Time to Write

Telling Your Story: Keep an Open Mind

On the Copyblogger blog, Brian Clark lists ten mental blocks to creative thinking. I believe most writers are pretty good at overcoming these blocks, but one that stood out was "avoiding ambiguity." In the context of writing a script or book, we do tend to want to figure out the story as soon as possible, so we can get to the fun part. Often this means we stop exploring too soon and miss out on a story that could be even better.

Here's a tool you can use to explore your story: turn a piece of paper sideways. At the very left, write the starting point of your story (for example, "Brain gets a phone call telling him that his brother has been in a car crash"--this doesn't need to be what's on page one, but it should be the incident that kicks off your main story). By the right-hand edge of the paper, write how the book ends--if you know it. If not, leave that blank.

Now create three tracks of action leading from the starting incident and heading right. One progresses along the top of the page, one along the middle, and one along the bottom. Explore a different set of responses and actions in each one. For instance, let's say I know this book is going to be about how two brothers who are estranged from each other end up forging a relationship. In track one, Brian ignores his brother's plight at first; in track two, he tries to take advantage of it by taking over his brother's role in the family business; in track three he moves in on his brother's girlfriend, taking advantage of her vulnerability. Just keep playing with alternatives and see where they lead you.

You may find ultimately the story you want to proceed with will be comprised of bits and pieces of all three tracks, and incorporate elements you wouldn't have thought of otherwise.

Promote Your Writing With Talks

According to an article at SFGate.com authors are finding a new way to sell or promote their books: by giving talks to the employees at major companies.

Companies like Google, Microsoft, Starbucks and Yahoo have been hosting authors for book-selling events that one usually associates only with book stores. For the company it's a "lifestyle perk" for their employees and sometimes this includes a copy of the book, paid for by the company as well. Other times, the author gives a talk and the employees have the chance to purchase the book at the end of the lecture. According to the article, at a typical bookshop event only 10 to 20 percent of the people attending actually buy the book. At corporate talks, it's 50 to 80 percent.

If your book could be of interest to the employees in a certain sector, why not get in touch with their public relations department to see if they're open to this idea? Film-makers, you could do the same with screenings, after which people could buy the DVD.

When Dead Writers Keep On Writing (sort of)

Robert Ludlum died in 2001, but books keep appearing featuring his name in huge letters---larger than the size of the name of the actual author. Ludlum, it is said, left behind some unfinished novels and notes for others and it's these that the ghost writers (intially uncredited) have been using to construct new books. Ludlum's name is now a trademark, and one might be forgiven for wondering how much the newer releases are actually based on anything he left behind. But it's a money-maker, and now the name of his most recent "collaborator" is on the cover of the book. The credit is "series created by Robert Ludlum, a new novel written by James H. Cobb."

It reminds me of the time I was hired to write a miniseries based on a book by Jack Higgins. The hero was an IRA man, which wasn't something the broadcaster wanted to promote, so I had to change that...which led to other changes...which led to other changes...until basically it bore little resemblance to his book. When he saw the script, he said, "This is pretty good, but it's not my book. Why don't we call it something else and then I can sell my book all over again to someone else?"

So that's what they did, and the credit was "based on characters created by Jack Higgins," and written by me. No prize for guessing whose name was in giant letters (and quite right, too, since that's what attracted the viewers). It came out under the title, "Midnight Man," and for the record I wasn't very happy with the changes that were made after it left my control, nor the directing, but it's still out there on DVD and it paid for quite a few bills at the time.

How Bad Writing Can Be Good

The next time you're stuck watching a movie that isn't working, or are about to put down a book that isn't holding your attention, stop for a moment and seize the opportunity to turn this into something useful. Make it an exercise: if you were hired to rewrite this product, how could you make it better?

I learned the value of this exercise a long time ago when I was a script reader in Hollywood. The job was to read scripts that had been submitted to a production company and write a summary and a critique. We received some totally hopeless scripts and a few very good ones, but the ones from which I learned the most were the ones that were sort of OK but had at least one serious defect. By thinking about what could be done to make these scripts better, I began to become aware of the most common errors of storytelling and how they might be remedied.

