We have snooped in a car and in a house. Today we will venture out into a public space.
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Scene Writing Tips
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Exercise 3: Go to a mall, restaurant, or coffee house. Watch the people around you. Take notes.
1) What they are wearing?
2) What do their mannerisms, posture, clothes, and accessories and accessories tell you about them?
3) Note down their identifying features: height, hair color, approximate age, etc. What do these details tell you about them?
4) Are they with someone? If so, who?
5) Are they having a conversation with someone or on their phone? Listen in. Take notes.
6) Pay attention to the rise and fall of their voices, accent, inflections, tone. Are they speaking casually, angry, or animated?
7) Look at occupants of the other tables. What does the body language tell you about their relationship? Are they drawn toward one another or positioned as far away as they can get?
Do they choose seats next to one another or across the table?
8) Do they appear happy to be there or upset?
9) Are they working, reading, writing, on a laptop or notebook?
10) What can you see from the angle of your position?
11) If in a cafe or restaurant, take note of the servers. What do they look like?
12) Do they appear relaxed, frazzled, friendly, or angry?
13) Where are the exits? How hard is it to get in and out?
14) Are there windows in the bathroom?
15) Is it busy or slow?
16) Is it tucked away in a remote corner or located in a busy strip mall or along a main street?
17) Would it be a good place for a secret rendezvous or the worst possible place to meet someone?
18) How hard is it to reach in terms of traffic and parking?
19) How easily could a person blend in?
20) Where are good places to hide to observe the room?
Next week, we will conclude our lessons in detection.
For more information on scene writing visit http://www.dianahurwitz.com for free downloads and pick up a copy of Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of Conflict available in e-book and print.
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| Scene Writing Tips |
Last week, we observed someone’s vehicle. This week, we’ll scope out a house.
Exercise 2: Visit a friend or relative’s house (with their permission) or go through your own house. (It’s hard to be objective about your own house!)
Pick a room or several rooms.
1) Note what you see, smell, and hear.
2) What do the contents tell you about the owner: habits, likes, dislikes, and demographics?
3) What do you find in the cabinets, the drawers, on the tables, on the floor?
4) What is tucked away in closets or boxes or hidden from common view?
5) What do the items in the room tell you about the way that room is used and who uses it?
6) If they wanted to hide something, where are the best places to do so?
7) What are they trying to disguise or hide?
8) What are they proud of?
9) What do the items prominently displayed tell you about them?
10) How easy is it to get in and out? What are the points of egress: doors, windows, connecting rooms?
11) Do they have security systems or deadlocks? Do they lock their doors?
12) How is the room decorated? What does the decor say about the current owner or prior owners?
13) What items would a thief walk away with?
14) How hard would it be for someone to go in and out without being heard or seen?
15) Pay attention to line of sight. Stand in the middle of the room. How much of the house can you see?
Whether you examine your own room or someone else’s, learn to think like detective when you walk around. Too often we ignore what is right in front of our noses.
Next week, we’ll continue to hone our detecting skills.
For more information on scene writing visit http://www.dianahurwitz.com for free downloads and pick up a copy of Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of Conflict available in e-book and print.
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| Scene Writing Tips |
Tweet this: Whatever genre you write, improving your powers of observation enables you to place yourself in the scene and write it from your character’s point of view.
Over the next few weeks, we will explore ways to hone your powers of observation.
Exercise 1: Sweet talk or bribe a friend or relative into letting you go through their car. Don't tear anything apart! (You can go through your own car, but it's harder to be objective.) Take notes. Take pictures if you like.
1) What do you see and smell?
2) What do you find under the seats, in the cushions, in the glove compartment, the little nooks and crannies?
3) What do the contents and state of the car tell you about the person who owns it?
4) What does the condition of the exterior tell you about the car's history?
5) What do the seat settings tell you about the driver?
6) What kind of passengers ride in it?
7) What does it tell you about the owner’s demographic or lifestyle?
8) What kind of license plate does it have?
9) Does it have city stickers or parking passes?
10) Does it have bumper stickers? What do they say about the owner? A lack of personal statements make a difference too!
Stretch your observation muscles wherever you go. You’ll be amazed at what you begin to notice.
Your stories and characters will be the richer for it.
Tune in next week for another lesson in detection. For more information on scene writing visit http://www.dianahurwitz.com for free downloads and pick up a copy of Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of Conflict available in e-book and print.
