Thursday, September 21, 2006

Under the surface

I was rereading Robert McKee's Story as my before going to sleep reading.

A the moment he is my favourite author on writing. Possibly because much of what he says is very advanced, and he uses graphs and logic tables.

In any conflict, it is the dilemma that is important. A choice between an obvious yes or no, is not really a choice. It is the choices that are less clear cut that make for an interesting story. Can someone want two irreconciable things at the same time? Can the character actually fail to complete the circle? How is the character going to change? Dilemmas create tension, far more than clear cut choices.

The other thing that jumped out a t me last night was that the same reaction, the same beat does not change anything and you go into a holding pattern. Action/reaction shouldresult in a gap and then a change.

And another thing: the old maxim -- it is a scene is ony about what is shown on the surface, the writer is trouble as there is no tension.

Tomorrow I am off to London. It will be fun, and thre will be CAKE involved or so I have been informed. Me? I am a great cake eater. I see no problems with cake. Ice cream can be good too.

5 comments:

Nell Dixon said...

Cake is good. G;ad you feel better, have a great time.

Anonymous said...

Ice cream is even better. Especially if it's coffee ice cream. But cake will do nicely :oD

Doesn't McKee also suggest looking at the difference between what your characters THINK they want and what they ACTUALLY want? (From memory, there's something about what other people think the character wants, too - and there's a nice tension between all three.)

Have a safe trip - see ya tomorrow!

Anonymous said...

My baby wants cake!!!

See you tomorrow!

Donna Alward said...

Have a great time - and have cake for me too. :-)

Your post gave me great relief as my heroine wants two opposing things at the same time.

Anonymous said...

Yay on the cake! And double-yay on your blurb! :)