To give you a recent example, the other day I saw the horror film, "1408," starring John Cusak, an actor who always brings some added intelligence to any film. I liked the movie, which is an old-fashioned (in a good way) shocker, missing the gore-porn that characterizes many horror films these days. But it does go out of control toward the end and the ending itself is weak, which is often a problem with movies about the supernatural. I haven't yet come up with a better idea, but I'm working on it...and if and when I do, I'm sure it'll be a useful tiny nugget that I will somehow apply in my own writing someday.

Give this a try--on top of everything else, it can turn a boring experience into something useful!

A Great Source of Writing Prompts

Writing prompts are any words, images, phrases, or ideas that stimulate your writing. One great source is the "Lovestruck" type column in which people try to establish contact with someone they saw somewhere but didn't have a chance to ask out, or were to shy to ask for a date. These are especially good if you want to write a romantic comedy. Here's an example from a recent issue of thelondonpaper:

"Rugby-player-build guy. Got on the Piccadilly line with me on 10 September, 5.30pm, at King's Cross, where I almost sat on your lap. Both got off at Covent Garden. You went for a drink with a mate in Wellington Street. I went to work at the theatre. You were gorgeous. Amy." (Hmm, kids, can you spell 'stalker'?)

If a paper in your area has a column like this, keep an eye on it--it might just spark an interesting story idea.

A Writing Lesson That's Not Just About Writing

In a book called Play to Win, written by Larry and Hersch Wilson, I ran across an informal study conducted by writer Dick Leider. He interviewed hundreds of people in their 70’s and 80’s, and asked them what they would do differently if they had their life to do over. Although there were many different answers, the Wilsons say they boil down to three big points:

(1) Instead of being driven by day to day decisions, they would focus more on their values and larger goals;
(2) They would have more courage in taking risks in careers and relationships;
(3) They would try harder to leave a legacy, to do more for other people.

Hmm, sounds like all three could apply to writing what only you can write--even at the risk that it might not find a publisher or producer. When you're in your 80's, won't it be great to be able to say, "Kid, I went for it!"?

Taming Your Monkey Mind to Focus on Writing

At times, we all have a 'monkey mind' that doesn't seem to want to concentrate on the writing we need to do. In fact, sometimes the closer the deadline, the more active the monkey mind!

New Scientist Magazine rides to the rescue with these suggestions:

First, raise your arousal level, either with coffee, or by making sure you've had a good night's rest, don't eat sugary foods, and get plenty of exercise so you'll feel fresh.

Second, reduce distractions. Turn off the phone, put a 'do not disturb' sign on your desk, or go somewhere where you won't be disturbed. Studies suggest that after being interrupted by a phone call, it will take you a quarter of an hour to get back into a deep state of concentration.

Third, listen to soothing music that blocks out random background noise.

Fourth, practice catching yourself when your thoughts start to wander, and give yourself the command, "Stop! Be here now!" and get back to work.

One I'd add: stop compulsively checking your email every fifteen minutes (hmm, I wonder why I thought of that one...).

The One-Person Strategy

In a Guardian interview, writer Dave Eggers talks about some of the ways that publishing is changing. One element is that there are now more ways for small-scale operations to reach a lot of people. One example is his magazine, The Believer.

He says, "With The Believer (www.believermag.com) the question was how to put together a publication without ads and without raising any money. How do you keep the staff lean? You design a template simple enough that one person can maintain it - the copy-editing, photos, layout, everything, even at 65,000 words. Isn't that what [Lawrence Lessig's] The Long Tail is all about? I just know it works for us: small, agile, adaptable..."

Get Out of the House Once in a While

On his Creativity and Innovation blog, Keith Sawyer points out one of the drawbacks of free-lancing, namely that you miss out on the inspirations that can come from spontaneous interaction with colleagues.

His suggestion: "Make a point of going out to lunch–and not always with the same group of co-workers, either. Attend networking events and trade group meet-and-greets. You’ll never be able to re-create the spontaneous water cooler conversation of the office, but you can still create opportunities for group genius to flourish." (By the way, Goup Genius is also the name of his book.)

Another Way to Distribute a Film

On Sunday 16 Sept THE RIDDLE, a mystery thriller by writer-producer-director Brendan Foley became the first film to have a British DVD premiere in a national newspaper. It’s about a journalist investigating a series of modern murders that follow the discovery of an unpublished Charles Dickens novel in a Thames-side pub. It stars Vinnie Jones, Derek Jacobi, Vanessa Redgrave, Jason Flemyng and Mel Smith, and was filmed entirely in London.