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| WHO'S THE BOSS? |
I have to thank a friend for inspiring this one, though I’ll withhold names to protect the innocent. My friend, let’s call her Jane, works in an office where the boss’s wife comes in periodically to make sure things are done her way. She isn’t actually an employee, nor is she an expert in the business he conducts. She just likes to meddle and throw her weight around to feel powerful.
Tweet: Family run businesses can be an entirely different breed of viper’s nest. #storybuildingblocks #writingtips
Unlike the cogs in the corporate hierarchy that are easily removed and replaced, the family run business is full of emotional landmines.
If Dick’s father is the nominal head of the business, theoretically he should be in charge. But what if he isn’t?
What if Dick’s Mom wears the corporate pantsuit even though she doesn’t actually work there? It will cause aggravation if not outright abuse for all who work for them. It is a very uncomfortable work environment. The rules can be disregarded at whim and the hierarchy ignored when the untitled boss gets involved. The changes she makes are implemented without warning or consideration for those who actually have to show up and do the job every day. They are enforced even though they create headaches for those who have to perform the tasks.
Jane will go to the office every day primed with anxiety. When will the saboteur show up next and what impossible demands will she make? Because the reward system is illogically skewed, Jane won’t be certain that her hard work and dedication will be appreciated, so how hard should she try? Should she stay or go? Depends on her situation and how good the pay and benefits are. How much is Jane willing to sacrifice for material reward when every day feels like a swim in a shark tank? How much abuse is she willing to endure before she quits or pulls out a revolver?
How does the uncertainty affect the son Dick? How frustrated will he grow with his spineless father when he witnesses his mother’s torture of the employees? How firm can he get with his impossible mother? Will Dick grow and learn to stand up for himself against the female bully or will he repeat the enabling pattern?
What if Dick’s sister Sally also works at the firm? They have grown up being pitted against one another. Who is the favorite child for which parent? The dynamics shift depending on the answer. If Dick is Dad’s favorite and Sally is Mom’s favorite, then Dick has a real problem. His succession as head of the business isn’t assured. Mom may choose Sally to take over. If Sally is Dad’s favorite and Dick is Mom’s favorite, then Sally has a problem. She can have Dad wrapped tightly around her little finger, but if Mom wields the power and isn’t too fond of her simpering daughter, Sally is in a no-win situation. If the parents continually play out their antagonism toward one another through their son and daughter the waters get hurricane choppy. If Mom dies, then Dad is free from her oppression and the work environment can become an entirely different place. If Dad dies, and Mom takes over or the business is turned over to Sally instead of Dick, the situation can disintegrate further. If the siblings enter a turf war over it, the conflict heats to a boil.
How many employees will abandon ship? How many will stay? How can the company survive if the internal structure is unstable?
The addition of sibling and parent dynamics to any story situation raises the stakes and changes the playing field significantly.
The conflict could be a mild distraction while Dick is trying to save the planet or find the kidnapped girl.
The conflict could be the core of a literary tale of deadly dysfunction.
The conflict could be the source of an intense thriller or suspense.
The parent/child scenario could be a factor in a YA novel. The parents could be running a gas station, a major corporation, a village, a country, or a wolf pack.
In your story, who is the boss? Who are the powers that be? Who makes the ultimate decisions? The more dysfunctional the situation, the higher the story stakes.
For more on crafting conflict to create tension, pick up a copy of Story Building Blocks II: Crafting Believable Conflict available in paperback and E-book.
Tweet: In your story, it is highly suggested that your main character undergo some form of change by the end. #storybuildingblocks #writingtips
The change can be life-altering or subtle. It can be a change for the better or worse.
It is open for debate if antagonists or secondary characters undergo change of their own.
If one person shifts, it creates ripples in the people around them.
Dick is going along, minding his own business, when - Wham - life throws him a curve ball (i.e. the inciting incident) and his life will never be the same.
Along the way, as he battles obstacles to achieve the overall story goal, he undergoes some form of change: from arrogant to humble, naive to wise, weak to strong, cowardly to brave, misunderstood to understood, adolescent to adult.
These changes result in an up ending if they are positive.
If Dick changes for the worse, you have a down ending.
What makes Dick willing to change?
