WHAT’S YOUR STORY? BY NICHOLE MCGILL 27 JANUARY 2011 OTTAWA INDEPENDENT WRITERS AGM
Dec 24, 2014
WHAT’S YOUR STORY?BY NICHOLE MCGILL
27 JANUARY 2011
OTTAWA INDEPENDENT WRITERS AGM
TONIGHT!
1. WHAT
2. WHY
3. WHAT SPECIFICALLY
4. WHO
5. WHAT EXACTLY
6. 10 FRAMES
But first…
“A CAUTIONARY TALE”AKA “HOW NOT TO WRITE A NOVEL”
• Short story collection?
• Novel?
• Film?
• TV – Movie of the week?
• Producer?
What was the heart?
!ONCE UPON A TIME, I HAD A…
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• Novel!
• First person!
• Young adult!
• Thriller!
• Hero: Suspicious!
• Wants: Independence!
• Needs: Tell the truth!
• Arc!
NEW PURPOSE
ON WRITING: “CAMILLA VS. YANN”
HEADLIGHTS PLOTS, PLOTS, PLOTS
RECOMMEND: BOTH
“VOICE”, FLAVOUR ACTION, ENGAGED READER
1. WHAT?
1. Type / Format
2. Genre
3. Message
4. What happens (one sentence)
i. Who is your main character
ii. Transformative action
iii. End result
1. WHAT?
1. Novel (200 pages)
2. Young adult, thriller
3. Telling the truth
4. Logline:
i. A teenage girl who mistrusts adults…
ii. …decides to take on a stalker by herself, endangering herself…
iii. …but ultimately learning the importance of telling the truth.
A WORD @ LOGLINES• Writing a good logline is an art
• It will transform
• This is your pitch: test this with strangers and friends
• “What are you writing?”
“I’m writing a YA novel about a teenage girl
who takes on a stalker by herself”
“I’m writing a thriller about a papergirl who is obsessed with the abduction of girls in her neighbourhood.”
TIP: An incomplete logline will tell you what you’re missing.
1. WHAT ABOUT YOU?
1. Type / Format
2. Genre
3. Message
4. What happens (one sentence)
i. Who is your main character
ii. Transformative action
iii. End result
2. WHY?
• Inspiration
• Moral
• One message
Your message will dictate your ending.
Your ending will dictate the entire story.
MORAL FOR GIRL #3
• “The Girl Who Cried Wolf”
• Importance of telling the truth
Ending = transformative action
Story = tension
***
Ending = she has to tell someone about the stalker
Story = her not telling
2. WHY – YOUR TURN
Why are you writing what you are writing?
• Inspiration
• Moral
• One message
Your message will dictate your ending.
Your ending will dictate the entire story.
3. WHAT EXACTLY?
The WHY drives this:
1. Type / Format
2. Genre
3. Message
4. What happens (one sentence)
i. Who is your main character
ii. Transformative action
iii. End result
YOU CAN’T FOOL THE READER
If it doesn’t ring true for you, it won’t ring true to your readers
4. WHO: GOOD GUY/GAL
The Protagonist (#1)
(aka The Hero/Heroine/Main Character)
1. What does my main character want?
2. What does my main character need? *
3. What is their arc/journey?
4. WHO: BAD GUY/GAL
The Antagonist (#2)
(aka The Bad Guy/Bad Girl/Person or Thing Thwarting Your Protagonist)
1. What do they want and how are they thwarting your protagonist?
2. Does your antagonist have a character arc? (Not necessary but could be interesting.)
4. WHO: OTHER GUYS
1. Protagonist & Antagonist
• Driver vs. Inhibitor
2. Reason & Emotion
• Logic vs. Feelings
3. Sidekick & Skeptic
• Faith vs. Doubt
4. Guardian & Contagonist
• Guiding Light vs. Temptation
4. WHO: OTHER GUYS1. Protagonist & Antagonist
• Harry Potter & Voldemort
2. Reason & Emotion
• Minerva McGonagall & sometimes Hermione, Ron, (changes)
3. Sidekick & Skeptic
• Ron, Professor Snape
4. Guardian & Contagonist
• Dumbledore & Draco Malfoy; Contagonist changes for each novel
4. WHO: GOOD GUY/GAL
The Protagonist: Syd Johanssen
1. What does my main character want?
• Live, be independent
2. What does my main character need? *
• Reach out to others
3. What is their arc/journey?
• She has to reach out in the end and she has to BELIEVE in it.
