A brief introduction to a "pre-writing" workshop that has helped some writers close to be get 'unstuck'

1. STORY:by keir moreano
MAGIC FOR
THE ADVANCED
STORYTELLER

2. Why do so many people give up writing stories?Q.

3. We sabotage ourselves in the middle of the process.A.

5. Think of your imagination
as a wind storm.

6. And that each story idea in your
head is like a loose sheet of paper.

7. I’m going to argue that they're six “pins”
or six commitments you need to make
in order to clearly “see” your idea.

8. These six commitments aren’t about
structure or plot, or character development.

9. These six commitments are the roots of
your story that give birth to these things

10. You should make your choices quickly
and not self edit. This is sketching

11. Battle Ending Hope
FearWorldJourney
STORY
These are the
six commitments

12. THE SIX STORY QUESTIONS
World Fear
Hope
War of Ideas Journey
Resolution
Does the audience know
what they are supposed to
care about?
Does the audience know
what they are supposed to
fear happening?
What happens at the
end of my story?
What kind of story is this?
What’s the point of
my story?
How does my world
look different?

13. Question: Does the audience know what they are supposed to care about?
HOPE
What do you want me to care about in your story?
This is not the same as saying what “should” the audience care about.
So what is it precisely?
Your characters don’t have to be brave, or violent, or strong, they just have to want something.

14. Question: Does the audience know what they are supposed to fear happening?
FEAR
In the dark we are defenseless screaming animals.
Treat your villains with respect, they are the one thing that the audience can immediately relate to.
Villains aren’t always what they seem...or sometime they are exactly what they seem. They are unnerving like that.
The audience knows you are playing a game with them. They like it.

15. Question: How does my world look different ?
WORLD
The world is a big place.
You could spend the next 100 years exploring your own neighborhood and you would never fully understand things.
Remember there are still places that can’t be Googled.
Take us off the map with your vision.
Show us the world differently than we usually see it.

16. Question: What happens at the end of my story?
RESOLUTION
The question is – what happens in the end.
Endings are mysterious sometimes.
That’s ok.
And if you’ve done your job right.
Endings will write themselves.

17. Question: What’s the point of my story?
THE WAR OF IDEAS
Embrace idealogical warfare.
What are the ideas which you want to explore in this project?
It’s got to be something that matters to you.
The ideas of your story are the fuel that the rest of the story burns.

18. Question: What’s the point of my story?
JOURNEY
You’re not the only person who has told a story before.
Don’t be afraid to copy the structure of other things you like to start.
Stuff happens in stories.
Make stuff happen in your story.
You can worry about making it better later.
Whatever you do.
Don’t forget to make it fun.
The profound is carried on the wings of entertainment.

19. THE SIX STORY QUESTIONS
World Fear
Hope
War of Ideas Journey
Resolution
Does the audience know
what they are supposed to
care about?
Does the audience know
what they are supposed to
fear happening?
What happens at the
end of my story?
What kind of story is this?
What’s the point of
my story?
How does my world
look different?

20. This is the beginning of a much longer workshop.

21. TO BE CONTINUED