This document summarizes a workshop on developing original story ideas. It discusses exploring the kernel of an original idea and shaping it into a story. Attendees will learn how to generate ideas, fan the spark of an idea into a fire by developing plot, characters, stakes, and setting. The workshop also covers focusing an idea and determining if it is just a story or something more substantial, like conveying an emotion or theme. Attendees will then learn how to turn their idea into a narrative by creating a treatment and outline to develop the story without being chained to the initial idea.
Fiction Secrets: Pitching, Selling, and Promoting Thrillersggaldorisi
This workshop will focus on the challenges – and opportunities – regarding getting your novel accepted by a mainstream publishing house. Learn how to decide what to write about, how to pitch a story to publishers and agents, how to seal the deal once the pitch gets a nibble, and how to team with your publisher to promote your book. While the primary focus will be on getting published by a mainstream publisher, we’ll also examine how some of these same lessons apply to the world of e-books and print-on-demand.
The Conflict Box by Bob Mayer (updated 2016)Bob Mayer
Writing a novel and getting it published: That's your goal. And nothing
will keep you from making it happen. Such a goal, of course, presents
a number of challenges. Make sure you have the tools you need to
overcome them and succeed.
In THE NOVEL WRITER'S TOOLKIT, NY Times Best-Selling author
Bob Mayer shares a veteran writer's hard-won advice with a style that's
straight from the hip. He lays out the nuts and bolts of novel writing, along
with guidelines for starting, finishing and revising your work.
You'll learn how to:
Develop story-worthy ideas
Translate those ideas into a compelling plot
-- one that keeps readers mesmerized
Pace your story for maximum excitement
Create realistic, complicated characters
Submit attention-getting manuscripts
Self-contained chapters make it easy to focus on the just the elements you
need. Take in the advice, sharpen your skills, and hit the ground running.
Mayer provides all the reliable information and instruction you need to
make your dreams of publication come true.
What are you waiting for? THE NOVEL WRITER'S TOOLKIT ensures
that you're properly equipped for success!
“A book to inspire, instruct and challenge the writer in everyone.”
#1 NY Times Best-Selling Author Susan Wiggs
"An invaluable resource for beginning and seasoned writers alike. Don't miss out."
#1 NY Times Best-Selling Author Terry Brooks
The Original Idea: The Seed of Your StoryBob Mayer
The idea is the heart of your story. Knowing it keeps you on target to complete the book and succeed. Idea is not story. Being able to state your idea in one sentence is key. We often spend an entire day at our writing workshop getting the four attendees to pin this one sentence down, but that's how important it is!
“A book to inspire, instruct and challenge the writer in everyone.”
#1 NY Times Best-Selling Author Susan Wiggs
"An invaluable resource for beginning and seasoned writers alike. Don't miss out."
#1 NY Times Best-Selling Author Terry Brooks
Are you feeling stuck with your memoir, drowning in scenes or content without any clear direction for what to do next? It's likely you need to get clear on the structure of your memoir--and there are multiple viable choices you can make. Whether you need clarity or a total overhaul where structure is concerned, this hour-long memoir is just what you need to execute a readable memoir your readers will love. Watch the video at: https://youtu.be/PiYcshFwQ2E
Writing a novel and getting it published: That's your goal. And nothing will keep you from making it happen. Such a goal, of course, presents a number of challenges. Make sure you have the tools you need to overcome them and succeed.
In THE NOVEL WRITER'S TOOLKIT, NY Times Best-Selling author Bob Mayer shares a veteran writer's hard-won advice with a style that's straight from the hip. He lays out the nuts and bolts of novel writing, along with guidelines for starting, finishing and revising your work.
You'll learn how to:
Develop story-worthy ideas
Translate those ideas into a compelling plot
-- one that keeps readers mesmerized
Pace your story for maximum excitement
Create realistic, complicated characters
Submit attention-getting manuscripts
Self-contained chapters make it easy to focus on the just the elements you
need. Take in the advice, sharpen your skills, and hit the ground running.
