The Building Blocks of Narrative

The art of storytelling flows from the human heart. We cannot help but tell stories. 

Robert McKee, the author of Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting, said it best. "The telling [or writing] a story is a universally human experience [that is wrapped] inside a unique, culture-specific expression.”

 Whether we share with a friend about our daily experiences, listen to a grandparent talk about the past, or read a book – storytelling is all around us. 

Writing your own story - fact or fiction –can be a challenge. Knowing the building blocks of narrative can help.

Th Building Blocks of Narrative

1. Antagonist 

The antagonist is one of the principal characters in a story and is the opponent or enemy of the protagonist.

The antagonist or villain is the main provider of conflict. Like the hero, they are responsible for driving the plot forward. 

The antagonist is not just  the protagonist's nemesis  and a chao-creating character.  A story would not be the same without a villain.  The antagonist makes the hero take action, accept a quest, and ultimately, save the day.

The other important reason for having an antagonist is that they are the primary agent that causes significant change in the hero's character arc.  The battle with the villain makes the hero stronger and better than they were at the beginning.

Here are a few well-known antagonists:  Darth Vader in Star Wars, Loki in The Avengers, and Hannibal Lecter in The  Silence of the Lambs.

 2. Character Archetype 

A character archetype is a character that repeatedly occurs in various literary genres.  While character archetypes were originally drawn from folk and fairy tales, they continue to be reproduced in modern-day texts. Examples are the hero, the villain, the rebel, the mentor, the sage or wise person, and helpers for the hero. 

Character archetypes have recognisable behaviours, motivations, and distinctive characteristics. A film might have an annoying neighbour, the nice, average, and innocent boy-next door who turns out to be a hero, the bully who torments the hero at school, and the femme-fatale that appears as a damsel in distress but is revealed to be a cunning, devious, and malicious antagonist.

3. Character

The term 'character' is used to refer to participants in the story world and they can be human, animal, or alien.

Characters make things happen and they function as the reader's eyes and ears in a story. Whether they capture our hearts or horrify us, a story will not exist without them.

Multidimensional characters make all the difference to your story. Describing a character's appearance and giving the reader an insight into the character's thoughts about themselves and other characters, will create an interesting story world.

Unforgettable characters have real-world problems, challenges, fears, and desires. 

If your characters are boring undeveloped, and not human-like, your reader will most likely not continue with the story. 

The more human-like your characters are, the more your reader will identify with them and want to read your story or watch your film many times. 

4. Characterisation

Characterisation is the personality traits or idiosyncrasies of a character. Think of George and Kramer in Seinfeld.

Characterisation also includes the external description of a character, as well as their thoughts and feelings.

5. Focalization 

Focalization is the restriction of the narrative perspective or viewpoint in a story. The person providing the focalization might be outside the story world or a participant in the narrative. The perspective might be provided through a narrator-focalizer or a character-focalizer. The focalizer determines what the reader ‘sees’, ‘hears’, and 'experiences' in the story world.

6. Narrative 

The narrative is the representation of a story which includes an event or a series of events.

7. Plot

The order in which the story events are arranged in a narrative.  Traditionally, story events are arranged in chronological order, but they can be arranged however you like.

8. Protagonist 

The hero or heroine of a story. Like the antagonist, the protagonist is a principal character. However, the story usually revolves around the protagonist. The protagonist is responsible for making key decisions that drive the plot forward, and they have a power struggle with the villain.  Examples of well-known protagonists are Clark Kent, Luke Skywalker,  Indiana Jones, James Bond, Rocky Balboa, Ellen Ripley, and Katniss Everdeen. 

9. Setting

The setting is the background for a narrative’s story world. Example. A beach, an office, a spacecraft, or an alien world.

10. Story 

A story is a description of connected events that are either told by a narrator or characters.

Traditionally, a story unfolds in a linear fashion, with a clearly defined, beginning, middle and end. However, these rules or techniques can be broken.

Stay tuned for more creative building blocks for storytelling

References

Porter Abbott 2008, ‘Glossary and topical index’, The Cambridge Introduction to Narrative, Second Edition, Cambridge University Press, New York.

Garry, Jane, El-Shamy, Hasan M., Eds, 2005, Archetypes and Motifs in Folklore and Literature: A Handbook, Sharpe, Inc., Armonk, NY, USA: M.E, ProQuest ebrary.

