Fictional Skies

This year I have developed a profound appreciation for Batman as a character, origin story and franchise... and yet, he is nothing without the villains of Gotham City. This is character creation at its finest. Bruce Wayne is a man that refuses to move on from a tragedy suffered in childhood. Each villain in the Rogues Gallery exposes a particular weakness or dangerous belief within Batman. He is constantly fighting the kind of scum that got his parents killed. What this tells us is that not only is the opposition character key to the success of your story but this main character flaw or belief turned desire that prevents closure and moving on. The best of Bruce Wayne / Batman exists in the second act and within this vicious cycle of hero vs. villain. That's where the franchise excels. If there was no Batman in Gotham City would the villains be as grand? Perhaps they need Batman the same way he needs them. They help enhance each other's value, skill and ambition. The B...

Relationships. Family. Work. Goals. Mindset. No matter how much we try to create a productive lifestyle and ideals to live and work by chances are we may end up drifting off that path from time to time. Much like life, our story projects (and writing goals) are in transition too. Some we simply outgrow or avoid out of doubt or fear. Some we connect with on a deeper level. Some may be leading us astray or are just for fun. Life is about change and varied experience. Not so much about having everything figured out and less about living in regret. It's about embracing the change and uncertainty. This will enhance our effectiveness in life and our stories. "Since we cannot change reality, let us change the eyes which see reality."  - Nikos Kazantzakis

It's all well and good when you discover a passion for storytelling but at some point you have to face up to the reality of your ambition. Time isn't infinite and no one is going to do the work for you. You must get real and put the time in. What this means is that I'm unable to commit to the upkeep of the blog and make it as resourceful and interesting as I would like. I've reached the stage where I just want to focus on writing and learning offline. The culture of writing something and reporting back is a bit of an old hat and counter productive. I find myself heading into a new direction of writing, research and learning this year. That demands more time and focus. It's the stories themselves leading the way. However, I'm glad to be trying new things and exploring what I thought I would be doing much later on in life. I have some unpublished blog posts and aim to see those through for this year. It has been an enjoyable learning curve, although,...

Calvin's approach to writing is a general beginner or non-writer view on writing: Waiting for inspiration before doing any work . It's not completely wrong. You do need inspiration in order to come up with a great idea to write and to fill it with fresh and exciting ideas, characters and scenes. But you don't need it to get started; and definitely not to continue. It's said that "the professional doesn't wait for inspiration and writes no matter the weather." If they didn't not much work would get done - and what's the use in that. Inspiration is a fantastic feeling to behold and it transforms your mood and writing session, not to mention, your writing project. It can even transform your life. However, it's not meant to occur everyday and hold your hand until your story is complete. In other words, you don't need it to get your story done. Writing is a trade - a craft that occasionally rises to the level of art. There are bas...

Naturally, I went into horror feature  Project Nightingale with high hopes. Even though it didn't work out to how I had initially wanted, I was enlightened by what I found. Going in I knew that this project would be the last one I would develop in my usual way, as a new standard had been calling in the way I deal with projects. Justice in the story concept was all I was looking for. However, the more I developed things the more ways I could see this going, and the original idea looked less sweet. So I had to reinvent what I had invented. But the thing did improve and I could feel that I was getting closer. It was maturing and had come a long way but something was fundamentally wrong. I kicked its behind and wouldn't let up until I could identify what was bothering me about it. Then one day, it all became clear. I believe I have now found the story experience, what the project is, and how it fits into the marketplace. It could be made by a small crew and market...

Vince Gilligan (via  David D. Burstein ) has three excellent  storytelling tips  for those not wanting to ruin their work by rigid long term planning. Script Quack  offers two words and great  craft insight  for those struggling to get to grips with structure. Danny Stack  touches on the  realities  involved in becoming a professional screenwriter for those looking to create a ten-year plan. Jeffry Hirschberg  shares his  11 Laws of Great Storytelling  for those wanting increase the odds of their screenplay achieving greatness. Screenwriter's Digest

“ Most aspiring screenwriters simply don’t spend enough time choosing their concept. It’s by far the most common mistake I see in spec scripts. The writer has lost the race right from the gate. Months — sometimes years — are lost trying to elevate a film idea that by its nature probably had no hope of ever becoming a movie .”  - Terry Rossio [Shrek, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Mask of Zorro]