The Quiet Place Day One: An Analysis

SPOILER ALERT! 

If you haven't watched it, and want to, do not proceed.

I enjoyed A Quiet Place one and two. I love Emily Blunt and John Krasinski. More than that, they had a solid suspense plot. From the opening moments to the satisfying end, they kept me riveted. Why? Because I cared about this family and their survival. While motive behind the alien attack wasn't really addressed, it was an acceptable monster movie. There were goals and stakes, obstacles and solutions. Not the most terrifying movie I have ever watched, but better than 2008's flop The Happening where the danger was the wind.

When I saw that A Quiet Place Day One was a prequel, I thought, "Oh goody, we finally get the origin story about the aliens." Nope. What we got was a sad literary vignette. Let's talk about where it failed from a story structure perspective.

1. The protagonist. Though Lupito Nyong'o, Samira, did her best with what she was given, the short-termer cancer patient lacks goals except to get pizza. Quite frankly I rooted more for her cat, but even the cat was problematic. More on that later. So she had no real goal. The obstacles/antagonists were the aliens. Since she had no expectation of surviving, it was extremely weak motivation. A complication came in the form of a stranger, Eric, played by Joseph Quinn. We learn almost nothing about him except he is from England and was going to law school. It wasn't a potential romance layer.

2. The goal and stakes. There aren't any except surviving each scene until the end and her wanting a specific pizza, which was kind of ridiculous given the circumstance. It would have been old abandoned pizza picked at by insects and flies at best. She is dying, so she isn't even interested in being saved. At least the stranger has some sense of self-preservation. Which is why the cat is my hero. Frodo manages to outmaneuver the aliens.

3. The purse pet. Frodo, played by cats Schnitzel and Nico, stole every scene  This is something that annoys me about a lot of film and television which features pets (and often children). They magically appear when needed and there is no continuity between appearances. One moment the cat is on a leash, the next free-roaming. Samira is holding him at times. As an owner of many cats, at the first sign of trouble they scatter and hunker down, resisting your calls. If they are startled when you are holding them, you will end up scarred. The idea that this cat would keep returning to her on cue is absurd. It isn't like they have a long term history. He wasn't her cat. She would never have seen it again after it left the first time. He would have run from Eric, not taken him to Samira. Cats are stealthy and the aliens might not have heard Frodo as long as he didn't meow, but there is a good chance he would have hissed. She should have handed the cat off to the other survivors heading for the boat. By not doing so, at that moment, she was consigning Frodo to her fate. If not for Eric, the cat would not have made it. So there was a lot of "the plot called for it."

3. The mythology. I was no closer to understanding what the aliens were, where they came from, why they came, and what they wanted by the end of this prequel. I thought surely it would have explained all. I expected to see the origin story of how people were made aware of them and what was done in an attempt to fight them. We got zero insight, except they don't like water. But much like cats, they can tolerate it when needed. The rules of magic didn't state that water melted them like acid. If so, rain would too but they navigate wet surfaces just fine.

4. The escape. Let's talk about the logic of the boat. The aliens are seen jumping long distances. That boat would not have made it out of the harbor without making noise and being swarmed. Period. End of. So total logic fail. Maybe they should have summoned a submarine and entered it from a subterranean port. Instead it was just a setup for Eric to save the cat.

5.  The outcome. Samira gives the cat to Eric and they make it to the boat, leaving Samira behind to be eaten. The end. So unsatisfying. Yes, I prefer a happy ending. Samira was never going to get one. At least Eric saved the cat, though it nearly drowned on the way to the boat, another plot called for it moment.

Thus proving that just because it is in the same universe does not guarantee that a movie will be a satisfying story. That is an hour and thirty-nine minutes I will never get back. If it were a book, it would go on my "to be burned" pile and I would never read the author again.

I would love to see more truly scary horror books and movies and series. So many have been a huge disappointment. I don't want dreams, memories, submerged trauma, or horrifying truths. These are other genres of Horror that other people enjoy. They're just not my flavor. Gore has replaced tension. You can have more tension in a one-on-one cat and mouse chase than you do from one-hundred special-effects-laden deaths. The mythologies aren't sufficient or are missing entirely. The writers/directors aren't good at managing the tension gas pedal, of creating a sense of unease that leads to delicious jump scares. I am waiting for someone to make horror great again. It won't be Blumhouse. They disappoint me every time.