Mayer provides all the reliable information and instruction you need to
make your dreams of publication come true.
What are you waiting for? THE NOVEL WRITER'S TOOLKIT ensures that you're properly equipped for success!
“A book to inspire, instruct and challenge the writer in everyone.”
#1 NY Times Best-Selling Author Susan Wiggs
"An invaluable resource for beginning and seasoned writers alike. Don't miss out."
#1 NY Times Best-Selling Author Terry Brooks
"Something for every writer, from neophyte to old hand. My hat is off to Bob." Best-Selling Myster Writer Elizabeth George
What do you remember about your favorite book? Was it plot or character? Characters provide the emotion of the story and what we relate to. Where do they come from? How do you develop them?
Fiction Secrets: Pitching, Selling, and Promoting Thrillersggaldorisi
This workshop will focus on the challenges – and opportunities – regarding getting your novel accepted by a mainstream publishing house. Learn how to decide what to write about, how to pitch a story to publishers and agents, how to seal the deal once the pitch gets a nibble, and how to team with your publisher to promote your book. While the primary focus will be on getting published by a mainstream publisher, we’ll also examine how some of these same lessons apply to the world of e-books and print-on-demand.
The Conflict Box by Bob Mayer (updated 2016)Bob Mayer
Writing a novel and getting it published: That's your goal. And nothing
will keep you from making it happen. Such a goal, of course, presents
a number of challenges. Make sure you have the tools you need to
overcome them and succeed.
In THE NOVEL WRITER'S TOOLKIT, NY Times Best-Selling author
Bob Mayer shares a veteran writer's hard-won advice with a style that's
straight from the hip. He lays out the nuts and bolts of novel writing, along
with guidelines for starting, finishing and revising your work.
You'll learn how to:
Develop story-worthy ideas
Translate those ideas into a compelling plot
-- one that keeps readers mesmerized
Pace your story for maximum excitement
Create realistic, complicated characters
Submit attention-getting manuscripts
Self-contained chapters make it easy to focus on the just the elements you
need. Take in the advice, sharpen your skills, and hit the ground running.
Mayer provides all the reliable information and instruction you need to
make your dreams of publication come true.
What are you waiting for? THE NOVEL WRITER'S TOOLKIT ensures
that you're properly equipped for success!
“A book to inspire, instruct and challenge the writer in everyone.”
#1 NY Times Best-Selling Author Susan Wiggs
"An invaluable resource for beginning and seasoned writers alike. Don't miss out."
#1 NY Times Best-Selling Author Terry Brooks
The Original Idea: The Seed of Your StoryBob Mayer
The idea is the heart of your story. Knowing it keeps you on target to complete the book and succeed. Idea is not story. Being able to state your idea in one sentence is key. We often spend an entire day at our writing workshop getting the four attendees to pin this one sentence down, but that's how important it is!
“A book to inspire, instruct and challenge the writer in everyone.”
#1 NY Times Best-Selling Author Susan Wiggs
"An invaluable resource for beginning and seasoned writers alike. Don't miss out."
#1 NY Times Best-Selling Author Terry Brooks
Are you feeling stuck with your memoir, drowning in scenes or content without any clear direction for what to do next? It's likely you need to get clear on the structure of your memoir--and there are multiple viable choices you can make. Whether you need clarity or a total overhaul where structure is concerned, this hour-long memoir is just what you need to execute a readable memoir your readers will love. Watch the video at: https://youtu.be/PiYcshFwQ2E
Writing a novel and getting it published: That's your goal. And nothing will keep you from making it happen. Such a goal, of course, presents a number of challenges. Make sure you have the tools you need to overcome them and succeed.
In THE NOVEL WRITER'S TOOLKIT, NY Times Best-Selling author Bob Mayer shares a veteran writer's hard-won advice with a style that's straight from the hip. He lays out the nuts and bolts of novel writing, along with guidelines for starting, finishing and revising your work.
