Slides show some key points of what I learned while getting a certificate in screen writing for feature film and how the art of story and advanced writing skills can be used to improve technical writing. We technical writers can use some of these concepts to promote our skills as writers within environments where technical skills are seen as paramount.

1. A Technical Writer’s Trip to
Hollywood
—or—
What can we learn from Master
Classes in writing, anyway?
© Elisa Sawyer 2000-2013
ascribe@gmail.com

2. Opening scene of “Casablaca” sets the context of the story.

3. …who we (they) are…
…what we’re (they’re) doing…
…context…
…context…

4. WHERE I STARTED…
Grant proposal writing:
Mission, Goals, Objectives; start with the executive summary, re-
write until the last minute.
SDK documentation:
The tech-savvy love (live) to solve problems
−but−
if we don’t give them the context they need, they’re forced to solve
our problem before they get to solve theirs.

5. SCREENWRITING IS
TECHNICAL WRITING.
During my first screenwriting class I realized…

6. ADVANCED WRITING SKILLS
Metaphor, characterization, context, story,
irony, word play, relationship, learning theory,
language and culture, neuropsychology,
…and more…

7. THE WRITER AS PROBLEM
SOLVER
Data, metadata, patterns and prejudices…

8. Screenwriting 101
Identify your genre.
−this means−
Know your audience.

9. Screen writing is scene writing
To write a good scene:
• know why the scene is necessary.
• create a beginning, middle and end.
• make the day in which your scene takes
place, unlike any other.
• illustrate a change.
• to make the scene memorable, turn it by
adding a twist.

10. Scene types
Can you think of
structured authoring
topics as scenes?
Is structure
confining, or does it
free you to focus on
what’s important?
Illustrations from Dakota Powell’s course materials for “Theme and Scene,” UCLAX

11. Assemble Scenes into Story Arc
From: http://www.thewritersjourney.com/hero%27s_journey.htm#Memo

12. Vogler’s Famous Memo
Christopher Vogler, memo written in mid-1980’s while at Disney Studios

13. The Hero’s Journey
The “Hollywood Formula” emerged out of
“what works,” in three acts:
• Call to adventure resisted and then
answered.
• Journey into unknown to overcome
insurmountable obstacles.
• Victory and return with elixir.

14. Cross-cultural arcs
Identifying patterns that persist across
cultures helps to increase understanding.
Used with permission of Rosalyn L. Bruyere, from her coursework on
“Sacred Medicine Wheel”

15. Back to scene/story structure
As an information architect, which director
would you like to emulate?

16. Another look at story
• Opening image
• Theme stated
• Set-up
• Catalyst
• Debate
• Break into two
• B-story
• Fun and games
• Midpoint
• Bad guys close in
• All is lost
• Dark night of the soul
• Break into three
• Finale
• Final Image
From Blake Snyder’s “Save the Cat”

17. CHARACTER
Make your characters immediately knowable.
Create character arcs with satisfying endings.

18. Scott Myers’ Five Archetypes:
• Protagonist
• Nemesis
• Attractor
• Mentor
• Trickster
“A character archetype is an ideal example of a
fictional character who has a specific narrative
function.”
Included with permission of Scott Myers. His blog: gointothestory.com

19. Using Dreyfus’ model of skill acquisition
Skill Level Experience Needs
Master Creates new traditions Core concepts
Expert Intuitive grasp of many
situations
Patterns
Proficient Zeros in accurately on
important areas
Maxims
Competent Understands standard
practices
Guidance on salient
features
Advanced beginner Recognizes recurring
aspects
Rules with some
context
Beginner Little to none Context-free rules
Dreyfus, Stuart E.; Dreyfus, Hubert L. (February 1980). A Five-Stage Model of the Mental Activities Involved in Directed Skill Acquisition

20. Make exposition fun
Me
I think that when we do exposition really well, it becomes part
of the story itself and doesn't seem like exposition any more.
That, I think, is my take-away from this course.
Scott
Precisely. Either it's fascinating, mysterious or a revelation and
the content itself transcends exposition, or the way in which
it's conveyed via conflict, action or humor 'shrouds' the
exposition and comes across as entertaining. Thanks for
that summary. It's a keeper.

21. Levels of abstraction
State of being
Archetypal
Abstract symbolic
Literal symbolic
Objective reality

22. Bridge
• State of being—" "
• Archetypal—"As our top diplomat, he’s the
bridge between our cultures."
• Abstract symbolic—"Let’s build bridges between
our departments"
• Literal symbolic—"We’re using the conference
bridge."
• Objective reality—"I cross the Bay Bridge every
morning."

23. Networking Layers (levels)
This graphic courtesy of http://www.boran.com/security/it10-lan-wan.html.

24. Realities of technology
• Technology thrives on specialization
• Each specialty has its own language and culture
• Specialists have internalized organizing
concepts and don’t mention them. 
• Technical writers are interpreters
Risk when using specialist’s
descriptions for wider audiences:
discrete bits of information without
context makes them inaccessible

25. WHERE ARE WE?
A look at “Inception” and “Source Code.”

26. Change to resist or embrace

27. Chief O’Brien
It’s not a computer, it’s an adversary!
Devices as characters
From Star Trek DS 9, S1 E17

28. Understanding the user POV
Under the right circumstances, people enjoy
solving problems,
−but−
if we don’t give them the context they need,
they’re forced to solve someone else’s
problem before they get to the point of
solving theirs.

29. Interactions between the user, their
goal, the device, software and Help
Do these map to the five archetypes?
Protagonist
Nemesis
Attractor
Mentor
Trickster

30. Quark
I’m stuck with you!
Odo
No, I’m stuck with you, which is infinitely worse!
Whose point of view? Does it matter?
From Star Trek DS 9, S3 E7

31. DITA: Object Oriented
Authoring
• Topics are like scenes.
• Software architects tend to think in
metaphor, like writers.
• Stories might look linear but they are
neither linear in software nor in movies.

32. Lessons
• Find the stories.
• Writing is re-writing.
• Be aware of the characters.
• Don’t get distracted by the special effects.
• Sometimes our “worst” ideas are worthy.
• We write love stories for nerds.