A few I consider satisfying (mostly movies of late).

The Exorcist (original)

What Lies Beneath

The Conjuring movie universe

Annabelle Comes Home

Last House on the Left

The Woman In Black by Shirley Jackson, movie adaption with Daniel Radcliff was pretty good too.

Insidious movie franchise.

Sixth Sense

The Black Phone based on a Joe Hill story.

The Haunting 1989 based on Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House

Rose Red scripted by Stephen King.

There are more examples I could give but you get the gist. I want to be scared with the tension gas pedal expertly applied and good jump scares. I want to leave the experience looking over my shoulder and closing my curtains at night. I want a satisfying mythology, and there are many cultural mythologies to explore. I don't mind a "who dies next" plot like And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie as long as the other elements are in place and I am rooting for the protagonist to survive.

Further reading:

Mastering Horror

Top 10 Things That Horrify

Stirring The Plot With Isolation

Story Skeleton: Watcher In The Woods

House At The End of The Street Part 1

House At The End of The Street Part 2

Dark Places Story Skeleton Part 1

Dark Places Story Skeleton Part 2

As always if you find this information helpful, share it, like it. If you want more free information, sign up to follow the blog on blogger or the Story Building Blocks Facebook Page. Free tips and tools are also available on my site https://dianahurwitz.com

Crafting Creatures: Vampires

There have been many incarnations of vampire from the terrifying Nosferatu to sparkly high schoolers. Most societies have folklore related to vampires to draw from. Here is a list of questions to consider when crafting your vampires.

1. Where did their powers originate? Has vampirism been around since time began or was there a point of origin? Were they crafted by a paranormal entity such as a devil, demon, or god?

2. Are you basing your lore on a specific culture? If so, what are the specifications based on that lore? Are you modifying them?

3. Can anyone become a vampire? Is being a vampire passed on through genetics? Are vampires "made" by other vampires, if so, how? What are the rules, limitations, or consequences?

4. Are vampires immortal? If so, at what point do they stop aging or how do they age? Do they need spells or potions to prevent physical aging? Do they stop aging at the point they were turned?

5. Even if "immortal," can they be killed? Does it require a stake through the heart, decapitation, sunlight? If so, how and what happens when they die?

6. Can anything weaken them? Do they have vulnerabilities?

7. Are there costs associated with their powers? Is their energy drained? Do they need to "recharge" by drinking blood or some other method, or do they have an endless supply of power?

8. What can your vampires do?

Control the elements of fire, air, water, earth
Grow or wither people, plants, or nature
Move things with the mind, wave of the hand, or incantation
Transport/teleport things or people
Telepathy
Mind control
Move through time and space 
Kill, maim, or make others ill with their bite
Heal wounds, regenerate, or reanimate
Enhance senses sight, smell, taste, hearing, touch
Superhuman powers such as excessive strength, speed, agility, intelligence
Shape shift
Fly
Powers of seduction

9. Do they sleep in coffins? Do they live in normal homes or have special living quarters? Is there any item their home must have such as dirt from a grave site, relics, etc.?

10. Are they sensitive to sunlight?

11. Can their reflection or image be seen in photos, mirrors, or other reflective surfaces?

12. Are there objects that repel them such as crosses, holy icons, magical objects, silver, iron, garlic, etc. ?

13. Are they reliant on blood to live: human, animal, or blood banks?

14. Is there a hierarchy or controlling body such as a tribunal, coven, chosen leaders, etc.?

15. Do they have a religion or worship a god or demon?

16. If born a vampire, do they live like normal human children and adolescents or are they sent to special schools or universities or taught by tutors? If a person is made a vampire, are they suddenly smarter, prettier, etc. or limited to what they knew in life?

17. Who knows about them? Everyone everywhere? Certain groups or places? Are they hiding in plain sight?

18. Do they have paranormal allies or enemies?

19. Are they an accepted part of society or must they hide in the shadows? Are they persecuted or the rulers? Have they infiltrated power positions?

20. What do they look like? Do they have a supernatural appearance that is hidden by spells or glamours?

21. Do they have special marks such as horns, tails, wings, birthmarks, skin lesions, or tattoos?

22. Do they have specific clothing, ceremonial robes, jewelry items, etc.? What happens to their clothes if they shape shift?