You'll learn how to:
Develop story-worthy ideas
Translate those ideas into a compelling plot
-- one that keeps readers mesmerized
Pace your story for maximum excitement
Create realistic, complicated characters
Submit attention-getting manuscripts
Self-contained chapters make it easy to focus on the just the elements you
need. Take in the advice, sharpen your skills, and hit the ground running.
Mayer provides all the reliable information and instruction you need to
make your dreams of publication come true.
What are you waiting for? THE NOVEL WRITER'S TOOLKIT ensures that you're properly equipped for success!
“A book to inspire, instruct and challenge the writer in everyone.”
#1 NY Times Best-Selling Author Susan Wiggs
"An invaluable resource for beginning and seasoned writers alike. Don't miss out."
#1 NY Times Best-Selling Author Terry Brooks
"Something for every writer, from neophyte to old hand. My hat is off to Bob." Best-Selling Myster Writer Elizabeth George
What do you remember about your favorite book? Was it plot or character? Characters provide the emotion of the story and what we relate to. Where do they come from? How do you develop them?
Plot Part I: Research and Narrative QuestionsBob Mayer
Writing a novel and getting it published: That's your goal. And nothing will keep you from making it happen. Such a goal, of course, presents a number of challenges. Make sure you have the tools you need to overcome them and succeed.
In THE NOVEL WRITER'S TOOLKIT, NY Times Best-Selling author Bob Mayer shares a veteran writer's hard-won advice with a style that's straight from the hip. He lays out the nuts and bolts of novel writing, along with guidelines for starting, finishing and revising your work.
You'll learn how to:
Develop story-worthy ideas
Translate those ideas into a compelling plot
-- one that keeps readers mesmerized
Pace your story for maximum excitement
Create realistic, complicated characters
Submit attention-getting manuscripts
Self-contained chapters make it easy to focus on the just the elements you need. Take in the advice, sharpen your skills, and hit the ground running. Mayer provides all the reliable information and instruction you need to
make your dreams of publication come true.
What are you waiting for? THE NOVEL WRITER'S TOOLKIT ensures that you're properly equipped for success!
“A book to inspire, instruct and challenge the writer in everyone.”
#1 NY Times Best-Selling Author Susan Wiggs
"An invaluable resource for beginning and seasoned writers alike. Don't miss out."
#1 NY Times Best-Selling Author Terry Brooks
"Something for every writer, from neophyte to old hand. My hat is off to Bob." Best-Selling Myster Writer Elizabeth George
The Brute Force and Ignorance Approach: Writing when you have no plan, no plo...Vincent O'Neil
Award-winning novelist Vincent H. O'Neil's comprehensive workshop on generating and shaping an idea, from brainstorming to plot development. Presented at the Sleuthfest mystery convention in Boca Raton, Florida in 2017.
A live audio version of this workshop, along with the live audio for three more of the presentations I have posted on this site, are available for purchase from VW Tapes: Conference & Seminar Recording. If the link below doesn't work, please go to the VW Tapes webpage and type my name in the Search box.
http://vwtapes.com/search.aspx?find=Vincent%20O'Neil&fbclid=IwAR0SkwWW5izLbBFvZHKhqOI953GMXhhsFBsg749We3dvq4-43BcFj_S-aMU
The idea is the heart of your story. Knowing it keeps you on target to complete the book and succeed. Idea is not story. Being able to state your idea in one sentence is key. We often spend an entire day at our writing workshop getting the four attendees to pin this one sentence down, but that's how important it is!
Algorithms of Armageddon: What Happens When We Insert AI Into Our Military ...ggaldorisi
Autonomous & Hypersonic
Weapon Systems Conference
November 4-6, 2020
George Galdorisi (Captain U.S. Navy – retired)
Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific
Dr. Sam Tangredi (Captain U.S. Navy – retired)
U.S. Naval War College
Model Attribute Check Company Auto PropertyCeline George
In Odoo, the multi-company feature allows you to manage multiple companies within a single Odoo database instance. Each company can have its own configurations while still sharing common resources such as products, customers, and suppliers.