Depends on the story stakes, the types of obstacles he will face, and the genre you are writing in. The change may be subtle in a Literary tale and overt in a Fantasy tale.
Some endings are a little bit of both.
Dick can be compelled by an authority figure or social group to change, but he himself was not really motivated to change. For instance, he may be court ordered to do community service that opens his eyes to the plight of the underprivileged. He might be ordered by a commanding officer or boss to do something that transgresses his value system and he fights against the order, but eventually gives in because he isn’t willing to endure the price of the alternative. This results in an up-down ending.
Dick might change to escape criticism or banishment from people he cares about, a group he belongs to, or a corporation he has built. At his core, he may never agree to what is being asked of him, but he does it because he must to maintain the status quo or obtain the story goal, which also delivers an up-down ending. If he is being forced to do something healthy, this is an up ending. If he accepts things that are unhealthy, it is a down ending.
Jane may enter the story knowing that she needs to make a change: she needs to leave her unsatisfying job, leave her empty marriage, or stop selling narcotics because she has seen the needle and the damage done. The overall story problem makes the situation worse so that Jane has no choice but to change. This results in an up ending. If Jane knows that she has to make a change that is detrimental to her psyche, it results in a down ending.
Sally may change because she can no longer tolerate the situation she is in, the feelings she is carrying around, or the pain of the status quo. She must change because she simply cannot bear the alternative any more. She was near the breaking point and the inciting incident makes the choice unavoidable. This usually results in an up ending, unless the change she was contemplating was a bad one.
Just as the overall story arc has its ups and downs, so do scenes. A scene can have an up or down ending.
These undulations make the story ride enjoyable. They keep the reader wanting to know how it will all end. Characters that are static throughout a story are boring and hard to root for.
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| SBB Revision Tips |
For more tips on how to craft believable 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, also available in paperback and E-book.
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| Casting Characters |
This week, we complete our exploration of the character mannequins presented in Story Building Blocks II and Build A Cast Workbook. Remember, each mannequin has a male, female, transgender, or androgynous counterpart.
13. Cam
Cam wants to be admired for his intelligence and competence. His partner usually admires that about him, until he forgets he has a partner. Anyone who tried to control or demean him would be shown the door immediately. Cam isn’t looking for a permanent relationship, but honors his commitment once he is in one.
Cam is more focused on his inner world than the external one. He comes across as aloof. He is emotionally intense but guarded. His partner is shocked by how deeply he experiences emotion. His quiet confidence and reliability are appealing. He possesses keen insight into what makes people tick. He applies that information to his relationships. He thinks more than acts. He has a hard time reconciling the way things should be with the way they are. His distraction sometimes limits his awareness of his partner’s feelings, particularly if she doesn’t express them. He becomes overly structured or paralyzed when anxious. He may get so involved in his projects that he forgets his partner for a while. He avoids interpersonal conflict but loves to debate.
Cam does not need companionship enough to put up with abusive or unsatisfying relationships. He finds it easy to cut his losses and move on, having learned a valuable lesson.
He may not express his distress. He represses negative emotions until they reach a breaking point. He enjoys thinking about intimacy and ways to make it better. He is creative and intense. In a negative relationship, he thinks about sex more often than having it. He tends to show how he feels rather than talk about it. He offers loving affirmations and gifts if his partner desires them.
14. Morgan
Morgan wants to be admired for his intelligence and competence. That usually happens, at least until his behavior makes those traits questionable. He considers a relationship a low priority. He prefers variety to permanence. Only external compression forces him into a long-term commitment. His relationships are tenuous.
Morgan is easily bored. He needs a partner that constantly engages and challenges him. He might experiment with BDSM as long as he finds it fun. He treats his relationship like any other experiment by asking what works and what could be improved. His partner might not appreciate being “managed” in that way. He eagerly adopts new activities and plans, but drops them as quickly. He means well, but his love of debate grows tiring. He carelessly throws out comments about what he might do. His partner might take him seriously. His risk-taking could create trouble for both of them. While invested, he is attentive, eager to explore, and enthusiastic. He neglects the relationship when a project takes over, whether it is an assignment at work or his decision to renovate the house. He isn’t in touch with his feelings and may be oblivious to his partner’s. If his partner states a need, he creatively attempts to fill it. He is prone to forgetting.