23. Do they have familiars such as bats, owls, or other animals?

24. Do they live and work like normal humans or do they have vast stores of wealth? If so, how did they come by it: magic or amassing human fortunes? Or can they simply summon everything at will including food, clothing, housing, etc.?

Next week, we look at crafting fae.

Further reading:

Worldbuilding: Myths and Legends

The Fantasy Skeleton

The Horror Skeleton

The Thriller and Suspense Skeleton

List of Vampire Traits in Folklore and Fiction

You might also be interested in: 
Story Building Blocks Build A World Workbook in print and ebook, 
Story Building Blocks Build A Plot Workbook Fantasy in print and ebook
Story Building Blocks Build A Plot Workbook Horror in print and ebook
Story Building Blocks Build A Plot Workbook Thriller & Suspense in print and ebook

Literary Subgenres

Last week, we explored the Horror story skeleton.  This week, we take a look at subgenres of the literary skeleton.

I realize the term "literary" fiction is usually construed as "literature," and there are massive discussions about what constitutes literature. In my series, I consider literary stories a slower, more character focused form of fiction. I make no attempt to define literature. The distinction from other genre fiction is that there is a lyrical quality. The pace can be slow. There can be lingering, poignant closeups with your verbal camera. The focus is on the interiority of the character far more than the action.

I have come up with a list of several broad categories.

1. Activist/Cause Literary stories examine the ramification of a social topic, politics, religion, and man's inhumanity to man.

2. Coming of Age Literary stories examine an adolescent facing adulthood.

3. Crime Literary stories examine the impact and fallout from a crime for the victim, victim's family, or the perpetrator, or his family.

4. Disease/Death Literary stories examine the effects of a serious illness or the impact of a death.

5. Friendship Literary stories examine the building, maintenance, or unraveling of a friendship.

6. Historical Literary stories examine the impact of a pivotal point in history on an individual, a family, or population. The focus is not so much on the gritty details of the historical event, rather how the times impacted specific people.

7. Legal Literary stories examine how upholding or contesting the law impacts a person or group of people.

8. Malfeasance Literary stories examine how a corporation or group has damaged people and how they are exposed.

9. Multi-Generation Family sagas examine the lives of two or more generations in a family.

10. Relationship Literary stories examine the building, maintenance, or unraveling of any relationship: rivals, family, groups, or friendships.

11. Romantic Literary stories examine the building, maintenance, or unraveling of a romantic relationship.

12. Revelation Literary stories examine the impact of the revelation of a secret or a universal truth.

13. Situational Literary stories peel back the layers of a problem to reveal the cause.

14. War Literary stories explore the causes, outcomes, and cost of war.

Next week, we take a look at the building blocks that constitute a literary skeleton.

Check out the newly released addition to the Story Building Blocks series: Literary Build A Plot Workbook available in print and e-book.

For more about how to craft plots using conflict check out, Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of conflict available in print and e-book and explore the free tools and information about the series on my website.

The Gothic Skeleton

I grew up reading Gothic novels by Charlotte and Emily Brontë, Daphne du Maurier, Henry James, Elizabeth Gaskill, Diane Setterfield, Anne Radcliff, Shirley Jackson, and many others. If you know of more contemporary authors writing Gothic novels, please recommend them in the comments. I am always looking for more.

I recently watched an excellent Gothic film: Voice from the Stone. A nurse is summoned to an Italian mansion to help a grieving child.

In the Gothic story, the overall story problem is a deep, dark secret threatening to break free.

The reader asks: Will they realize the danger in time and will they escape?

The protagonist unravels a mystery or reveals a hideous secret and often realizes the man of her dreams is not who she thought he was. The Gothic structure is set apart from the Mystery and Thriller by setting and specific structure, so I give it its own category. 

Atmosphere is critical in setting the creepy tone of the story. It is usually features a castle, manor house, or plantation where the remoteness of the location adds to the claustrophobia. The era can be Victorian or Elizabethan England, turn of the century American south, or any time and place when secrets could easily remain buried if not for the unwitting protagonist. 

It doesn’t work well if the protagonist can easily walk outside and be among civilization. Large, populated cities don’t fit the bill as well. Remote islands and the middle of deserts do. These stories tended to examine the role of women and the restrictions placed on their behavior and freedoms.

In Gothic stories, the protagonist is the woman or man who uncovers the secret or unravels the mystery of the creepy mansion. Sometimes the love interest frees the woman from her psychological or physical restraints.

