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David Farland
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Written by David Farland
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Friday, 27 August 2010 21:41 |
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Update: The new Writer's Groups forum could be ready as soon as this weekend. I'm going to be sending a questionnaire around to all those who have emailed me at
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and told me they want to be in the writer's groups. It's not to let to let me know. If you don't receive an email from me today or tomorrow, please email me and let me know. It's important that you fill out the questionnaire and email it back to me ASAP. Once I receive all the questionnaires back, I'll divide everyone into groups as we open the forum for you to go register. When you register, you will also fill out your user profile, but the forum itself will be locked, you can't go in. When we have every grouped up properly, we'll open the forum. So there's going to be three steps: 1. You fill out the questionnaire and email it to
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2. When the forum's ready, we'll announce it and you can go register. 3. We'll put everybody in the forum into groups and open the forum for fun. Thank you. ### David Farland’s Daily Kick in the Pants—The "Real Story" One common problem for very new writers is that their stories feel "thin." In other words, you might read that story and find plenty of action but nothing of substance. That’s because many new writers are a bit confused about what a story is. They’ll send their young soldier from his home in the Blue Ridge Mountains to fight a war in Afghanistan, and though there is a lot of excitement, there’s not much going on inside. I felt that this happened with a movie that I saw last week with my son, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. The directing, acting, cinematography, special effects—all were great. It had plenty of good joke and nice fight scenes, yet ultimately the story itself didn’t move me, in part because there wasn’t any interesting character growth. (I could analyze the movie and tell you some other reasons that the story failed a bit, but I’ll save it for another day.) Let’s just say that every major character should have more than one story line. There’s the "outer story," the major action that usually gets mentioned in the logline for a Hollywood script: NERD WARS—A young geek, abducted by aliens, is placed in a gladiatorial ring where he must fight aliens from across the universe for his own survival—and that of the entire human race!" But then there is the "inner story," the tale of growth and change that the character goes through. In this case, the inner story for the movie might be, "It’s not until Brutus Mcnab is kidnapped from home and loses his nagging mother that he discovers that her ranting unsolicited "advice" contains a treasure trove of wisdom that was meant to literally save his life." This inner story is necessary to your tale. In every instance, your character needs to have a personal weakness to overcome, a sort of social kryptonite. Otherwise, your character will already be a person of heroic proportion, and won’t be challenged by the major action of the tale. Just as importantly, the audience needs to see your protagonist struggle with problems that make him or her sympathetic. We need to be able to relate to your protagonist, and by showing him in pain, by stripping back all of the clutter and revealing the protagonist’s humanity, you gain the audience’s sympathy. So, here are some tips for creating and outlining the "inner story." 1) Recognize that in a movie, you are limited for time and space, so typically a major protagonist might only have one "inner journey" to complete. However, in a novel you have a lot more space to play around with, and a character that only has one inner journey in a novel might feel kind of thin. So feel free to create two or three inner journeys for a character, if it seems reasonable. 2) In some tales, such as the movie "As Good as it Gets," every major character has an inner journey. Even villains can have them, though the thing that makes a villain a villain normally is that they can’t succeed at their inner journeys. They don’t grow and become better people. 3) Let the inner journey arise naturally. For example, in our movie above, NERD WARS, the inner journey is most likely to hinge on something like our character finding the courage to fight; or recognizing that even though he was a nerd and everyone at school picked on him, he still feels loyal to the rest of mankind; or that—as I suggested in my second line—nagging is just his mom’s way of dispensing valuable wisdom. Don’t go exploring an inner journey that won’t work with and amplify the log line. 4) As you begin to develop your inner journey, consider these questions: Given the problems that your protagonist has, what are the worst things that could happen? What’s the best that could happen? Write each of these down. By exploring the worst things that could happen, you’ll come up with some good ideas for your scenes as we go through try/fail cycles. By exploring the best that could happen, you might gain ideas for an actual payoff at the end, or perhaps just for a scene where your character imagines himself having won at the end. 5) Recognizing that your protagonist is taking a journey toward inner growth, outline the scenes where the protagonist fails to meet his or her potential. This should come complete with secondary characters. Very often, a sidekick (a wizard, teacher, parent, spouse, significant other, villain, or some other person in authority) will recognize the protagonist’s weakness before he or she does, and will give a lecture that might be summed up as, "You know what your real problem is. . . ." In saying this, the sidekick is attacking your protagonist’s self-image. In fact, it’s important to have someone else say it simply because your protagonist is incapable of seeing himself in such a negative light. 6) Your protagonist may then go through shock and denial. The protagonist’s self image and the label that is thrust upon him or her should be incompatible. "No, I’m not really that way, am I?" pretty much sums up how the protagonist feels. 7) However, an incident in your story that happens shortly thereafter will reinforce the weakness, proving to the protagonist that he or she does have a problem. 8) Your protagonist, if he is to be sympathetic, will need to confess his or her weakness to the person who has been most affected by it, and he should promise to change. 