Wednesday Writing--My Take on the Story Telling Process

A story can bring a listener or reader into a world that can  sometimes not be experienced. It can also create a beautifully detailed account of real life. No matter what story you choose to read, there is always a reason behind them. The author is the master and the lord of the land that he/she has crafted into reality. I know just a little bit about this process because I currently writing a bit myself.

Photo by: Brian Richard (2013)

Now I am not the best creative writer, but I am definitely learning. I started about two years ago with an idea for a novel which i planned to pursue. Unfortunately, I was distracted by schooling which seems to happen a lot and I ended up with about 32 pages of a story and no more interest. I found that I was continuously writing action scenes and leaving out plot development and character arcs. This was not the story I had planned on.

I then changed my mind and decided to create a spec pilot script of this story but change the setting and the characters and make it a bit darker. It is what i am currently working on now and i have to say, I like it. Just to mention, I am only finished with the pilot draft and started on the second episode draft. This process has been going for about a year. It is a lot of work but I want to share that work with you.

The Idea

When I first began to come up with a series, I started with an already workable story line. If you don't have any ideas about where you are going, just look around you. Ideas will come from the strangest of places. The one thing to remember is to write what you would want to read or see. 

For example, walk around your neighborhood and find an interesting place. It can be and old ornate house, a giant tree, even a stop sign. Nothing has to be overly specific because once you see something that interests you all you have to do is make up a story around it.

Lets use the ideas above and create something.

• Maybe the old house you spot is so quirky looking that it could be the home of a retired private investigator who now writes murder mysteries. 
• That tree could have been the scene of a beautiful wedding between two people 
• The stop sign on the corner might be where a tragic accident took place.

These are simple ideas and writing them out can help you determine what you might want to write about. I actually like the first one so lets put something together. I am going to make a few changes though.

• A murder mystery writer is plunged into real police investigations when she realizes, after reading of an incident that seems familiar to her, that her books are being used to used to commit very real crimes. 

Now i know that sounds like Murder She wrote or Castle. Both are great shows and it is okay  use them as examples to create your own version with a unique style. Remember that all series are simply variations of another series. Keep writing and thinking and this could be a great one.

Characters

Now as for characters, this takes quite a long time for me to create. I start out with just simple gender ideas. If I want a woman character I call her lead female and then place her in the plot of the story. In this case, female lead is the murder mystery writer. I would then create a table that has their wants and fears. Knowing your characters will help you write for them. 

As a writer you also have to make sure that characters do not have the same style of voice. If everyone talks the same way, how will anyone connect with them. They have to be real and real people are all unique. 

Another thing to consider is diversity. Yes, the white character seems like the choice to make but I am sick of those leads. Think outside the box. Some shows like Scandal on ABC is an example of a show with a great diverse lead. Maybe give your character African, Asian, Middle Eastern or Indian heritage. Get the audience to fall in love with their personality and their struggle and you will have a great show on your hands.

Episodes

So for this area, i just simply write and write and write. There is nothing really I can say but write. I start with full drafts that are about 15-25 pages long then i take those drafts and forget about them. Come back to them later after you have moved on to the next episode draft. Once you look at it again, some ideas that you wrote will work and some will not. Don't be afraid to make changes. You will also see arcs start to come together and connections come full circle. Remember to get others to read your work because if they don't like it, no one else will. 

I am still working on the whole script writing process myself so i will recommend these books The Screenwriter's Handbook by Syd Field and Inside the Room: Writing Television with the Pros at UCLA Extension Writers' Program edited by Linda Davis

So I don't Bore you anymore that is Story telling According to B.

Hope that you can use some of this to help you write and definitely check out those books. They are a big help for me.