The newspaper was looking for a follow-up to their launch of the Prince CD earlier in the summer and bought UK DVD distribution rights. They distributed over 2 million free copies.

On the one hand, I'm sure the film-makers would have preferred a big traditional release; on the other, lots of smaller films never get an audience of 2 million, and in this case the producers retained the rights to distribute the film in other territories.

It's another good example of "do something different" in order to reach an audience.

An Innovative Format: Interactive Branded Sitcom

Ford Europe has pioneered what they call an interactive sitcom, "Where are the Joneses?" Produced by Steve Coogan's company, Babycow, it consists (so far--and it's near the end) of 95 videos lasting approximately 3 minutes each. They tell the story of a woman who finds out that her father was a sperm donor and she sets out to find her 27 siblings who are spread all over Europe. You will not be surprised to find that she drives a Ford, but the sponsorship is not at all intrusive.

Users are able to send in script ideas or scripts, and to apply to appear in the series. A press release referred to it as a "huge success" yet Youtube shows only about 700 views for the later episodes--presumably they are being watched on other sites in greater numbers, via links that don't affect the Youtube counter.

Anyway, I think they're very funny and an interesting new outlet that could easily be replicated with other sponsors. The first episode is here

September 20, 2007 in Feed Your Head | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

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There's no shortage of critics once your movie is made or your book is published, but how to get useful feedback on your drafts? Friends may be afraid to say anything negative because they don't want to offend you or hurt your feelings. The other day I heard an interview with Michael Arndt, who wrote the delightful Little Miss Sunshine, and he has a great strategy for this.

He gives his friends a form to fill out. On it, they are asked to rate from 1 to 10 how well each of the major characters comes across, and how effective they felt each of the major scenes is. He also gives them a list of ten things he thinks might be wrong with the script and asks them to rate to what extent (again, 1 to 10) they believe each item actually is problematic.

He said the form gives people a context within which they can be honest and express both positive and negative responses. By admitting up front that the script or manuscript has some problems, you show them they don't need to be afraid to be honest, and the form gives them a context in which they can express both positive and negative comments.

This is the story of the most motivated writer I've ever come across. Sorry, J.K., your early morning sessions at the cafe pale beside this one. According to Reuters, Roberto Bernocco typed the 384-page science fiction thriller, Campagni di Viaggio, on his mobile phone, using predictive texting. (How did he get predictive texting to work? If I used it that way, my novel would resemble Ulysses, but not in a good way.) He did this on his way to work (I'm assuming he was on a train or bus, not driving.) He then self-published it using lulu.com. I have no idea whether it's any good, but just for finishing it, respect.

In his slim book, Creativity for Critical Thinkers, Anthony Weston points out, “Our single greatest temptation is to stop as soon as we make a first breakthrough, as if some sort of final exam has been passed and now there is nothing more to be done...In fact we have usually only taken the first step of what could be many more. We’ve only cracked open the door. Real creativity only begins with the first breakthrough. Walk through that door – and keep going.”

Too often we (I definitely include myself) go for the first good idea, not realizing that pushing on might yield an even better idea. Weston has some recommendations for how to deepen the idea or move on to others:

* Consider the likely objections and problems the idea might encounter. Maybe you will come up with a version that takes these into account;

* Refine the original idea by making it more specific. Try varying some of its specific qualities to see what effect that has.

* Think of applying the idea to other problems or issues. You may be trying to solve a particular story problem but when you have an idea consider applying the idea to other parts of the story that you didn't feel were problematic. Weston writes, "Barry Nalebuff and Ian Ayres call this ‘solutions in search of problems’.”

Kevin Hogan, author of Irresistible Attraction conducted a test of speed dating, in which pairs of men and women had a series of six-minute encounters, after which they decided whether or not they wanted to see the other person again. Here are some of his findings:

* Women didn't need six minutes to know whether they wanted to date a man again. Most women decided (they said) in the first minute or two.

* Men decided instantly, within the first few seconds.

* Not one person said they needed more than six minutes to decide whether they would want another date. (not 1 in 80!!)