Hühn, Peter, Pier, John, Schmid, Wolf, Eds. 2009, Narratologia / Contributions to Narrative Theory: Handbook of Narratology, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, DEU, ProQuest ebrary.

McKee, Robert 1997, Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting, First edition, Harper-Collins Publishers, Inc., New York.

How to Write A Short Story

One of my favourite narrative formats is the short story.  This fondness grew out of my continual battle to complete an entire story.

 I had no trouble starting a story, but once I had written about a hundred words or so, I would lose the plot – literally! 

But after writing a few short stories, I think I may have finally vanquished my nemesis.  

So if you have trouble finishing a story or you have never written a short story before, read on. You will discover how to write a short story that will delight your reader.

Introduction to the Short Story

The short story is known for its distinct format: length of words, structure, viewpoint, tone of voice, etc.  It provides a small literary window onto an observed dramatic event or a personal experience. 

The short story has a long history, starting in oral tradition long before writing and the arrival of the printing press. Some well-known forms are: Homer’s Iliad, folk and fairy tales. Many of these short story forms were used for teaching purposes, such as Aesop’s Fables, and in a biblical context – the parables of Jesus.

Fairy tales were originally designed to be subtle social commentaries that narrate the ruling elite’s exploitation of the lower and middle classes. Of course, these social commentaries had to be cleverly disguised to conceal the real culprits.

 Feudal lords, kings, and queens were transformed into the fantasy characters we know so well today – giants, evil stepmothers, and witches. And the passive captive princess is just an example of their fateful prey.

As fairy tales have been passed down through history, they have been subject to revision due to socio-political change. Many of the Brothers Grimm tales in the late eighteenth century were repackaged for children. Some of the characters they used, such as witches and ogres, were censored by the Church. I apologise for demystifying or removing the magical aura that surrounds the fairy tale. Consider the Rapunzel fairy tale.  There is more to this story than just a crazy prince climbing up a tower with a girl’s long blonde hair. Don’t get me wrong – I am a fan of the fantasy side of fairy tales too, but I believe it is important to know the ‘why behind the what’.

Short stories are great narratives for the 21st century because they do not require as much reading time as novels. They may not be as popular as the novel, but a short story may be written just to introduce an intriguing idea or a  controversial situation that challenges the reader.

Writing a Short Story

When you start to craft your story ask yourself these two questions:

No. 1

Where will I start my story?  From the beginning or in the middle of the action?

No. 2

How will I end my story? Will it close with a satisfying conclusion – with all the loose ends tied up. Or will I defy traditional storytelling techniques and leave the reader wanting more? 

You are the creator of this infant literary world – it is up to you!

Personally – I like to challenge traditional storytelling methods.

Overall, form and content are important because a short story is determined by a specific word count.  

When I was at university most of my creative writing assessments were 1000 words.  That may sound like a lot, but considering a novel is 70,000 words plus, 1000 words can be challenging for an author to create an intriguing storyline and dynamic characterisation.

It can be fun seeing what you can do in 1000 words. Of course, some short story competitions accept stories up to 5,000 words.

Remember!  A story is not meant to exist in a literary vacuum. It is meant to be read by others.

Finally, when you start to write your short story, consider your audience and their overall reading experience. Reading the story aloud is a good way to know if the story is easy to read.

Creative writing exercise

1. Come up with a theme or an idea for your story. 

2. Brainstorm your narrative structure. 

3. Choose your setting. 

4. Pick your characters. 

If you would like to read my modern re-telling of of the fairy tale ‘Rapunzel’, ‘The Tale of Ruthie and Grace, it is available in my short story collection Tales for the Sisterhood. Let me know what you think. 

READING LIST:

Grimm, J 1982, Fairy Tales from Grimm, retold by Peter Carter, Oxford University Press, Oxford, New York. Available from Google Books. *

Zipes, J D 2002, Breaking the Magic Spell: Radical Theories of Folk and Fairy Tales, 2nd ed, University Press of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA. Available from Amazon Books

* You can find a book of fairy tales at your local library or an eBook through Apple iBooks.

How to Write an Amazing Opening to a Story

When it comes to writing a short story there are two important structural guidelines to remember. The  beginning and the ending. 