The Indian economy is classified into different sectors to simplify the analysis and understanding of economic activities. For Class 10, it's essential to grasp the sectors of the Indian economy, understand their characteristics, and recognize their importance. This guide will provide detailed notes on the Sectors of the Indian Economy Class 10, using specific long-tail keywords to enhance comprehension.
For more information, visit-www.vavaclasses.com
Instructions for Submissions thorugh G- Classroom.pptxJheel Barad
This presentation provides a briefing on how to upload submissions and documents in Google Classroom. It was prepared as part of an orientation for new Sainik School in-service teacher trainees. As a training officer, my goal is to ensure that you are comfortable and proficient with this essential tool for managing assignments and fostering student engagement.
Welcome to TechSoup New Member Orientation and Q&A (May 2024).pdfTechSoup
In this webinar you will learn how your organization can access TechSoup's wide variety of product discount and donation programs. From hardware to software, we'll give you a tour of the tools available to help your nonprofit with productivity, collaboration, financial management, donor tracking, security, and more.
Palestine last event orientationfvgnh .pptxRaedMohamed3
An EFL lesson about the current events in Palestine. It is intended to be for intermediate students who wish to increase their listening skills through a short lesson in power point.
2024.06.01 Introducing a competency framework for languag learning materials ...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflwebinar2024
Published classroom materials form the basis of syllabuses, drive teacher professional development, and have a potentially huge influence on learners, teachers and education systems. All teachers also create their own materials, whether a few sentences on a blackboard, a highly-structured fully-realised online course, or anything in between. Despite this, the knowledge and skills needed to create effective language learning materials are rarely part of teacher training, and are mostly learnt by trial and error.
Knowledge and skills frameworks, generally called competency frameworks, for ELT teachers, trainers and managers have existed for a few years now. However, until I created one for my MA dissertation, there wasn’t one drawing together what we need to know and do to be able to effectively produce language learning materials.
This webinar will introduce you to my framework, highlighting the key competencies I identified from my research. It will also show how anybody involved in language teaching (any language, not just English!), teacher training, managing schools or developing language learning materials can benefit from using the framework.
4. Finding the Heart of Your Story: Your Original Idea
This session will help attendees explore the most basic – yet
most important – element of the writing craft, the original idea
that is the essence of your story. We will first examine how
generating this original idea works for both fiction and non-
fiction. We will deep-dive into where original ideas come from
and then progress to how to shape that kernel of an idea into
novel, narrative non-fiction, or even a screenplay. Attendees will
be provided with online access to all workshop material.
6. A Few Preliminaries….
• Three promises:
– This will be a focused session geared to ensuring success
– We’ll learn something…and we’ll have fun
– You’ll have access to these slides…take notes…or not….
• Three assumptions:
– You all are interested in nurturing your story idea
– You would like to turn your idea into a novel or….
– You didn’t wake up last Tuesday morning with this notion
• And a word about Power Point….
8. Finding the Heart of Your Story:
Your Original Idea
• Your Original Idea: The Spark That Starts the Process
• Fanning the Flame: From a Spark to a Fire
• Focusing Your Idea: Divergent to Convergent
• Is It Just a Story – Or Something More?
• Turing the Fire Into a Narrative
• Taming the Beast and Writing Your Novel
10. Finding the Heart of Your Story:
Your Original Idea
• Your Original Idea: Spark That Starts the Process
• Fanning the Flame: From a Spark to a Fire
• Focusing Your Idea: Divergent to Convergent
• Is It Just a Story – Or Something More?
• Turing the Fire Into a Narrative
• Taming the Beast and Writing Your Novel
11. Your Original Idea:
The Spark That Starts the Process
• The coolest thing about writing!
• Only you are the steward of your original idea
• Can you state your idea in one sentence?