In a Gothic story, the antagonist is usually a powerful, alpha-male character. Sometimes there are antagonistic forces rather than an actual “bad guy.” It can be the situation, the insane wife, the servants, or the dark brooding castle owner. However, the dark brooding castle owner often ends up being the love interest, poor misunderstood thing that he/she is. It is whoever or whatever element presents the greatest threat to the hapless protagonist’s success.

External Conflict scenes slowly reveal the secret and the danger. The unwitting protagonist realizes what she has gotten herself into and works to get out.  The governess walks down the dark hallway with a candle to investigate a noise. The hero guides her away from a window where his crazy wife is peering out. She has a near miss with a runaway carriage. These are the house parties, the afternoon teas, the double-entendre conversations. A doctor is summoned. A footman is strangled.

Antagonist Conflict scenes follow the antagonist or reveal more subtle antagonistic forces. The antagonist is not necessarily the lord of the manor; he often turns out to be the love interest. It could be the crazy wife locked upstairs. It could be the Countess who is determined to marry the man herself. These are the scenes where the opposing characters face off, whoever they might be. It could be the overprotective nurse or housekeeper. The antagonist could be the governess bent on destroying the peace of the household because the lord of the manor fired her mother.

These scenes can follow the protagonist or the antagonist depending on the POV. But the Gothic story typically follows the protagonist, keeping the reader equally in the dark. The antagonist’s POV is rarely explored in these stories. We never learn what the crazy woman in the attic thinks, unless she tells the protagonist. Instead, these are scenes where the governess is in the room with the bad guy or girl, matching wits, or defending against an attack from the crazy woman in the attic. 

These scenes are often subtle where the protagonist feels something is wrong but can’t quite confirm it. The antagonism is subtle but present. We get a sense of the threat rather than a blatant view.

Interpersonal Conflict scenes show the protagonist interacting with the staff and noble neighbors. These scenes can involve either protagonist or antagonist or even follow the nurse into the room with the crazy wife, but the story normally follows the protagonist to keep the reader in step with the protagonist. People hint that something is very, very wrong, but does she want to see it? Others attempt to convince her things are perfectly normal. Some give her important clues. Some point her in the wrong direction. Others lead her deeper into the heart of the mystery. Some weave webs and traps that keep her imprisoned and threaten her sanity or her life.

Internal Conflict scenes involve the main character wrestling with her desire to stay or run, confront or hide. She struggles with her past wound or the dilemma that drove her to the creepy manor house in the first place. She confronts her fears, her desire for freedom or her desire for connection. She remembers the loved one who died and whom she is avenging.

Next week, we explore Historical subgenres.

If you are plotting a Gothic novel, check out the newly released addition to the Story Building Blocks series: Gothic Build A World Workbook available in print and e-book.

For more about how to craft plots using conflict check out, Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of conflict available in print and e-book and explore the free tools and information about the series on my website.

Comedy Subgenres

Let's start our exploration of genres with Comedy. From parody to dark satire, the intent can be to poke gentle fun or outright skewer the tropes of a genre, emphasize the points made through comedy, or refute an existing "truth."

Don't underestimate the power of comedy. Using humor can lower resistance enough for a pertinent point to sink in when people would otherwise refuse to hear it.

Most of the examples I could think of were movies, but the same definitions apply to fiction.

1. Black or Dark Comedy: Sarcastic or mocking and cynical stories that examine serious subjects such as war, death, relationships, or illness.

Example: Men Who Stare At Goats.

2. Parody or Spoof: Mock serious topics with unconventional riffs on psychology, religion, government, technology, etc. The point is to illuminate flaws in our thinking, behavior, or systems using humor as a glaring spotlight. 

Example: Blazing Saddles.

3. Romantic Comedy: Has a little fun with the Romance genre, either making fun of it, or making the romantic complications comedic. 

Example: The Proposal.

4. Mystery Comedy: Pokes fun at the mystery genre. 

Example: The Pink Panther.

5. Con/Heist Comedy: Fills the Con/Heist with humorous complications and/or goals. 

Example: The Tower Heist.

6. Light Horror Comedy: Imbues the Horror genre with comedic complications. 

Example: Snakes On A Plane.

7. Science Fiction Comedy: Makes light of the Science Fiction genre. 

Example: Spaceballs.

