Using Fiction Techniques To Tell True Stories
What The Movies Can Teach Us
How to Grab Readers' Attention
Narrative does not (usually) tell the reader about the story as traditional journalists do but as novelists and screen writers do. The narrative writer reveals the story so the reader watches and comes to the reader's own conclusions about the significance of the events the reader has observed. Show, don't tell. Mark Twain: "Don't say the old lady screamed -- bring her on and let her scream."
-- Don Murray
Foreshadowing
Creates suspense. Creates anticipation.
A clue or allusion in the story predicting a later event or revelation. Something a character says or does. An event whose full meaning is not understood until much later, etc. Foreshadowing can be spooky/obvious or hidden. But it should be an obvious clue in retrospect.
Alfred Hitchcock on bombs and tension
Chekhov’s gun
What it means for you: Choose details carefully. Helps you decide what to include and what to discard.
Character development
Characters not only exist in three dimensions — but they somehow change over the course of the story.
Emotional attachment
What drives/motivates the character?
History of how they got this point — and where they are going.
Movies like Royal Tennebaums and Lost in Translation
Dude in Big Lebowski
Dialogue
Conflict/Plot
Confrontation between two or more things, one wins
as defined by legendary screenwriting coach Syd Field
Act 1/Set up -------------- Inciting Incident --------- Plot Pt. 1/Reversal ----- End Act 1
Intro characters / goals
Set place and time
Event sets plot in motion
New event, plot moves in new dir.
Act 2 / Confrontation -------- Midpoint ---------------- Plot Pt. 2 --------------- End Act 2
Lead confronts obstacles
Again and again
Lead seems to achieve goals
Everything falls apart
New event, plot moves in new dir.
Act 3 / Resolution ------------ Climax ------------------Denouement ----------- End Act 3
High action
Tension at highest
Obstacles dealt with
Wrap up / Big picture/ calm
*******************
ACT 1
Marty McFly goes to see Doc at his garage. Not there. Gets phone call. Doc says meet me at the mall at 1:15 a.m. Goes to school. Dreams of being a rock-n-roll star. Talks with his girlfriend. Notes that the clock tower has been broken since being struck by lightning 40 years ago. Dad (George) is a wimp. Biff is dad's boss and acts like a jerk to dad. Home life is kinda depressing.
Inciting Incident
Has to go meet Doc at mall. Sends dog Einstein 1 minute into the future. Car returns. Doc sets machine to go back 40 years, to the time when he first thought of a time travel machine. Doc gets shot by Libyans in mall lot. Marty jumps in Delorean ... back in time he goes.
Plot Pt. 1
How will he go back?
ACT II
Goes back to 1955. Runs out of gas. Marty McFly walks into town after hiding the car. Marty sees that Biff has bullied and tormented George since they were both teenagers. Follows his future dad and sees his peeping in on his future mom. Says dad's life by pushing him out of car's way. Ends up in his future mom's house, being cared for by her. Finds Doc. Tells him he's from the future.
Midpoint
Doc vows to get him back to the future. But how? Recalls lightning strike set to happen soon.
Plot Pt. 2
But Mart's family photos are fading due to his interference from traveling back in time. He needs to get his parents back on track.
As Marty fades away while playing the guitar in the school dance, his parents finally kiss, causing him to rise up and keep playing the song. His brother and sister appear in the picture again, and it seems his future is secure.
Act 3
Need to get back to future. Lightning strike sends him on his way. Marty sets to arrive 15 minutes early to prevent Doc's death.
Climax
Races to the scene but is too late. Discovers Doc is wearing a bullet-proof vest. Doc reveals he plans to go 30 years in the future next.
Denouement
Doc shows up dressed in futuristic clothing. Tells Marty to get in. "Where we're going, we don't need roads."
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