• Ideas can be absolutely anything
• Outward vs. inward focus
• A few examples
12. Only You Are the Steward of Your Original Idea
• It is your idea and your idea alone
• You have to nurture it, don’t share it yet
• It is the foundation of your book
• Above all else, it is the spark of inspiration for you
• Don’t do too much, let it germinate
• Come up with another idea, is the first still the best?
13. Can You State Your Idea In One Sentence?
• If you can’t do this, start over and find a new one
• This one sentence ignites your creative focus
• It is often the core of the pitch to sell your book
• Remembering just one sentence keeps you focused
16. Ideas Can Be Absolutely Anything
• A high concept
• A theme
• A plot
• A character
• A “what if”
• A setting or scene
17. Outward vs. Inward Focus
• A situation idea is outward focused
• Your situation idea focuses on a plot and a problem
• A character idea is inward focused
• Your character idea focuses on character and intent
• The key to success is to have your book do both
18. Ideas Can Be A High Concept
• In a post-apocalyptic world, what if the top .1% is
delineated by length of life rather than wealth?
• Burners
19. Ideas Can Be A Theme
• What is more important? Honor or loyalty?
• Duty, Honor, Country
20. Ideas Can Be A Plot
• On the same day, six different years, the Time Patrol
must keep the shadow from changing our timeline.
• Time Patrol
21. Ideas Can Be A Character
• A housewife and female assassin must uncover the
truth of the men in their lives in order to uncover
their destiny.
• Bodyguard of Lies
22. Ideas Can Be A What If
• What if people going into the Witness Protection
Program really disappear?
• Cut Out
23. Ideas Can Be A Setting or Scene
• An international treaty bans weapons in Antarctica:
What if the U.S. put nuclear weapons there and lost
track of them?
• Eternity Base
25. New York Times, Publisher’s
Weekly & USA Today Best-
Seller!
What if a prince in a Middle
Eastern country wanted to get
the United States to attack
another country so his
country could later win a fight
with that country?
26. New York Times, Publisher’s
Weekly & USA Today Best-
Seller!
How does the commanding
officer of a U.S. Navy ship
keep the North Koreans from
capturing her crew after they
run aground on a small island
after losing a gun battle with
North Korean ships?
27. First book of the Rick Holden Thriller
Series - from Braveship Books
What if the most senior officers in the
United States military are so
dissatisfied with the President that
they concoct a scheme to have the
President direct a major military
operation, and then have that
operation fail in order to drive the
President out of office?
28. Second book of the Rick Holden
Thriller Series - from
Braveship Books
What if the Islamic Republic of
Iran is killing Americans in
terrorist attacks and other actions
and the United States is not taking
action? And what is a carrier strike
group commander with a wide
array of strike assets at his
disposal decides to create and
incident that has Iran’s
fingerprints all over it and uses
this as an excuse to extract his
own vengeance on Iran? Can he
be stopped?
29. Finding the Heart of Your Story:
Your Original Idea
• Your Original Idea: The Spark That Starts the Process
• Fanning the Flame: From a Spark to a Fire
• Focusing Your Idea: Divergent to Convergent
• Is It Just a Story – Or Something More?
• Turing the Fire Into a Narrative
• Taming the Beast and Writing Your Novel
30. Fanning the Flame: From a Spark to a Fire
• Is your idea different?
• No? Now what?
• Every idea has been done before
• “It’s been done before” is the first hurdle
• Check out the Internet Movie Database for log lines
• Try Kipling
31. “Deconstructing” a Movie Log Line
The subject of the sentence will describe (1) an
imperfect but passionate and active protagonist. The
verb will depict (2) the battle. And the direct object will
describe (3) an insurmountable antagonist who tries to
stop the protagonist from reaching (4) a physical goal
on account of (5) the stakes, if the goal is not reached.
32. “Deconstructing” Your Idea:
Putting It On Trial for It’s Life
• Is there a plot?
