notes on story telling
3rd person present tense
commonly used in screenplays
.story unfolding as we read it
foster urgent immediate feeling
passive vs active voice
passive voice
.uses weak verbs
.tells whats happening in the characters head
.distances the reader from the story
active voice
.uses strong action verbs
.shows the action
.uses an immediate sentence structure
.conveys the story in a lively manner
everyone will not have problems coming up with a list of excuses for procastination
the biggest problem is getting started
tips for writing
if u hav a work in progress,never stop for the night if u are stuck
always solve the problem and keep going until u are in safer water.a good night sleep is important.sleeping on problems is a myth.
if u cant get started on a project,start writing anyway.to do this,u need to have some words to type
exercise 1a openers
write with this opener
wearing spongebob squarepants boxer shorts,caleb walks towards the np bus stop taking a last look at the poly before boarding bus 184 home with tons of stuffs going through his head as the day draws to a close.on the bus Caleb scratches his head as he thinks of the scary lectures he will face the next day as the laughter in the class scares him…
.whose story am i telling
what is the point of this story
how can i engage the attention of the audience
1b
12 opening phrases in ur blogs under the openers page.
examples
sally keeps glancing at her watch
Joe opens the bottle and takes a whiff
may closes her eyes and jumps off
Closing her eyes for a moment in a boring lesson,she opens them finding herself in an empty classroom,upon feeling a sense of uneasiness,she dashes out to the corridor but found no one in sight,she panics and start looking around the whole school but in vain.She runs to the hall and suddenly spotlights flashes at her.
elements of dialogue
.a character will talk about himself and other people will talk about him
.dialogue establishes relationships between characters
.once you have established your main character’s pov,you can use dialogue with other characters to show that they have other attitudes,creating opposite/alternative povs
.this helps to create and sustain the element of conflict between characters.
.good effective dialogue will move the story forward
.dialogue communicates faces and information to the audience
.it conveys essential exposition
.characters will talk about what happened,establishing the storyline
dialogue ties the script together
.it is one of the devices that you as a writer can use to expand and enlarge your characters.
if you can see it or hear,dont write it
.dialogue should be used sparingly
.never tell the audience what they can see for themselves
.students sometimes never achieve a level of competence as they tend to reproduce conventional spoken language,long statements of “real talking”,and defend their decision by telling us that.it is how the character speaks.
good dialogue is not somebody’s ability to write authentic speech as heard in real life.
.if that was all there is to it,you can just push a button on the tape recorder and then go collect your oscar.
good dialogue is the illusion of reality.
you got to know how to edit what people say without losing any of the spirit.
common mistake
.students tend to create radio shows with images.
writing dialogue
Husband:hey dear
Wife:walao you know now what time or not old man
Husband:sorry dear,i forget to tell you that i am having a few drinks at the nearby coffee shop with my buddies
Wife:you better be back soon i tell you,or you spend the night outside the house
Husband:okay i try my best
Wife:what try,you must
husband:fine,fine
Father:Hey dear,sorry today i am going to be late today
Mother:Eh you are already late lar
Father:sorry i am just having a few drinks with my friends
Mother:You are drinking,you sleep at the living today i tell you
Father:aiya anything lar
.people rarely observe familiar people or things closely
.most people pass through the day with 20%-30% awareness
observe in a conscious way
develop the ability to see and record people:
their movements
their physical characteristics
the setting/places they’re in
people-watch
1.walk into the canteen/library and watch people pass by
2.eventually one will catch your attention
3.write down as many details as possible through observation
4.repeat steps 1-3 for a second character
5.transcribe all these details into the people watch page that you will create on your blog.
developing characters
.when developing a character,ask yourself:
.who is your character
.what does he want
.what is his quest
.what drives him to the resolution of the story
1.establish your main character.
characters should have a 3 dimensional structure
a)physiology
b)sociology
c)psycology
a)physiology
.sex
.age
.height,weight
.colour of hair,eyes,skin
.posture
.appearance
b)sociology
.class(lower,middle,upper)
occupation:type of work,hours of work
the experience conflict in achieving their dramatic need.
they interact with other characters
they interact with themselves
definition
opposition of persons or forces
it is the interaction of opposing ideas,interest,or wills,and create the plot
conflict is the central feature of the screenplay
man against man
man against environment
man against self
it’s variations of sex,age,religionand culture which provide variety to the conflict.
change is common to everyone
change is universal
bodies change
seasons change
lives change
relationships change
feelings change
locations change
technologies change
as universal as change may be,people often resist it for fear of the unknown.
people must learn to cope with change if they want to survive
plot cannot be constructed without conflict
as your characters attempt to reach their goals,they come into conflict with each other
the protagonist and antagonist must be locked together with no possible compromise between them
this is done by having characters of strong conviction and purpose who will fight for what they want
the more evenly matched they are, the stronger the battle will be.
50 word stories
write 5 stories each on a 50 word stories page on your blog
.breaks down the myth of handling only 1 idea at a time
.encourages precise and concise writing
.teaches basic script editing skills,to focus and reveal the essential elements
action encompasses any kind of movement,activity and interaction between the characters and also between the characters and also between the characters and their surrounding.
has the potential to enrich experience of the audience by heightening the stakes and increase the tension
location
a physical location
a place
interactive location is
a physical setting and surrounding that interacts with the characters of the film by positively heightening their action
memory
entries to be posted on your blogs under letter to the past
experience
a storyteller should be concerned with the potential of every experience
everything about you-where you were born,what food you eat,the bump on your forehead
many experience are universal and translatable in any location
make a character yourself for a while.
see how he relates to the world he has been thrown into
plunder your own personal background
life is unpredictable
in a story,we can and must control the events and sequences so that
observation
memory
experience unique
writing in third person
writing in present tense
writing in the visual voice
the role of conflict/creating conflict
elements of dialogue
storytelling tool:observation
dynamic action
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