9) Your protagonist will then go through a couple of try/fail cycles where he or she discovers that change is much more difficult than imagined. As this happens, people that he or she had "always thought would be there for me" will tend to fall away. The sidekicks that back your protagonist may even turn against him or her. 10) If you refer back to my kick on the "X of Evil," you’ll note that your protagonist ultimately reaches a point where the entire story hinges on the protagonist rooting out his own weakness. In the early parts of the story, evil is seen as something that is distant, belonging to another time or some distant land. Toward the middle of the story, evil is seen among the protagonist’s friends and in his own community. Near the end, the protagonist sees that the evil is inside him, and he must root it out, or it will continue to grow and destroy everything around him. This pivotal change must occur before the "outer story" can conclude successfully. 11) Finally, there must be moments that verify that a change has occurred. Just as Scrooge had to give away money on several occasions before we could feel comfortable that he had changed, your protagonist must reveal through words and deeds that a significant change has occurred inside him or her. So if you don’t have a strong secondary character arc for your story, feel free to use this set of notes as a guide in order to help you think about how you might strengthen your tale. I don’t want you to feel compelled to use it as a template. I hate authors who try to force you into a mold. However, you’ll find that in most cases, you’ll actually find that you address every issue. When you add these "inner story lines" into your plot, you’ll find that something interesting happens: the "outer story," or main action, really can’t work alone. It’s the interplay between the inner story and the outer story that is important. Once those work in complete harmony, the "real story," with all of its depth and charm and innuendo and meaning, really emerges. Happy writing! ### Last night I received an appeal from a dear friend, Carol Lynch Williams, asking for support for a friend who is facing major medical expenses. Many of you will know her, and you know that she’s a wonderful, caring individual. I’m going to attach her letter here, and if anyone would like to make a donation—it doesn’t matter how small—it would be appreciated. Please don’t feel that you have to donate. I know that times are hard for many of us. As an alternative to sending checks, if you would like to go to my donation jar at http://davidfarland.zenfront.com/charity.html, and I’ll send the proceeds along in a week, along with a list of the names of those who donated, and in what amount. (You donate in $1 increments, so these can be small). Here is Carol William’s letter: Dear Dave-- In all my life, I haven’t ever felt the need to contact my friends about what I am getting ready to do. But, after the accident that happened last month, I feel strongly that I should. On Tuesday, July 27, my daughter’s friend Brandon Curtis, climbed into a Jeep with his best buddies. Football practice was over. There are mixed reports as to what happened in the Springville High School parking lot, but the Jeep rolled. All four players were hurt, Brandon severely. He died the next day. Brandon was a nice kid. He came to my house several times to pick Caitlynne up. His father was in the hospital in Provo, fighting for his own life a few months before. For two months—at least—Brandon’s father fought for his life. At one point I asked Brandon if his dad had insurance. He told me no, but the family was doing what they could to get along. His mom worked at Reams’ Grocery Store. They all lived with Brandon’s grandparents. And then a miracle. Brandon’s father was released from the hospital. Less than three months later his son died in a freak car accident. I’m telling you this story because I know our community of writers. We have all stepped up to the plate over and over—giving of our time, giving our books, giving financially—showing who we are—people who love children. This family is in a terrible place. Their oldest child is gone. There were huge medical bills even before Brandon’s 24-hour hospital stay. I am hoping that you can find it in your heart to donate money for the Curtis' medical expenses. It doesn’t matter the amount. Every little bit will help. What I’d like to do is take an envelope full of checks, and a box of books, to the Curtis home, in the next couple of weeks. I’d like to present the gifts to them from the writers here in our state—as well as the writers and editors and agents who have visited our state. There are six remaining children. The baby in the family is three, I think. Brandon told my Caitlynne that when his little sister (also name Katelyn) was born, the first time he saw her, he knew she would be his best friend. This kid had his priorities in order. I hope with all my heart that my request is not improper or offensive. I have chosen to write because this is a sensitive, heartbreaking matter. I hope I never have to write another letter like this again. I cannot imagine the grief this family is experiencing. This can only be compounded when the thought of finances weighs upon them. If you choose to give financially, you can make the check or money order out to Diane Curtis. Mail to my address: Carol Lynch Williams 3124 Cherokee Lane Provo, UT 84604 Books can also be sent to my address. Thank you, Dave. Most sincerely, Carol
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LifeWriting Articles
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Written by Steven Barnes
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Friday, 27 August 2010 21:40 |
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Flow state, that mysterious mental zone where time and the outside world seem to disappear, is one of the keys to peak performance. Frankly, your ability to harness the limits of your intelligence, creativity, education, or talents will be largely determined by your capacity to remain in flow while under stress. Those who cannot suffer "stage fright," "writer’s block" "flop sweat" and numerous other labels for the same phenomenon—inability to access the deepest wells of confidence and performance in the actual arena. The key to unlocking this particular inner vault is to look at flow itself, separate from any specific usage or application. We all experience the "flow" phenomenon. The last moments before we fall asleep or the first after awakening (also known as the "hypnogogic state") have this quality. Ever gotten on the freeway, lost yourself in thought, and only snapped out of it when your exit appeared? Flow. Gone running, dancing, or walking and found time