Although there are other guidelines, the beginning and ending of a short story are considered to be the most important.  These guidelines apply to novels as well, but for a short story, there is a limited word count in which to offer an intriguing story world.  

A story’s opening paragraph should be designed to capture a reader’s imagination and inspire them to read more. 

The opening paragraph acts as a pivotal gateway through which your reader must enter so that they can journey successfully through your story. 

There are many ways of beginning a story: setting, character description, action, a statement, an idea, or posing a question.

1. Setting

Your setting could be a location such as a windswept beach, a dark Dystopian city, a magical underwater world, or a simple hobbit’s hole as described by J. R. R. Tolkien on the opening page of

The Hobbit

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or eat: It was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.”

2. Character Description

The opening lines can introduce your main protagonist. For example Ella huddled against the cold. damp stone wall. Her porcelain skin was pale and drawn, with deep lines etched around her eyes and mouth, and her once-glorious golden hair hung in matted tendrils around her face.”

3. Action

Starting your story with strong action is the perfect choice as it thrusts the reader into the midst of the story.  The baying of the hunting dogs drew closer as he dashed through the thickly wooded forest. Like a madman, he clawed his way through the close-knit trees, until he was redeemed by a burst of bright sunlight, and he stumbled out of the forest into a small clearing.

4. A Statement

The iconic opening statement in Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities is dramatic, poetic, and memorable.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of our despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way . . .”

5. An idea

How about Jane Austen’s opening line in the classic novel Pride and Prejudice.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”

 Starting your story with an idea can really get your reader thinking.  Although they may not agree with your idea, they will be compelled to read on to see where this idea takes them.

6. A Question

“Where’s Papa going with that axe?” said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast.”

Charlotte’s Web, E.B. White. 

Beginning your story with a question sets up intrigue in the reader’s mind.  You have provided them with a question that needs to be answered and they must commit to the whole story to discover the answer.

I have provided just a few tips on how to write a dynamic opening for a story in a way that will capture your reader’s imagination.

Image.

A book. Magic

Yuri_B

Pixabay.com

How to Write a Gripping End to a Story

“Have you thought of an ending?”

“Yes, several, and all are dark and unpleasant.”

“Oh, that won’t do! Books ought to have good endings. How would this do: and they all settled down and lived together happily ever after?”

“It will do well, if it ever came to that.”

“Ah! And where will they live? That’s what I often wonder.”

J. R.R. Tolkien,

The Fellowship of the Ring.

Ending a story can be a difficult part of the writing process. Once there is nothing else for the characters to do; the victory has been won and the antagonist vanquished, the story needs to end with a gripping conclusion. 

I find it sad when a story reaches a conclusion, but all stories have to end, don’t they?  

When it comes to your literary masterpiece, here are five creative tips on how to write a gripping end to a story.

Like the beginning of a story, there are many ways to end a piece of fiction.

You can choose to end your story with a satisfying conclusion – with all the loose ends tied up.  Most of us enjoy this type of ending. The neat and tidy ending is so popular because, unlike real life, a story can provide us with a guaranteed resolution of conflict where everyone lives ‘happily every after’. 

For writers who choose to defy traditional story-telling techniques, there is the option of a ‘surprise ending’ or an ‘open ending’. 

By daring to be different we can leave the reader desiring more.

So let us explore the different ways to end a story which  will leave an unforgettable impression on your reader’s mind.

1.  The Circular Ending

A circular ending is when the story concludes with a mirror image of the beginning. 

With a circular ending, the characters return to the same scene at the beginning of the story, but things have changed in the story world. 

During their journey's characters have learned some valuable lessons, they have loved, struggled, and experienced some loss. Ultimately they have been transformed in some way. They are better than they were at the beginning.

The characters' transformation and the lessons they have learned will be shown in the paragraphs at end of the story. 

A classic example of a circular ending is in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

This much-loved story by C. S. Lewis is one of the best examples of a circular narrative ending.

As in the beginning of the novel, the children tumble out of the wardrobe and are met again by the footsteps of Mrs. Macready and her guests in the hallway.

But the children, Susan, Peter, Edmund, and Lucy have changed. Due to their experiences in Narnia, they have a different perspective on life, and are more mature even though they are still children.