8. Fantasy Comedy: Adds humorous twists to the Fantasy genre. 

Example: Princess Bride.

9. Western Comedy: Exaggerates the tropes of the Western genre for comedic effect.

Example: True Grit.

10. Historical Comedy: Highlights the mores and manners of yore with comedic effect.

Example: Men in Tights.

11: Road trip Comedy: Takes the serious lesson-infused journey on a fun-filled ride. 

 Example: Planes, Trains & Automobiles.

Next week, we will examine Comedy building blocks.

Check out the newly released Comedy Build-A-Plot Workbook available on Amazon. Also available for Kindle.

For more about how to craft plots using conflict check out, Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of Conflict available in print and e-book and check out the free tools and information about the series on my website.

Genre and the Overall Story Problem

Last week, we talked about the importance of selecting a genre story skeleton.

This week, we will look at the broad skeletons explored in Story Building Blocks that make up popular fiction. It is easy to choose a broad category for your story skeleton by looking at the overall story problem.

1) Romance: the overall story problem focuses on a relationship.

2) Mystery: the overall story problem focuses on a crime or puzzle that needs to be solved.

3) Thriller & Suspense: the overall story problem focuses on catastrophic danger to one or many that must be averted.

4) Con, Heist & Prison Break: in which the overall story problem focuses on a person or group that wishes to escape from somewhere, steal something, or set someone up to fail. A vendetta is enacted or an injustice needs to be righted.

5) Gothic: the overall story problem focuses on a secret that lies buried and must be unearthed or a puzzle that needs to be solved. Suspense and setting are crucial.

6) Horror: the overall story problem focuses on a mortal threat to an individual or group.

7) Science Fiction: the overall story problem focuses on good versus cosmic evil.

8) Fantasy: the overall story problem focuses on good versus paranormal evil.

9) Western: the overall story problem focuses on man fighting against self, other men, or nature to survive in an unsettled land. The conflicts weigh the morality and challenges of survival.

10) Historical: the overall story problem focuses on an event from the past. It can involve historical characters in a historical situation, historical characters in fictional situations, or fictional characters in historical situations. There can be elements of Thriller & Suspense, Con, Romance, or Mystery, but the focus is the historical situation.

11) Team Victory: the overall story problem focuses on an underdog who needs to win.

12) The Road Trip: the overall story problem focuses on a lesson that needs to be learned or a secret that needs to be revealed. Two or more people are forced to travel together. The friction between the characters and the obstacles they encounter lead to the lesson learned or truth revealed.

13) The Comedy makes your reader laugh while subtly focusing on ideas, ethnicity, relationships, prejudices, social practices, politics, religion, or manners. It uses humor to explore topics without having to be “politically correct.” A Comedy can range from mindless farce to dark satire. It can follow the pattern of other genres as long as it is funny.

14) Literary in which the overall story problem focuses on a wrenching, life altering, personal decision or life event. Literary can have a specific plot or be a slice of life vignette.

I realize some are insulted by suggesting "literary" is a genre. All I mean by this is that the heavy focus is on character, mood, and theme rather than a genre-specific set of expectations. I am not defining "literature" this way. That is an entirely different thematic argument.

In the upcoming months, we will explore each genre in detail.

For more about how to craft plots using conflict check out, Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of conflict available in print and e-book and check out the free tools and information about the series on my website.

Why Pick Genre First?

There are many books, websites, and articles that define genre, subgenres, and mixed genres. You can write a  Paranormal Mystery or Historical Romance.

In order to sell the story and make a promise to your reader about what kind of story they are settling into, one of the layers must take ascendance.

If you are writing a Historical Romance and the focus is on the historical event that romantic partners are caught up in, it will sit on the Historical shelf. If the focus is on the romance between the two characters, the historical setting is the backdrop and the story ends happily, it will sit on the Romance shelf.

If you are writing a Paranormal Mystery and you want it to end up on the Mystery shelf, you have to fulfill the expectations of the Mystery genre. If you are writing a lyrical “present mystery solves past mystery” and it doesn’t follow the “sleuth solving a crime” formula, it may end up on the Literature shelf rather than the Mystery shelf.

