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Nearly 60 years after its release, Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty is still adored by audiences; however, for all of the love and nostalgia that Sleeping Beauty continues to garner, something about the story structure…just seems odd and somewhat misleading.
Here’s a little secret: despite the film being named after her, Sleeping Beauty is not the protagonist of her own film.
[Read more…] about Sleeping Beauty is not Sleeping Beauty’s Protagonist. Here’s why…Today, I’m breaking a solemn rule amongst reviewers: don’t write a review until you’ve finished the thing. The thing, of course, being a book. Or a movie. Or The Matrix Reloaded.
In this case though, the rule-breaking has a particular point:
If a story doesn’t engage with its audience by at least the quarter mark, it does not matter how epic or excellent the rest of the story is. It will be nearly impossible for the story to recapture its audience and provide a resonate conclusion.
I gave The Matrix Reloaded the benefit of the doubt and watched through the halfway point. Then, the unthinkable.
I turned it off.
Here’s why:
[Read more…] about Why I Won’t Finish The Matrix ReloadedAs its name suggests, the purpose of the action prologue is to thrust the audience into your story as quickly as possible.
This particular prologue has little time to bother with narrations or opening expositions. It’s sole objective is to build character, introduce your story-world, set the tone, hook the audience, and lay the foundations for your plot. Oh yeah – and be separated by the rest of the story with one key ingredient:
[Read more…] about 7 Keys for Writing an Action PrologueDistractions are the great writing-killers. They’re subtle, nasty, and have a sneaky habit of inserting themselves into our good intentions. Many a good intention have succumbed to the odorless poison that is distractions until, gradually, all that is left are the ashes of time, lost and forgotten.
Maybe that’s a taaaad extreme, but if you’re a writer, filmmaker, or really any type of creative, I’d wager you’ve gone to battle against distractions and trudged home victor-less more than you’d care to admit. Me too.
While some distractions are certainly legitimate (i.e., family emergency), too many could easily be avoided by 1) Knowing what these little enemies look like, and 2) securing a plan to evade, avoid, or eliminate them.
[Read more…] about 6 Steps for Conquering Writing DistractionsEvery blogger is required by universal law to compile a year-one reflection on their endeavors. Right?
Kidding aside, this post originally began as a top-10 favorite movie list before thankfully morphing into a more useful summation of practices I dug-up during my first 12 months of writing for the web. My hope is that you will also find these practices helpful as you pursue your own epic goals!
A mere 18 months ago, I scoffed at the notion of blogging, podcasting, or YouTubing, but as is typically in life, the Lord showed me how foolish my own simple ideas are. He not only gracefully shoved me towards these arenas, but allowed me to understand the creative pleasure that a disciplined embracing of these mediums can offer.
[Read more…] about 10 things I learned during my first year blogging.Let’s face it. We’re selfish story consumers.
We crave stories for what they do to our soul. We want to be changed by the stories we experience. We want to vicariously experience tales that rip us from comfortable homes, or permit us to escape unpleasant ones. Stories help us wrestle with truths and grow beyond what individual experiences alone can teach us.
With the plethora of stories available to us 21st Century story-lovers, not any old tale will do. We want stories whose characters clutch our hearts, tightening the grip until their journey is complete.
If you’re reading this, I’d wager it’s because you have an un-quenching desire to tell tales as equally as bold as the stories which changed your own life. To craft memorable characters who root deep within the hearts of your readers.
Creating unforgettable characters is a noble venture indeed. It is also mind-numbingly challenging. And while there is no formula for doing so, there are a few tried-and-true elements that all great protagonists have. I hope these principles help you on your journey of bringing to life characters who change the lives of not only your readers, but yours as well.
[Read more…] about The 7 Elements of a Great Protagonist