4. WHO: BAD GUY/GAL
The Antagonist : Faceless Man
1. What do they want and how are they thwarting your protagonist.
• He wants to “collect” her
2. Does your antagonist have a character arc?
• Archetype
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
PROTAGONIST
• Who?
• Want?
• Need?
ANTAGONIST
• Who?
• Want?
• (Need?)
WHAT SPECIFICALLY?
Plot = action + character
Action =• anything that moves story forward • what the main character does to get what she/he wants• and how they deal with adversity
PLOT TOOLS
1. Three-Act Structure
2. Scene Outline
3. Tell your story in ten panels
TACTIC #1: SYD FIELD’S THREE-ACT
ACT I
• Set-up
• Catalyst
• Beginning
1 – 30 pp
ACT II
• Confrontation
• Obstacles
• Middle
30 – 90 pp
• Resolution
• End
90 – 120 pp
ACT III
SYD FIELD’S THREE-ACTPage 1: Sets the mood
Page 3: Viewers needs to know central question of story
Page 10: Viewers need to know what the story is
Page 30: New world (1st Turning Point)
Page 45: Protagonist has character growth
Page 60: The Point of No Return:
Character commits themselves further to their goal; some success
Page 80: All is Lost! (2nd Turning Point)
Pages 90-120: Climax, End
SYD FIELD’S VIEW OF “ALICE IN WONDERLAND”
Page 1: Alice with her sister doing lessons
Page 3: Alice is bored; sees white rabbit
Page 10: Alice falls down rabbit hole
Page 30: Alice enters Wonderland (can’t escape)
Page 45: Takes control. She can shrink and grow at will
Page 60: Alice decides she wants to go home
Page 80: Croquet with the Queen. “Off with her head!”
Page 90-120 Trial. Alice grows big. Mushroom wears off. Chased by guards. She wakes up.
“It was all a dream!”
“A” STORY VS. “B” STORY
Plot out your “A” story first Everything in your story is a slave to it
Alice in Wonderland
All “A” story
Titanic
A = Love story
B= Boat’s sinking
WHAT ABOUT YOU?Page 1: Sets the mood
Page 3: Viewers needs to know central question of story
Page 10: Viewers need to know what the story is
Page 30: New world (1st Turning Point)
Page 45: Protagonist has character growth
Page 60: The Point of No Return
Character commits themselves further to their goal; some success
Page 80: All is Lost! (2nd Turning Point)
Pages 90-120: Climax, End
TACTIC #2: PLOT OUT SCENESChapter by chapter
Scene by scene
Reader & writer still need to know:
• Central question of story
• 1st Turning Point: Protagonist is in a new world
• Protagonist has character growth
• The Point of No Return
• 2nd Turning Point: All is Lost!
• Ending
VERY, VERY IMPORTANT!
Something has to happen
on every page,script or prose.
That “SOMETHING” has to move your plot forward.
TACTIC #3: 10 PANELS
This is a test…
Script, novel or long story
“A” storyline
On track
TACTIC #3: 10 PANELS
This is a test…
Script, novel or long story
“A” storyline
On track
Can you tell your story in 10 panels?
TACTIC #3: 10 PANELS
Panel 1: Set-up main character and situation
Panel 2: Show us what this story is about
Panel 3: 1st turning point:
Main character is in new territory
TACTIC #3: 10 PANELS
Significant Second Act Events
Panels 4 to 7: Character growth
Point of no return
Could test “B” story
Could put 2nd turning point
TACTIC #3: 10 PANELS
Panel 8: 2nd turning point
Panel 9: Climax
Panel 10: End
TACTIC #3: 10 PANELS
Panel 1: Set-up main character and situation
Panel 2: Show us what this story is about
Panel 3: 1st turning point (New territory)
Panel 4: Character growth
Panel 5: More growth / “B” story / success or failure
Panel 6: No return
Panel 7: Some success
Panel 8: All is lost (2nd turning point)
Panel 9: Climax
Panel 10: End
WHAT ABOUT YOUR 10 PANELS?
Panel 1: Set-up main character and situation
Panel 2: Show us what this story is about
Panel 3: 1st turning point (New territory)
Panel 4: Character growth
Panel 5: More growth / “B” story / success or failure
Panel 6: No return
Panel 7: Some success
Panel 8: All is lost (2nd turning point)
Panel 9: Climax
Panel 10: End
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