An easy way to get a feel for genre is to look at the “log lines” on your television or cable guide movie section or read book synopses. The log line/synopsis states a protagonist is confronted by an inciting event and has to do something to solve the problem it creates. Most people choose whether to see a movie or read a book based on that sentence or paragraph. Jot down notes about the ones that appeal to you and the ones that don’t. Most of us do this every time we consult the cable guide without thinking about it. We flip until we find something that looks intriguing. We may have passed by ten well-constructed stories, but the premise or the promise didn’t appeal.

You may write a story without a clear idea of genre and it comes to you in the middle or at the end, but it saves a whole lot of time if you know it up front. You may change your mind half-way through because the love story takes over from the meteor hitting the earth story, which is okay. The important thing is to have an idea to work with. If you still can’t answer this question at the end of the draft, you have a lot of revising to do.

There are basic commercial categories of fiction, though stories written in each genre and subgenre differ greatly. Go to a book store and look at the different sections. Romance, Mystery, History, and Science Fiction typically have their own aisles. Then there is the much larger Literature section. There is a Young Adult section which encompasses all genres with a teen focus.

True fans of a genre have certain expectations and are disappointed if you don’t meet them or if you give them information they don’t want. People who are settling down with a breezy Romance don’t want gruesome forensic details. Others who are looking for a good spy Thriller will be bored with the slow pace of literary wording.

The genre provides the overall story problem that needs to be corrected by the end of the story. It serves as the foundation for your story. That doesn’t mean you can’t bend, twist, and contort the structure. Not all buildings are square. Some are pyramids, circles, and triangles. However, at the core of every structure is a solid framework that supports the integrity of the whole. A person renting a four-star hotel room does not want to find themselves in someone’s leaking fishing shack.

A question to ask at the beginning of your planning process (or at the end of your first draft) is: Where would you like your book to be displayed in the book store: the Literature, Romance, or Mystery section? If your story was made into a movie and broadcast on television, would you prefer it to be on the SyFy, Lifetime, or Hallmark channel?

Most writers would prefer that their book be at the very front of the bookstore, prominently displayed on a table as you walk in. However, publishers pay extra for that. Even if they choose your book for that honor, it won’t stay there long. It will eventually have to go “somewhere.” Those are the realities of the traditional publishing game.

With electronic publishing, some of this may change. The lines are blurring. People searching for your book on Amazon will look up Fantasy or Romance or History. If they frequently purchase Romance novels, algorithms will recommend more Romance novels. 

E-Books and online bookstores have the advantage of adding “tags” to describe your book that step outside the rigid framework of genre. A Romance set in Scotland might be recommended to someone who buys a different book that is set in Scotland or is about Scotland. With E-publishing you can sometimes choose more than one BISAC code, the numeric code that tells librarians and book stores what category your book fits into.

As of this writing, the lines are still pretty firmly drawn in traditional publishing. If your book bucks all trends, be prepared to publish it yourself, because getting past the query stage will be very difficult, if not impossible. Agents and editors are overworked and underpaid and only have so many hours in the day. They may truly love a story but not be able to place it.

The book market is a fey and fickle gorgon. She accepts inferior offerings and turns a cold shoulder to superior offerings. There is no predicting what she will devour on a particular day. She isn’t fair and she isn’t just. She simply is the beast that she is. It can be disheartening. 

In the end it comes down to what you wish to achieve, whether you wish to write the best book you can write or whether you attempt to placate an inconsistent, ungrateful gorgon. If you wish to produce the best work you are capable of, the Story Building Block method can help you achieve that. It won’t necessarily help you feed the gorgon.

For the next few months we will be exploring the different genres and subgenres and how you can use the Story Building Blocks to craft them.

For more about how to craft plots using conflict check out, Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of conflict available in print and e-book and check out the free tools and information about the series on my website.

Toxic Messages in Fiction Part 2

Last week, we began an exploration of some of the toxic messages buried in fiction and other forms of entertainment. Once you recognize them, they are easier to avoid. To reinforce, I am not saying you cannot portray severely damaged characters, but that you are responsible for how you slant the portrayal.

#7 Happily Ever After

The Romance camera stops rolling when the lovers make a commitment to a relationship. However, a relationship is like a bank account. It takes five deposits for every withdrawal, meaning the ratio of positive moments has to outnumber the negative ones by a wide margin. 

