena of relationships? How did it affect your life and attitudes? Did you grow? How long did it take to extract the lesson, and shed the pain? 2) What was your greatest failure in the realm of the physical? Did it stop you? Did you turn it into motivation? How has it affected your life, for good or ill? 3) What was your greatest failure in the realm of career or education? How did it shape your attitudes? Did you roll with it, crash and burn, or commit to excellence? There are countless further questions, but these will get you started! ## Lifewriting ™ is the first 360-degree high-performance system for writers. You have absolutely nothing to lose…and everything to gain by ordering yours today. WWW.Lifewriting.biz! Dark Dream 906 Ashworth Pl Glendora, CA 91741 US |
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David Farland
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Written by David Farland
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Saturday, 07 August 2010 20:51 |
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I’ve read a number of manuscripts over the summer from aspiring writers, and in several instances I’ve come across stories that share roughly the same problem: the story read just fine at first glance, but when I stop to think about it, I find that the pacing is actually a bit slow. Almost always, I find that the new author does the same thing: he or she will introduce characters for the first time and they will exchange pleasantries, so that we get the characters introduced through conversation. For example, we might have Will Taylor, our protagonist, meet Tanya Hunt. They’ll meet at school and sit next to each other, and spend a good deal of time as Tanya gives Will the insider’s scoop on the teacher, whose cool, and whatnot. The author of course is trying to make things more interesting by revealing information in dialog. That’s not a bad tactic, but unfortunately it can get a bit slow, especially if you’ve got a protagonist who is meeting a lot of people in a short period of time—dozens of people at school, or a new job, or in the military service, and so on. The problem here is that the action gets repetitive. If you’ve got a protagonist who goes to a dinner party, there are only so many times that a reader will put up with introductions such as, "How are you doing?" "Nice to meet you! What weather we’re having!" So here are a few thoughts on how to handle the problem: 1) Keep the pleasantries to a minimum. Give us just enough so that we have a flavor of the meet-and-greet, not many details. 2) Don’t be afraid to simply narrate. "John introduced himself to the rest of the inmates on his cell block." 3) Focus on the characters that will be important to the story—possible enemies, romantic interests, those who hold clues to mysteries, people of power or prestige, and so on. 4) When you introduce a character, look for dramatic ways to do it. 5) When introducing a character, consider this: "What is the most interesting thing that this character might say in this situation?" Your goal is to further the action of the story, not to get bogged down in pleasantries.
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