These findings are supported by studies described in the book, Blink! and what they suggest is that the first impression is even more important than we thought. This is important to writers when they pitch an idea to an agent, publisher, or producer. So what can we do to help ensure that first impression is positive?

* Smile. Make it genuine, because people can also instantly (if unconsciously) detect a fake smile. If necessary, think of a loved one or anything else that really makes you smile.

* Make eye contact. Even if you're shy.

* Have dry hands and a firm handshake. I know it's a cliche, but research has backed up the idea that a wet or limp handshake turns people off.

* Dress in the same way you think they'll be dressed. One of the key determinants of whether we like someone is to what degree we perceive them to be similar to us. Clothes are one of the few things we can easily vary to take advantage of this.

Getting Feedback on Your Writing

There's no shortage of critics once your movie is made or your book is published, but how to get useful feedback on your drafts? Friends may be afraid to say anything negative because they don't want to offend you or hurt your feelings. The other day I heard an interview with Michael Arndt, who wrote the delightful Little Miss Sunshine, and he has a great strategy for this.

He gives his friends a form to fill out. On it, they are asked to rate from 1 to 10 how well each of the major characters comes across, and how effective they felt each of the major scenes is. He also gives them a list of ten things he thinks might be wrong with the script and asks them to rate to what extent (again, 1 to 10) they believe each item actually is problematic.

He said the form gives people a context within which they can be honest and express both positive and negative responses. By admitting up front that the script or manuscript has some problems, you show them they don't need to be afraid to be honest, and the form gives them a context in which they can express both positive and negative comments.

Now THAT'S writing motivation!

This is the story of the most motivated writer I've ever come across. Sorry, J.K., your early morning sessions at the cafe pale beside this one. According to Reuters, Roberto Bernocco typed the 384-page science fiction thriller, Campagni di Viaggio, on his mobile phone, using predictive texting. (How did he get predictive texting to work? If I used it that way, my novel would resemble Ulysses, but not in a good way.) He did this on his way to work (I'm assuming he was on a train or bus, not driving.) He then self-published it using lulu.com. I have no idea whether it's any good, but just for finishing it, respect.

Inspiration is Just the Start

In his slim book, Creativity for Critical Thinkers, Anthony Weston points out, “Our single greatest temptation is to stop as soon as we make a first breakthrough, as if some sort of final exam has been passed and now there is nothing more to be done...In fact we have usually only taken the first step of what could be many more. We’ve only cracked open the door. Real creativity only begins with the first breakthrough. Walk through that door – and keep going.”

Too often we (I definitely include myself) go for the first good idea, not realizing that pushing on might yield an even better idea. Weston has some recommendations for how to deepen the idea or move on to others:

* Consider the likely objections and problems the idea might encounter. Maybe you will come up with a version that takes these into account;

* Refine the original idea by making it more specific. Try varying some of its specific qualities to see what effect that has.

* Think of applying the idea to other problems or issues. You may be trying to solve a particular story problem but when you have an idea consider applying the idea to other parts of the story that you didn't feel were problematic. Weston writes, "Barry Nalebuff and Ian Ayres call this ‘solutions in search of problems’.”

Pitching : the Importance of First Impressions

Kevin Hogan, author of Irresistible Attraction conducted a test of speed dating, in which pairs of men and women had a series of six-minute encounters, after which they decided whether or not they wanted to see the other person again. Here are some of his findings:

* Women didn't need six minutes to know whether they wanted to date a man again. Most women decided (they said) in the first minute or two.

* Men decided instantly, within the first few seconds.

* Not one person said they needed more than six minutes to decide whether they would want another date. (not 1 in 80!!)

These findings are supported by studies described in the book, Blink! and what they suggest is that the first impression is even more important than we thought. This is important to writers when they pitch an idea to an agent, publisher, or producer. So what can we do to help ensure that first impression is positive?

* Smile. Make it genuine, because people can also instantly (if unconsciously) detect a fake smile. If necessary, think of a loved one or anything else that really makes you smile.

* Make eye contact. Even if you're shy.

* Have dry hands and a firm handshake. I know it's a cliche, but research has backed up the idea that a wet or limp handshake turns people off.

* Dress in the same way you think they'll be dressed. One of the key determinants of whether we like someone is to what degree we perceive them to be similar to us. Clothes are one of the few things we can easily vary to take advantage of this.