Which is why I have a problem with a partner who treats the other badly (whatever the particular reason cited by the plot) and with the turn of a page in the fourth act, all is forgiven. There needs to be an apology and amends made before the healing can begin. The partner needs to change his or her behavior and regain trust and that doesn't happen overnight. I am not saying there shouldn't be conflict or misunderstandings, but that outright pathological behavior should not be easily forgiven and forgotten.

Love is a very different animal from lust. A healthy relationship involves trust, shared values and goals, mutual respect, financial equality regardless of who earns more, and a desire to meet each other’s romantic and sexual needs. It takes healthy communication and healthy boundaries. It is damned hard work.

This is why I prefer literary stories that explore the messiness and difficulty in achieving a healthy relationship over the rose-colored romance genre. Coming together is easy. Staying together is the real challenge.

#8 Desirable Bachelor Versus Spinster

I call this the George Clooney Syndrome. Men who choose not to marry are considered a challenge to single ladies: the white lion to be hunted and tamed. All it takes is the “right” woman to win him. Women who choose not to marry are considered spinsters, losers in the game of love to be pitied and banished to a house full of cats. This is a sexist double standard. 

We need to be solid alone before we can be with someone else. People with an inadequate sense of self, who feel they must have someone else complete them and create their happiness have serious work to do. Being single and on your own is a viable option as well.

#9 The Irresistible Bad Boy/Girl

He’s cheeky, a little devious, but clever, and oh so handsome that you forgive his naughty ways. This makes me physically nauseated. In real life, men or women with poor boundaries and toxic behavior should be avoided.

Women in particular are led to believe they can cure the bad boy. They just have to be loyal, love him long enough, and turn themselves into pleasing pretzels to curb their lover’s behavior.

The sad truth is, guys are just as at risk from bad girls. They are also told it is okay to put up with a raving witch, even a physically and emotionally abusive one. He is supposed to be the hero after all.

Bad boys/girls do not make good romantic partners. They are often low-level narcissists or sociopaths. They are guilty of physical, emotional, and verbal abuse.

Too many stories subtly make excuses for abusive acts that should never be tolerated. If they are engaged in criminal behavior, they will drag their partner down with them. If they are addicts, their behavior and associates can be dangerous.

Fiscal and emotional infidelity are not acceptable either.

I am not saying a flawed character cannot be rehabilitated, or even that love cannot inspire them to do it. Just that it is important to differentiate those doing the work to reclaim their lives from those that aren't.

Toxic relationships are not fun little strolls on the wild side that will immediately change once you "put a ring on it."

#10 The Lost/Broken One

This is the flip side of the Bad Boy meme. The heroic girl or the noble guy rescues the broken one. All it takes is their love to heal them and return them to emotional health. 

Seriously broken people need to fix themselves before they are ready for a relationship. They may be victims of abuse who in turn become an abuser. 

They need professional help and should do the work before embarking on a relationship.  If that happens and they come back repaired, then a relationship might be possible. You could even be their friend while they to do the work.

I'm not saying characters should be perfect people. No one is perfect. No one is without baggage. Flaws make your characters three dimensional. I'm saying the pathologically flawed should not be normalized.

Relationships, especially marriage, should not be a major renovation project. If a person is toxic, they will not absorb the love. They will use it against you.

#11 Normalizing Abuse

Signs of a toxic relationship that are used for romantic conflict and subtly promote abusive behavior include: 

~The emotional roller coaster, blowing hot and cold, and constant conflicts that leave you uncertain about the relationship.

~ Extreme moodiness and pushing the partner away then drawing them back in.

~Isolation from friends and family for your own good or their safety.

~Jealousy over relationships with others.

~ Arguments that escalate quickly. Put downs, name calling, and screaming are verbal abuse.

~ Justifying constant criticism with, "I'm sorry but you know it's true." or "I am telling you this for your own good." 

~ Justifying affairs or liaisons with someone else or waiting around for them to “end it” with someone else.

~ Flirting with other people as a “joke” or to make their partner jealous

~ Humiliating or embarrassing each other in public.

~ Accepting a position of ”superior” or “inferior."

~ Feeling responsible for a partner’s emotional state or walking on eggshells around them.

~ Trapped by circumstances to stay in the relationship or enduring an abusive relationship because of the belief that it will end happily ever after.

~ Feeling like they are the problem or need to change to make things better.

~ Controlling behavior (it’s for your own good).

~ Saying things like: you’ll never do better than me or I'll die without you. 