• Are there a protagonist and an antagonist?
• Is the verb in your idea an active one?
• Is there an inherent conflict that needs to be solved?
33. I keep six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.
Rudyard Kipling
The Elephant’s Child
34. Fanning the Flame: From a Spark to a Fire
• Since every idea has been done before, now what?
• Your idea turns into a story as you fan the flame
• Fan the flame with Kipling’s help:
– What? Plot
– Who? Characters
– Why? What’s at stake
– Where and When? Setting
– How? Beginning, Middle, and End
• Your idea won’t change
• You are going to do it differently
35. Finding the Heart of Your Story:
Your Original Idea
• Your Original Idea: The Spark That Starts the Process
• Fanning the Flame: From a Spark to a Fire
• Focusing Your Idea: Divergent to Convergent
• Is It Just a Story – Or Something More?
• Turing the Fire Into a Narrative
• Taming the Beast and Writing Your Novel
36. Focusing Your Idea: Divergent to Convergent
• Spend a lot of time on divergent thinking
• Save plenty of time for convergent thinking
37. Dean Koontz
On Generating New Story Ideas
• Read!
• Write!
• Tickle the imagination and generate story ideas by
playing around with exotic titles
• Type out a bunch of narrative hooks and find one
that is intriguing
• Prime the idea pump by building up a couple of
characters in enormous detail
• Whatever you write, you must begin your novel by
plunging the hero or heroine into terrible trouble
38. Finding the Heart of Your Story:
Your Original Idea
• Your Original Idea: The Spark That Starts the Process
• Fanning the Flame: From a Spark to a Fire
• Focusing Your Idea: Divergent to Convergent
• Is It Just a Story – Or Something More?
• Turing the Fire Into a Narrative
• Taming the Beast and Writing Your Novel
39. Is It Just a Story –
Or Something More?
• The king died and then the queen died.
– A story
• The king died and then the queen died of grief.
– A plot
• The queen died, and no one knew why, until it was
discovered that it was through grief at the death of
the king.
– A mystery
40. Is It Just a Story – Or Something More?
• What are you selling?
• The “Intent”
– The “why” behind the “what”
– What do you want the reader to feel?
– Is there a beginning, middle and end?
– The payoff to the reader is the resolution
• The “Shiver”
– What excites you about your idea?
– What will excite those you tell it to?
– Is there emotion and passion?
– Can your reader relate to your plot and your characters?
41. Finding the Heart of Your Story:
Your Original Idea
• Your Original Idea: The Spark That Starts the Process
• Fanning the Flame: From a Spark to a Fire
• Focusing Your Idea: Divergent to Convergent
• Is It Just a Story – Or Something More?
• Turing the Fire Into a Narrative
• Taming the Beast and Writing Your Novel
42. Turing the Fire Into a Narrative
• Before you start slamming together sentences:
– Treatment
– Narrative Outline
• An enormous amount of work – why do it:
– You have to convince yourself it’s a book
– You may have to convince others
– A surefire way to avoid writer’s block
– You’re not chained to it – things happen
43. Let’s Deconstruct
a Novel Treatment
• Cover
• Organization
• Organizing Impulse and High Concept
• The “Old” OpCenter Dies
• The “New” OpCenter is Born
• New Character Details
– Preamble
– Those who spend a great deal of time
physically at OpCenter
– Those who deal with crises overseas
in each scenario
– Those who deal with crises
domestically in each scenario
• OpCenter Plot and Scenario Plan
– Preamble
– Short Plot Synopsis
• For us, this was 17,000+ words
44. Let’s Deconstruct
a Narrative Outline
• Cover
• Front matter
• Chapter summaries
– Separate sections
– One or two paragraphs per
section
• Epilogue
• For us, this was 19,000+
words
45. Finding the Heart of Your Story:
Your Original Idea
• Your Original Idea: Spark That Starts the Process
• Fanning the Flame: From a Spark to a Fire
• Focusing Your Idea: Divergent to Convergent
• Is It Just a Story – Or Something More?