Morgan walks away if bored or restricted. His partner grows tired of his need to play devil’s advocate instead of just focusing on what needs to be done. He is spontaneous and resists routine. He is open to trying new things. Sex is a physical release not an emotional bonding experience. He offers a grand gesture, but can’t keep it up long term.
15. Lee
Lee wants recognition for her competence. She usually earns it. Things are fine until she steamrolls once too often.
Lee considers a relationship a low priority. She takes a commitment seriously once she has made it but often loses touch with her partner. Lee is dominating by nature. She would never consider being submissive.
Lee is emotionally aloof. She takes the lead and feels responsible for making things work. She has a lot to offer. She is dedicated, dependable, and hardworking. She holds herself accountable. She is creative and pushes her partner to explore his own dreams. If she decides something isn’t working, she unilaterally changes the terms of the relationship. It puzzles and alarms her partner. She is steady financially and values a nice home and creature comforts. She may never be home long enough to enjoy them. If her partner tells her flat out that she isn’t meeting expectations, she may try. Operating against her nature would not be easy. If there is conflict, she views it as a chance to learn and improve. She is confrontational by nature. If paired with a partner that avoids conflict and sees criticism as a personal assault, the relationship won’t survive. She may learn to temper her approach with her partner in the interest of making it work. She finds it hard to share power. A relationship would have to be based on mutual respect. She has to view her partner as competent. She expects him to be independent and to develop his own interests.
If she finds a relationship unsatisfying or her partner boring, she ends it and abruptly moves on literally or emotionally. She could become an abusive bully to a weaker partner. She doesn’t admire weak people enough to partner with them long term. She is creative and adventurous. She expects sex on a regular basis. She is self-confident. She has little patience with someone who is emotionally needy. She shows her love through her actions. Loving affirmations don’t mean anything to her. She isn’t interested in giving or receiving compliments or flattery. If partnered with a feeling type, it won’t go well.
16. River
River wants to be admired for her wisdom and desire for harmony. She usually is admired, unless her desire to be worshipped becomes obsessive. She would find BDSM sordid and ugly. She seeks a permanent and perfect communion of souls. Her intensity drives some types away. She goes from relationship to relationship in search of the ideal. She is vaguely dissatisfied with every partner.
River feels intensely. She needs constant feedback and affirmation. She wants a perfect relationship and her excessive probing to find out what is wrong is wearying. She works hard to keep the relationship alive. She bonds permanently and deeply. She is good with loving affirmations. She is generous. She is drawn to deep and complex partners. She comes up with creative solutions to conflict and is highly aware of her partner’s emotional state. She is protective and withdraws when she meets resistance. Her overly emotional approach irritates a thinking partner.
She becomes highly critical of her partner if he acts out or can’t be trusted. She blames him when things aren’t working. She represses her emotions and becomes vicious when she bursts. She stays in a relationship until she is sure it can’t be repaired. She moves on easily when it is truly over.
River views sex as a spiritual communion. She is in search of a soul mate. She selflessly gives to her partner. She is tactile and sensual. She struggles to state her case in person and may resort to an emotional letter.
I hope you’ve enjoyed our exploration of the mannequins as lovers.
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.
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| Casting Characters |
If you missed them, last week and the week before, we began exploring the "love" styles of the sixteen temperaments.
This week, we continue our exploration of the character mannequins presented in Story Building Blocks II and Build A Cast Workbook. Remember, each mannequin has a male, female,transgender, or androgynous counterpart.
9. Joss
Joss wants recognition for his intelligence and skill. He usually gets it, in the short-term. His derring-do draws them in, but eventually drives them off. He might enjoy experimentation. He places a permanent relationship at the bottom of his list. He struggles with routine and commitment. He thrives on new experiences and new partners.
Joss is exciting and intense for short bursts. He is the ultimate hard-to-get partner. He is the man or woman of action and few words. He resists routine and strict schedules. He hates being controlled by other people, particularly his partner. He spends a lot of time exploring his interests without his partner.
He is happy to provide basic needs and the kind of dating behavior that keeps a relationship humming along. He isn’t free with his opinion, but open to someone else’s. He is in information gathering mode and may evade answering questions by asking more questions. This frustrates his partner when she needs a direct answer. He doesn’t feel he owes anyone an explanation and never asks for permission.
He is protective of his emotions and avoids deeper feelings. His level of intensity can vary from day to day and that can leave his partner feeling unbalanced. He has problems with the traditional expectations of behavior.
