A little child's much delight
A teenager is explorer
An adolesent is defiance
Twenty five's full of life
Thirty six is thirsty bit
Forty two does envy youth
Fifty one's a settled one
Sixty eight is outdated
Seventy four is greying bore
Eighty nine is eventide
Ninety five is deaf and blind
One hundred years of solitude
Check out - Godawful Poetry Fortnight
Monday, August 23, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Writing Seminar - Day 3
The session opened with the comments and feedback from Markus on the text that we submitted to the seminar forum at itsagreatstory.net and was participated by every one with interest.
The points of interest in the art of story telling came out in the discussions that followed. They are:
1. The opening of the story, especially with a striking first sentence, in order to hook the reader and set the tone for what follows.
2. The inciting incident that happens early in the story that drives the rest of it. This location of this incident in the story need not always be at the beginning (In Lion King it occurs quite late in the story).
3. The story follows the classical path (in most cases) where the protagonist goes through several obstacles and conflicts before coming to a conclusion.
4. There needs to be a progression in the conflict and the obstacles such that the conflict intensifies and the nature of the obstacles varies and becomes increasingly difficult for the hero to surmount.
5. There must be a dramatic need for the hero which must be established early on and that will work as the motivation for him to forge ahead in achieving the end he desires.
6. In the flow of events in the life of the main character it is important to show that there is a gap between the expectation and the result - this forces the reader to take interest since there is a turn in the situation as a result of unexpected consequence. It is this gap that propels the reader forward. It is the way once scene moves to the next - at least in the classical style where the story progresses in a linear fashion.
We have also discussed ways of tackling the story from different view points. There are essentially three view points, and each has its own benefits and disadvantages.
1. First Person - the personal point of view, cannot delve into the motivations of other characters
2. Third Person - a person in the story reveals the story and therefore may not be reliable; also it cannot go into the character's mind
3. Omniscient - the presiding intelligence that can play god, but needs to keep out so as not to interfere with the flow of the narrative
The resolution and ending of the story plays an important role in the whole drama. It must leave the reader satisfied and not leave a bad taste. The story may have raised the expectations and has not fulfilled them in a satisfactory way. It is in this context that we talked about the "Fading" of the story.
The session ended with the viewing of the last act of The Lion King. The scene opens with Simba returning to the land of his birth and what was once promised to be his kingdom. He finds desolation everywhere and it saddens him a great deal. "Show, don't tell" has been aptly used here.
As he nears the cave he witnesses the altercation between Scar and his old mother and reveals himself dramatically to his arch enemy. Scar humbles him by reminding that Simba was responsible for his father's death and in pushes him to the edge of the cliff - a scene that the viewer once again witnesses ("the mirroring").
Hamartia - the tragic flaw in Scar's character - goads him to reveal his evil design in pushing Mufasa to death. Simba hauls himself up and charges at Scar, thus reversing the roles.
The Lion King progresses linearly, as it should for a children's story, but has in it all the elements that make up a classic story of trust, betrayal, guilt, call of duty, return of the hero, overcoming the challenge and re-establishing righteousness.
The points of interest in the art of story telling came out in the discussions that followed. They are:
1. The opening of the story, especially with a striking first sentence, in order to hook the reader and set the tone for what follows.
2. The inciting incident that happens early in the story that drives the rest of it. This location of this incident in the story need not always be at the beginning (In Lion King it occurs quite late in the story).
3. The story follows the classical path (in most cases) where the protagonist goes through several obstacles and conflicts before coming to a conclusion.
4. There needs to be a progression in the conflict and the obstacles such that the conflict intensifies and the nature of the obstacles varies and becomes increasingly difficult for the hero to surmount.
5. There must be a dramatic need for the hero which must be established early on and that will work as the motivation for him to forge ahead in achieving the end he desires.
6. In the flow of events in the life of the main character it is important to show that there is a gap between the expectation and the result - this forces the reader to take interest since there is a turn in the situation as a result of unexpected consequence. It is this gap that propels the reader forward. It is the way once scene moves to the next - at least in the classical style where the story progresses in a linear fashion.
We have also discussed ways of tackling the story from different view points. There are essentially three view points, and each has its own benefits and disadvantages.
1. First Person - the personal point of view, cannot delve into the motivations of other characters
2. Third Person - a person in the story reveals the story and therefore may not be reliable; also it cannot go into the character's mind
3. Omniscient - the presiding intelligence that can play god, but needs to keep out so as not to interfere with the flow of the narrative
The resolution and ending of the story plays an important role in the whole drama. It must leave the reader satisfied and not leave a bad taste. The story may have raised the expectations and has not fulfilled them in a satisfactory way. It is in this context that we talked about the "Fading" of the story.
The session ended with the viewing of the last act of The Lion King. The scene opens with Simba returning to the land of his birth and what was once promised to be his kingdom. He finds desolation everywhere and it saddens him a great deal. "Show, don't tell" has been aptly used here.
As he nears the cave he witnesses the altercation between Scar and his old mother and reveals himself dramatically to his arch enemy. Scar humbles him by reminding that Simba was responsible for his father's death and in pushes him to the edge of the cliff - a scene that the viewer once again witnesses ("the mirroring").