#12 Love hurts

Not true. Love should be comforting. You can ache with longing for someone. In fact, longing is the key emotion that your readers resonate with. Your lovers can feel hope or anxiety about the success of a relationship. They will have conflicts. But if they are experiencing soul crushing pain, that is a symptom that something is really wrong – with them. If they need a relationship so bad that to not have it means emotional death, they have some work to do. It comes back to characters should be perfectly fine on their own. The relationship should augment not “complete” them.

In a world rife with dysfunction, it has never been more important to portray good characters and healthy choices. It is time to offer role models that inspire readers to be the hero in their own life.

To conclude, just because these memes are prevalent throughout the fiction world doesn’t mean we have to keep perpetuating them. We can change perception one plot, one book, and one screenplay at a time.


For more about how to craft characters, pick up a copy of Story Building Blocks II: Crafting Believable Conflict, available in paperback and E-book and Story Building Blocks: Build A Cast Workbook, available in paperback and E-book.

Composing The Scene

Once you have the scene outlined, it is time to develop the content.

1. Opening Line: Set up the conflict in the scene.

2. First paragraphs: Orient us: where are we, when is it, who is present, and what do they want? 

3. Introduce theme and make sure the goal is understood.

4. Follow a logical chain of events: The action or conversation is followed by a visceral response, then a conscious response, then recovery/thinking/planning, then the outcome which should result in a new goal.

Make sure you show a recovery after all key scenes and turning points.

5. Vary the speed to create a flow that keeps a reader interested. 

1) Slow, fast, slow. 

2) Slow, medium, fast.

3) Fast, medium, slow. 

4) Medium, fast, slow. 

Vary sentence structure. Vary the speed within the scene. Nonstop action without resting beats is too fast. All internal narration and narration without action beats is too slow. Highlight the fast parts. Are there peaks and valleys? Have quieter, slower conflicts between big turning points and reveals.

Every tense action scene should have a rise, impact, and fall. Every tense conversation should have a lead up to a tense exchange, a verbal zinger, and a response. Show the recovery, leave a hook with the new complication.

Slow speed includes blend of description, narrative, internal dialogue and narrative, and exposition (i.e. background information). Long cumulative sentences are slow (use sparingly). Facts, review, summary, backstory, and flashbacks are slow.

Use Medium/Normal pacing when the  story is progressing but nothing special is happening. Good for setting a scene or transitioning between two dramatic scenes. Give readers a break from the action and slow down the pace. Use an even blend of description, dialogue, narration, and exposition. Include step by step detail. Use compound sentences with limited detail. Use fleshed out dialogue interposed with action beats and short internal thoughts. Focus on a specific encounter or activity.

Use Atmospheric pacing to create a mood or feeling in a chapter. Set a scene, establish tone, or foreshadow events, often all at the same time. Blend physical and psychological description to set the mood. The story is moving forward but the blend of descriptions suffuses the scene with the desired effect.

Use Suspenseful pacing to keep readers on the edge of their seat. Focus on step by step detail and action that work toward but delay the ultimate payoff. Use short, choppy rhythm, then long beats, then short, choppy beats. Suspense is slow but seems fast because the reader speeds up as he rushes to see how events play out. 

Someone is being hunted or struggling. Allow the reader to feel anxiety. Dialogue with a little action and description thrown in can be suspenseful, tense. Use description to set up scary mood. Drag out tension. The verbal camera is at a wide angle. The catalyst could be sights, smells, sounds, touch, anxiety. Zoom in closer until on the face or inside head. The climax should be in virtual slow motion, blow by blow focus on the words and actions.

Use fast pace to create tension. Dialogue is fast with little action or thoughts and lots of white space. High action scenes or characters engaged in emotional confrontations are fast. Short summary can be fast. Short dialogue and action beats, base clauses, and short sentences add speed. The verbal camera is zoomed in all the way. Save high speed for important turning points. Focus on one element to the exclusion of all others, just dialogue or narration of action. Leave out description beyond physical action. Use short snappy sentences. Avoid details like left and right that force your reader to think about it. Once involved in the action, switch to longer compound and cumulative sentences. Pause when characters pause to maintain the illusion.

6. Closing line: End with a hook to set up next scene and convince the reader to turn the page.

For more about how to craft plots using conflict check out, Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of conflict available in print and e-book and check out the free tools and information about the series on my website.