All is fine until Joss becomes bored or the other person becomes too demanding or clingy. He moves on and won’t stay to fix it. He remains in a life-long relationship by taking it one day at a time. His partner is never entirely certain he’ll stay. His air of aloofness may draw his partner in, but could drive her away.
Joss views sex as recreation. He is sensual and enjoys experimentation. He is spontaneous, creative, and enthusiastic for as long as it lasts. He sets the mood and makes it fun. He loses interest if it becomes routine. He breaks up and makes up for the novelty it provides.
10. Kelly
Kelly wants to be admired for being the life of the party. He usually is — at first. He might participate in anything once. He isn’t looking for a permanent relationship. He has trouble honoring a commitment once he makes it. His relationship is on the bottom of his priority pile.
Kelly is enthusiastic. Life with him would be quite a ride, full of ups and downs, and lots of spinning. He is extremely charming and superficial. He offers his partner the world and she attributes him with a big heart. He loves life. He makes those in his orbit love life too. The problems start when his partner realizes he can’t make a plan and stick with it.
Kelly has a problem with commitment and behaves in ways that are detrimental to the relationship. He is shocked when his partner objects. As soon as he is restricted or bored, he finds someone else to play with. Kelly considers sex as a physical carnival ride. He makes things exciting. He is a sensual lover. He goes for the big moments, once in a while. He is oblivious to the emotional content. If his partner needs emotional closeness to feel loved, she probably won’t get it. She may tell him and he may try, but he can’t sustain it. He isn’t good with positive affirmations. He won’t grasp the neediness of a feeling partner. He is master of the grand gesture, but grand gestures aren’t always enough.
11. Greer
Greer wants recognition for his competence. Since he is usually competent, he receives it. When he forgets to take care of things around the house, his competence might be questioned. He isn’t looking for a permanent love connection. He honors a commitment once made, but may not remain emotionally present.
Greer takes his relationship seriously and analyzes it much like he analyzes everything. He is low-demand and easy to get along with. His problems stem from the lack of emotional engagement and low need for social interaction. He would not be natively drawn to BDSM. He isn’t big on traditional trappings. He can’t relate to high-needs people. He is straightforward and honest. He won’t play games or manipulate his partner. It is hard for him to open his heart and he retracts at the first sign of danger. He feels passionately, he just can’t verbalize it. Of all the types, he is the hardest to have a relationship with. It’s a good thing he is a rare bird.
He usually runs at the first sign of messy complications. He avoids conflict and deals with it in an analytical way, ignoring the emotional component. He defends his commitment by saying, “Of course I love you. I’m here aren’t I?” If his partner reads him as distant and disengaged, she might move on.
Greer is imaginative and loving, but not overly demanding. He is quick to sublimate his needs or loses track of them when focused at work or on his hobbies. His intense passion may not be apparent to his partner. He isn’t in tune with his partner’s emotional life. He misses the hints and emotional cues she exhibits. His displays of affection may be out of sync with his partner’s desire for them. He isn’t good with the positive affirmations and praise some types need.
12. Taylor
Taylor wants to be appreciated for her goodness and service. She usually is, unless her efforts become toxic. She might go along with BDSM for a while. Taylor consider a permanent relationship a high priority. She is warm and committed. She wants her partner to be happy, so she sacrifices her wants and needs to make sure he is. She blames herself when things go wrong and criticism chips away at her self-esteem. If the relationship fails, she walks away thinking she was defective. She bounces back and tries again. She works hard to keep a relationship together. She is sensitive to her partner's emotional needs. She is very social and works to make her home a great place to entertain.
Taylor won’t walk away unless a serious core violation occurs. She could walk away over it, but tends to stick with unhealthy relationships where she does all the giving. She hates conflict and ignores her partner’s slings and arrows to avoid it. She gives in rather than extend the fight. Ignoring problems turns them in to bigger problems that eventually become explosive.
Taylor is enthusiastic and creative. She is warm and fun. She sees sex as a direct expression of her love. She works hard to make her partner happy and doing so makes her happy. She pencils it in as often as she needs to. She won’t express her own needs. She needs loving affirmations, but won’t ask for them. She is hurt when the sweet words aren’t forthcoming.
Next week, we will meet the final four.
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.
