Flaws and Results
Jealousy-> death threat
Rage-> violence
Impulsiveness-> misunderstanding
Gullible->
Too kind-> being taken advantage of
Trustworthy-> being taken advantage of
Letter to the past
Sparked off
- event/person
- reflect on emotions then/now
most time you wanted to know/say
mostly due to fear of confrontation
having to deal with situation
revisit the past
Purpose of the excerise
the letter is a practical, personal example of how a character- you- undergo an inevitable process of change.
This process of change is an essential ingredient of any effective story.
In dramatic writing, the very essence is character change.
A storyteller should be concerned with the potential of every experience.
Everything about you- where you were born, what food you eat, the bump on your forehead – your experiences are unique and irreplaceable.
Many of your experiences are universal and translatable and can be used in any location.
Translatable ideas
- visit to hospital
- fear of going to dentist
- falling in love
- ghost stories (fear)
- death
Storytelling tool 2: experience
Tip:
if you don’t know what to do with a character, make him yourself for a while.
See how he relates to the world he has been thrown into.
Plunder your own personal background! (the things that happen to you as you grow up and the things that are currently happening to you make terrific story sources.)
Record experiences (diary, blog, etc.)
Reflect your past (colourful past)
Recall how you felt then and now.
All people have fragments of stories
These potential ideas prompt your desire to know more
Respond emotionally and intellectually to what you heard
Good stories are born in the heart, not the head.
Initial ideas sparked by emotions and memories (heart)
Development stage (head)
Remember the role of an audience
After all, you ARE the audience.
Take audience on a ride of discovery.
Storytelling tool 3: memory
Your memory is a wonderful cabinet of past incidents which you have experienced or been told.
These memories are points of reference to your own past existence
Write what you do not know because you will find some part of you that does know.
Imagination, research, interviews
What is the difference between memory and experience?
Observation, experience, memory. Learn from it (what you REALLY go through) (manufactured. What you remember.)
How do we use memory to build creative content?