Hamartia - the tragic flaw in Scar's character - goads him to reveal his evil design in pushing Mufasa to death. Simba hauls himself up and charges at Scar, thus reversing the roles.
The Lion King progresses linearly, as it should for a children's story, but has in it all the elements that make up a classic story of trust, betrayal, guilt, call of duty, return of the hero, overcoming the challenge and re-establishing righteousness.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Seminar - Day 2
Markus and I exchanged a friendly and superficial insight into each other as we waited for other participants to join us. The two young college going girls apparently felt the subject rather hard and not to their level and so left the seminar. Markus spoke of a rough time table which he followed which he said helped him to focus on writing and taking his second novel forward. I told him that I lacked the discipline to follow a regimen, but I have been toying with the idea of planning my day and stick to it.
We discussed the first session's assignments, what each person wrote, which Markus had studied carefully and commented, and then went over it again patiently. We then continued with the second part of the movie The Lion King. Oh, before that we talked a great deal about Syg Field's video on screenplay. Markus pointed out how the movie was structured according to the classical story-telling model and used plot devices such as -
Characterization
Emotional colorwheel
Turn in the story, change in the character
Rising intensity of conflict
Four types -
Inner conflict
Conflict with another
Conflict with the world at large
Conflict on a spiritual level
The Lion King used these devices to a powerful effect, Markus says, even in a story written for the children. Then he gave us assignment for home work, which included presenting a 3-page storyline for discussion. The session ended in smiles and eager expectations.
We discussed the first session's assignments, what each person wrote, which Markus had studied carefully and commented, and then went over it again patiently. We then continued with the second part of the movie The Lion King. Oh, before that we talked a great deal about Syg Field's video on screenplay. Markus pointed out how the movie was structured according to the classical story-telling model and used plot devices such as -
Characterization
Emotional colorwheel
Turn in the story, change in the character
Rising intensity of conflict
Four types -
Inner conflict
Conflict with another
Conflict with the world at large
Conflict on a spiritual level
The Lion King used these devices to a powerful effect, Markus says, even in a story written for the children. Then he gave us assignment for home work, which included presenting a 3-page storyline for discussion. The session ended in smiles and eager expectations.
Sent from Nokia Smartphone
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Writing Seminar by Markus Vattulainen
After waiting eagerly for Saturday to come, I was excited to attend the seminar by Markus V, a would-be author from Finland. Markus posted the details of the seminar and invited participants to join him for a whole year in learning the craft of writing. A session would be held for three hours every Saturday morning to discuss not only the personal approaches to writing, especially fiction, but also to learn and analyze the time-honored techniques employed by published authors. I was hoping to be able to be part of a group of aspiring writers for a long time. Markus's offer came like a soothing balm to my aching heart.
The first session was introductory and began with three men and three women apart from Markus who headed the session and drove it skillfully forward with the tools of the trade, beginning with a short introduction on the purpose of the seminar and ending the session with a film clip. Markus has a pleasing personality with a jovial face and a friendly demeanor. He greeted all of us with warmth and introduced us gently to the writing process. Everyone participated in the discussions that followed. The session held promise for more interesting and useful interactions in the future.
Markus made it clear at the very outset that he had made a choice between writing and not writing. The decision must necessarily be irreversible, leaving no scope for dilly-dallying. He decided to write, quit his job and settled down to writing full time. It was clear I am sure to everyone who did not take as seriously to writing as he did that it ws important to decide NOW, which is what Markus told us to do before going ahead with the seminar. It remains to be seen how many will go through with it and with how much hard work and enthusiasm.
The first session began with the screening of The Lion King, pausing the flow often to make a point or deliberate on some aspects of story-telling. Markus is articulate, clear in exposition and often invited the opinions of his eager listeners before offering his own. He gave an assignment which involved analyzing a scene from the film and posting answers to queries he posed in a hand-out. He expected everyone to join the forum on the seminar's website and participate in the discussions. The days of enjoyment are over, Markus announced; it is time to be analytical whenever we watch a movie or read a story.
The first session was introductory and began with three men and three women apart from Markus who headed the session and drove it skillfully forward with the tools of the trade, beginning with a short introduction on the purpose of the seminar and ending the session with a film clip. Markus has a pleasing personality with a jovial face and a friendly demeanor. He greeted all of us with warmth and introduced us gently to the writing process. Everyone participated in the discussions that followed. The session held promise for more interesting and useful interactions in the future.
Markus made it clear at the very outset that he had made a choice between writing and not writing. The decision must necessarily be irreversible, leaving no scope for dilly-dallying. He decided to write, quit his job and settled down to writing full time. It was clear I am sure to everyone who did not take as seriously to writing as he did that it ws important to decide NOW, which is what Markus told us to do before going ahead with the seminar. It remains to be seen how many will go through with it and with how much hard work and enthusiasm.
The first session began with the screening of The Lion King, pausing the flow often to make a point or deliberate on some aspects of story-telling. Markus is articulate, clear in exposition and often invited the opinions of his eager listeners before offering his own. He gave an assignment which involved analyzing a scene from the film and posting answers to queries he posed in a hand-out. He expected everyone to join the forum on the seminar's website and participate in the discussions. The days of enjoyment are over, Markus announced; it is time to be analytical whenever we watch a movie or read a story.
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