• Turing the Fire Into a Narrative
• Taming the Beast and Writing Your Novel: Join Us
Sunday afternoon, February 28, at 3:30PM PST
46.
47.
48. Braveship
books
Braveship Books is an aggressive new publishing imprint created
to leverage emerging technologies in printing, distribution, and
communicationstocreatesmart booksforsmart readers.
Collectively, our books have sold hundreds of thousands of copies,
garnered numerous awards, and several of them are in various
stagesof pre-productionas majormotionpictures.
Our lineup of authors is eclectic, from #1 New York Times
bestsellers—including coauthors of Clive Cussler and Tom
Clancy—to promising newcomers who might become next year's
householdnames.
We specialize in action adventure fiction, thrillers, and sci-
fi/fantasy, but our authors will delve into any genre to deliver
pulse-poundingreads.
51. A Word About Surveys:
Comments Typically Come in Three Types
• You rocked my world and my life is now changed forever
for the better – I’m a completely new person
• I’d rather have a root canal than have to sit through this
again – and I think you should pay for it
• I got something (a lot, a little) out of this workshop, but if
the instructor does this next year, he should:
– Do more of….
– Do less of….
– Go faster….
– Go slower….
– ????
52. Slides and Resources Posted:
http://www.georgegaldorisi.com/
Email Address
george@georgegaldorisi.com
“What if” – plot focused
The Mouse That Roared was made into a 1959 film starring Peter Sellers
The best laid plans of mice and men ... A cold war satire emphasising the new emerged American Superpower's use of foreign aid to buy friends and keep then away from the USSR's influence. Peter Sellers, as the scheming Prime Minister of Grand Fenwick, plots with Peter Sellers, as the scheming Grand Duchess, to declare war on the USA, lose and get that foreign aid. Unfortunately, they forget to tell Peter Sellers, as Tully Bascombe, commander of their mediaeval army. This honourable man does his best for his country and through a series of unbelievable circumstances (well, this is a comedy) to win. Now, who has to give aid to whom?
“What if” – character driven
Inspiration
USS Pueblo (AGER-2) is a Banner-class environmental research ship, attached to Navy intelligence as a spy ship, which was attacked and captured by North Korean forces on 23 January 1968, in what is known today as the "Pueblo incident" or alternatively, as the "Pueblo crisis".
SHOW five novels I’ve done…
Originally, log lines were long thin ropes on a spool with knots tied in them that mariners unreeled behind their ships to measure their speed – in KNOTS. They counted how many evenly spaced knots passed through their hand as the sand in the hour-glass drained from the top to the bottom. The marina’s log line was a necessity in helping them navigate their journey and not get lost. It told them how far they had gone in a certain direction and when to turn the boat to find their destination.
[The other advantage of the marina’s log line was that if the boat got lost, the sailors simply had to follow the log line back to port. As time went on, and captains become more adventurous sailing to distant lands, the log lines got pretty big. But, after a few ships sank from the enormous weight of the reels, ships never got lost again. Why? They learned their lesson and never ventured far from port.]
Now, if that last part in brackets sounds like a joke, it wasn’t intended as such for the writers reading this. It’s the lie that tells the truth -- about the importance of log lines. Log lines help us navigate our writing. They also help to steer funding and attachments to our projects. And they direct audiences to theaters. Log lines are a necessary tool that keeps us focused in writing our story, and helps convince “names” to spend their time and money to get our story made and distributed. A good log line tells us how far we need to go before we arrive at a turning point in the plot. And, if we get lost, a good log line will lead us back to the beginning where we can start again.
SHOW five novels I’ve done…
SHOW five novels I’ve done…
SHOW five novels I’ve done…
SHOW five novels I’ve done…
What you’ll find on the website:
- These power point slides
- Treatment and Narrative Outlines
- Access to other resources on website like Writing Techniques