dissolving, so that an hour felt like mere minutes? Flow. One exceptionally powerful "flow moment" would be the last few seconds leading up to orgasm, when it feels like the barriers between you and your lover are melting away. All of these moments share something in common: they all deal with the dissolution of the subject-object relationship. The painter melts into the canvas. The writer disappears into the book, the reader into the magazine, the lover into the beloved, the martial artist into the flow of throw and punch, "the dancer becomes the dance." We stop being aware of "ourselves" and begin to sense a connection between all the disparate parts of the activity, as if we are simultaneously stepping back for a wider view, and sinking inwards to a place of almost impossible intimacy. It is a path to genius. One might take the position that the ability to hold flow under stress is the single greatest key of all high-performing human beings in any arena of life. What is talent, separate from the focus required to manifest it? There are many disciplines that address flow: meditation, yoga, Tai Chi, prayer, etc. And there are tools that work terrifically well for familiarizing you with this state: sixty beat per minute Largo rhythm string music (Vivaldi is great!), hot baths, incense, massage, etc. Distance running or rhythmic walking, dance, gardening or cooking (for some people), playing music, painting, and numerous other activities touch this space. Just look for the moments when time vanishes. One core technique, used worldwide in thousands of disciplines, is breath control. This is key because breathing is the only physiological process both voluntary and autonomic, and is thus a key to the unconscious mind. Learning to breathe slowly and deeply even under stress will de-inhibit the flow response, allowing you to access your deeper wisdom and creativity even when a project is due by noon, or the baby is screaming in the next room. To take advantage of this fact, 1) Learn to breathe deep in your belly. Lay on your back, and put a book on your tummy. As you inhale, it should rise. Exhale, it should fall. Your chest should move as little as possible. 2) Five times a day, at every hour divisible by three (9, 12, 3, 6, 9) concentrate on your breathing for sixty seconds. Learn to do this while driving, sitting in meetings, standing in elevators, or walking down the street. 3) Place (or catch) yourself under moderate stress, and practice this breathing. For instance, in the middle of an exercise class, while public speaking, in the middle of an argument, while caught in bad traffic, while experiencing an anxiety attack. Learn to breathe calmly and deeply in such situations, and you re-pattern your nervous system’s threat response, enabling you to calm yourself to enter flow. There are certainly other methods, but this one, modification of breathing, has worked for thousands of year and countless generations of seekers. It will work for you, as well. 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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Friday, 27 August 2010 21:37 |
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During a conversation earlier today, a formerly svelt young lady said that she had given up on the idea of exercise, because to have a body worth the trouble, it would take three or four hours a day. Novice writers complain that in order to build their careers, it would take six or seven hours a day…so what is the point! And more times than I could count, stressed-out acquaintances have said that they would love to meditate, but "don’t have the time." It is time we explode these falsehoods. The truth is that misconceptions like the above can completely steal your chances for health, happiness and success. The truth is that you can get started on a fantastic fitness regimen in only an hour a week. Further, a focused writer can create a novel in a year in only an hour a day. And gigantic strides can be made toward stress relief in only five minutes a day. THAT is the playing field: give yourself five minutes, and you can cut your stress in half. Give yourself an hour a week, and you can have health and fitness. An hour a day can jump-start a career. 1) Five Minutes a day. Five times a day, for just sixty seconds, stop and breathe slowly and deeply from your belly. Go to a local yoga or Tai Chi school and ask to learn a relaxation breathing technique. If you can’t find one, then slow down, get quiet, and feel your heartbeat for sixty seconds. Do this every three hours for sixty seconds, and you will halve your stress levels. 2) An hour a week. Three times a week, perform twenty minutes of the right body-weight or weight exercises. Hindu Squats and Hindu Pushups are wonderful whole-body exercises. Do a Google search for them, and you’ll find multiple sites on the Internet selling or giving away the information for free. For faster results, use "Kettlebell" style whole-body weight exercises. These exercise tools look like little cannon-balls with handles, and they are used in a variety of swinging and yoga-like moves that are unbelievably efficient for developing strength, endurance, flexibility, power and athleticism, all at the same time. You can even use an ordinary dumbbell in the beginning. Again, do a Google search, and you’ll find the information, often for free! 3) An Hour a day. This is what I call the "Golden Hour." You need to accept the idea that one hour out of every day belongs to you. Not your job, not your husband or wife, or your kids—it belongs to you. During this time, if you plan it properly, you can exercise, practice your art, meditate, read—whatever. If you are a writer, I’d suggest that Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, you "flow"—just create rough draft, with no attempt to edit it. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday you do your editing, polishing the work you did the previous day. If you learn to focus properly, there is no reason in the world you can’t learn to produce 1000 words of rough draft in an hour. That’s enough to produce a novel a year, in just an hour a day. The "Golden Hour" is a goal, one that might take you a year or two to work toward. But if you will just start with five minutes a day, and a commitment to an hour a week…working TOWARD an hour a day, you have placed your feet on the road toward peace of mind, a healthy body, and a happy heart: a tiny investment for a gigantic reward. ### Learn much more about the world's only high-performance system specifically for writers and readers at www.lifewriting.biz and www.lifewrite.com Dark Dream 906 Ashworth Pl Glendora, CA 91741 US |
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