Arcs & Lenses
Jodi of “Will Work for Noodles” fame posted the other day about one of her papparazzi moments similar to the one I had when I read Leigh Michael’s book On Writing Romance and how the conflict/force thing has to work in order for this arc to occur. Jodi’s post completed the circuit for me. I’ll wait while you click here to go read it.
No really, I’ll wait.
Ok. So she was talking about Virginia Kantra was explaining how the meeting, initial conflict, vulnerability, honesty, and acceptance that your hero and heroine (H/h) go through the story to reach their Happily Ever After (HEA).
This idea combined with MIchael’s take on how you have to have complementary problems for your H/h and a force that’s compelling enough to keep them from just walking away from the frustration that you’re putting them through really made a whole lot of sense to me.
I’ve had this bouncing around my head as I’m writing up the basic scene descriptions that I find it easier to work from as I go through a first draft for the Flower Queen’s Daughter story I’ve been talking about, but haven’t shown much progress on. I’ve been trying to look past it and let it settle in the background of my thoughts, but it’s helped pull out some significant moments in my outline. And yes, they seem to fall where Dunne refers to as points of no return. It’s exciting when things fall into place! Or at least feel like it.
The other thing that’s been running through my mind today was Andi, the unhinged one’s question to Jodi and me if it was possible to stuff too much craft into one’s head or at least too many different styles of approach. I think I’ve decided that since we’re fairly visually oriented people, that I want to describe the different approaches as different lenses. I’m easily distracted, ooh, shiny? Niiice…
Oh yes. Sorry, back now. Different lenses. My brain bounces around a lot. Focus is frequently an issue for me, so all this craft stuff bounces in and out of focus on me as well. This means I don’t always realize what needs to happen just because Dunne says around this point you should be thinking about having New Dangers Defeat Old Weapons and Emotional Defeat or Vogler says you have to show Tests, Allies, & Enemies and others just call the Mid Point. BUT, if I have them lined up in my handy spreadsheet and can see them all side by side, I can flip through the available lenses and use the one that makes the most sense at the moment.
Now, the other thing I’ve been thinking about is form vs formula. This is Robert McKee’s fault. I go back and forth on my reliance on my spreadsheet. I think at this point I’m allowed a crutch, though. You see, I haven’t internalized things enough to push the vague formula into organic form yet. I need reminders.
Andi also mentioned that she needed to learn through trial by fire or learning by doing. I agree with this to a point. Things click when I read them, but it seems to take me at least two iterations for them to click on the page.
I was going to ask a pithy and thought-provoking question here at the end, but my brain’s on overload from all I managed to get done today. I’m planning on going into May with a solid plan in hand and just writing all month for RD’s RoDiWriMo. Eep, one more day left and 9 scenes to capture the details on!
That is an interesting question about too much craft — and what about when different lenses point you in different directions?
I know (for me) when I use tools they’re more as a thermometer than a tool (yes, yes, I realize a thermometer is technically a tool) — but to check that something works, not to create something – so I find them interesting and am curious about when they clash.
Thanks – me
Luckily, I haven’t run into that problem at least not with radically conflicting directions. Either that or I totally missed the point and ignore the direction of one of the lenses and go with the one that makes the most sense at the moment. Always possible. =)
So let’s see what lenses I have in my toolbox and how I use them:
Dunne’s Emotional Structure Arc
Why do we care about this point in the story? This one includes both action and emotional high points. What scenes in my story will fufill this purpose or goal?
Vogler’s take on the Hero’s Journey
This is mostly focused on the actions that need to be taken, but can also spark ideas on WHY these things need to happen.
I use those two the most. Instead of checking if I hit those goals after the fact, I need to know what I need to be aiming at in the first place. I don’t have that sense of staging and sequencing in my head other than as a passive, instinctual reader.
Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat
This one is very similar to Vogler’s, but the wording is different enough that it sparks ideas when the other two don’t. The premise is there are 15 important beats hit by every successful story/film. (Yes another screenwriter lens).
Leigh Michael’s conflict/force idea
I was blown away by her ideas about short-term and long-term problems for the hero and heroine in a romance story. How they have to be both the best and worst people for them to be with. Combine this with the idea of a compelling force that makes them stay to fix the problems instead of running away from that annoying author throwing rocks at them and you’ve got a good way to judge if your characters will spark and sustain.
Hmmm. What else do I use, either consciously or subconsciously, as a lens?
Nancy Kress’ Beginnings, Middles and Ends
This one mostly for beginnings and trying to decide where the right spot to start a story lies. This one still feels clunky and unfocused. The others are feeling a bit more comfortable and part of the process instead of having to stop and really think about it.
I’ve also talked about my need for a roadmap to get me from start, through the middle and to the end of a story. I also found I need to know lots of things about a scene before I write it. Hence, my project this week of writing out all those scene descriptions so I can focus on cranking out word count during May.
It may sound silly to some, but I need to know beforehand who’s in a scene, where, when, why, and what needs to happen and be accomplished and what conflict occurs. The amazing thing is when my characters STILL manage to surprise me within this framework.
Anyway, hope that makes sense, Bria.
Kaige wrote:
“Andi also mentioned that she needed to learn through trial by fire or learning by doing. I agree with this to a point. Things click when I read them, but it seems to take me at least two iterations for them to click on the page.”
For for these different lenses/approaches from your toolbox that you’ve shared, in order for me to understand them, I would have to do some writing with each idea in mind. And take them one at a time. Which is probably exactly what I’ll do once I have my entire story written. I need to get it all out as soon as I can, stopping only to eat, sleep, or go to work.
With that in mind, off I go!
Oh, geeze, where’s my proofer?