Weekly Summary, Exercises 330-336
Week #48 Writing Like a Film Studio, Production
These posts are now unlocked for everyone including free subscribers.
This week we continued to explore the novel from the perspective of a film studio and the many professions tasked with bringing a story to the big screen. We focused on roles involved in the production, from directors, set designers, and costumers, to cinematographers, choreographers, and actors.
As I mentioned last week, this isn’t meant to be a writing process for you to adopt. Movies generate a lot more information than is needed for a novel. Instead we’re just trying to exercise your creative skills using these careers as an analogy for the various creative choices an author must make.
Monday, September 09, 2024
🟡 The Pivotal Moment
Exercise #330 Crafting a High-Stakes Scene
Strategy: Step into the movies and prepare to craft the beating heart of your story! As storytellers, we often focus on the big picture, but the magic truly happens in those pivotal, high-tension scenes that keep readers on the edge of their seats. This exercise challenges you to zoom in on a crucial moment in your narrative, dissecting it with a filmmaker's eye for detail. By identifying and developing a key scene of conflict, you'll not only push your story forward but also deepen your understanding of your characters and their world. Think of it as creating a microcosm of your entire plot—a moment where motivations clash, tensions rise, and the course of your story might just change forever.
Tuesday, September 10, 2024
🟡 Verbal Storyboarding
Exercise #331 Visualizing Your Scene With Words
Strategy: Imagine you're a director with a scene playing out in your mind's eye, but instead of sketching storyboards, you're painting pictures with words. This exercise challenges you to think visually and cinematically about your writing, breaking down a key moment into its visual components. By considering elements like framing, character positioning, and camera movement, you'll develop a more dynamic and engaging scene. It's like creating a movie in your readers' minds! This process not only helps you visualize your scene more clearly but also pushes you to consider how the visual elements can enhance the emotional impact and narrative flow of your story. Ready to direct your scene with the power of words?
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
🟡 The Devil in the Details
Exercise #332 Exploring Your Scene's Setting
Strategy: Welcome to the fascinating world of set design! In this exercise, you'll don the hats of three crucial behind-the-scenes roles to bring your story's setting to life. But here's the twist: unlike in film, where every detail must be physically present, you have the power to selectively paint your world with words. The challenge? Striking the perfect balance between vivid, immersive detail and leaving room for your reader's imagination to flourish. By exploring your setting through multiple lenses, you'll discover which elements truly matter for your story and your audience. Remember, in the world of novels, sometimes what you don't describe is just as powerful as what you do.
Thursday, September 12 2024
🟡 Dressing the Part
Exercise #333 Crafting Character Appearances
Strategy: Step into the shoes of a film's appearance team and prepare to transform your characters from mere words on a page to vivid, living beings in your readers' minds! In this exercise, you'll channel the expertise of costume designers, makeup artists, and special effects wizards to craft detailed character appearances. But, unlike in film where every aspect of a character's look must be meticulously created, you have the power to selectively highlight the most impactful details. Your challenge is to strike a balance between providing enough description to bring your characters to life and leaving room for your readers' imaginations to fill in the gaps. Remember, in the world of novels, a single well-chosen detail is like the spice in the sauce.
Friday, September 13, 2024
🟡 Through the Lens
Exercise #334 Framing Your Narrative
Strategy: Imagine you're a cinematographer, but instead of a camera, you're armed with words. Your job is to frame the story in a way that captures its essence and draws the reader in. Just as a cinematographer makes crucial decisions about lighting, angles, and focus, you'll be making key choices about narrative elements that will shape how your scene unfolds on the page. This exercise challenges you to think deeply about the technical aspects of storytelling before you write a single word of the scene itself. By considering elements like tense, point of view, and narrative distance, you'll create a blueprint for your scene that will guide your writing and enhance its impact.
Saturday, September 14, 2024
🟡 Choreographing the Action
Exercise #335 Mapping Character Movements
Strategy: Picture your scene as a stage, and your characters as actors waiting for their cues. As a writer, you're not just the playwright—you're also the choreographer and stunt coordinator, orchestrating every move your characters make. This exercise challenges you to think about the physical dynamics of your scene: how characters interact with their environment and each other, and how these movements drive your story forward. By mapping out the logistics of your scene—from basic poses to complex stunts—you'll create a more vivid, engaging narrative that readers can easily visualize. Remember, in writing, as in dance, every movement should have purpose and meaning.
Sunday, September 15, 2024
🟡 The Emotional Act
Exercise #336 The Emotional Core of Your Scene
Strategy: Imagine you're an actor preparing for a crucial scene. You're not just reciting lines or hitting marks; you're embodying a character's entire emotional journey. As a writer, your job is to create that journey on the page, guiding your readers through a labyrinth of feelings. This exercise challenges you to dive deep into the emotional core of your scene, considering not just what your characters feel, but how those feelings manifest and impact the reader. By carefully crafting the emotional landscape of your narrative, you'll create a story that resonates on a profound level. Remember, in writing as in acting, authenticity is key.
Our next weekly theme will focus on writing like a film studio, post-production.