2. The Surprise Ending

Kate Chopin’s ‘The Story of an Hour’ is a great example of a surprise ending. 

In the beginning, Mrs. Mallard is notified that her husband has died in a tragic train accident.  The majority of the narrative focuses on Mrs. Mallard’s conflicting emotions over her husband’s sudden demise and reveals revelations about his abusive nature. 

Mrs. Mallard's inner monologue show her dramatic shift from the grief-stricken widow to a woman who has discovered the guilty pleasure of an overwhelming revelation. Her husband's death means she is now free from his suffocating control. But the author introduces a clever twist at the end. 

Mrs. Mallard's husband Brently Mallard was well and truly alive, and seeing him at the bottom of the stairs, not only shocked his wife, but shocked me as well.   The way Chopin writes this story made me believe like the wife, that Mr. Mallard was dead. 

The surprise ending is not everyone’s ideal ending, but Chopin’s ironic and tragic twist contributes to the overall tragic mood of the story.

Check out The Story of an Hour to find out what happens. 

3. The Open Ending

Daphne Du Maurier's The House on the Stand is one of the best examples of an ‘open’ ending I have read.  Although I am a fan of defying traditional narrative expectations, I initially was quite shocked and disappointed by her choice of ending.   

I really wanted to know what happened to the main character, Dick Young, who had become addicted to a mysterious drug that enabled him to travel back in time to the fourteenth century in Kilmarch, Cornwall. 

At the end of the book, Young is back in the safety of his home in the 20th century and under the expert care of the resident doctor.  But whilst on the phone with his wife, he suddenly loses consciousness, and this is where the novel concludes. 

Du Maurier had left me high and dry and I was devastated.  I wanted to know what happened to Dick. Did he die? Did he return to the past?  So many questions and absolutely no answers. 

Du Maurier’s ‘open’ ending was another example of clever writing.  She had provided me as the reader with an opportunity to dream up my own ending.  As a passive reader, she was giving me some narrative power and inviting me to write my own conclusion and decide Dick Young’s ultimate fate.

4. The Trick Ending

‘An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge’ by Ambrose Bierce is an excellent example of a trick ending. 

At the beginning of the story, a man is being hanged.  Bierce provides quite a densely packed narrative about the man’s supposed dramatic escape. But it is not until the man reaches his home and family, that we are told that he, “Peyton Farquhar was dead; his body, with a broken neck, swung gently from side to side beneath the timbers of the Owl Creek bridge”. 

In writing this story, Bierce had drawn upon the idea that moments before death a person can be subject to hallucinations, and he uses this to trick us into believing that Peyton had cleverly escaped his death sentence.  With his trick ending, Bierce reveals that Peyton had only imagined that he had successfully cheated death!

5. The Summary Ending

This technique is used a lot in film-making.  At the end of the film, the audience is shown a written summary that tells them about the final outcomes for each of the characters. The summary might say they get married, they succeed in business, etc. 

As in films, this choice of ending provides a feel-good ending for the reader. The hero or heroine is victorious, the villains are punished and justice is served.

I have provided you with just a few choices for the ending of your story. But whichever one you decide to choose, your purpose should always be to leave a lingering impression or a dynamic image in the reader’s mind. 

As writers we have the power to entertain and inspire the reader but to also challenge their literary expectations. Have fun writing your gripping ending for your story

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The End

geralt

Pixabay.com

How to Create Compelling Story Characters

Creating story characters is an exciting part of writing. As the creator of your own micro world, there are new heroes and villains just waiting to be born.

In order to capture your reader’s attention and make them want to read your story up until the last page, you need to create compelling story characters they will care about.

So before we start, let me ask you some questions.  When you read a book, watch a film, or a television show – what draws you in?  What captures your imagination?  What inspires you to go and see a film or buy a book? What gets you hooked on a television show?  I am pretty sure your answers to these questions will be… the characters – real or fictional. 

It does not matter whether we cheer for the hero or whether we hate the villain, characters are the most important elements in the story world. 

We all have our favorite characters. Who is your favorite character?  Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, or maybe a cartoon superhero like Batman, Superman, Spiderman, or Iron Man?  Or maybe you are a fan of the villain– the hero’s nemesis!

The best characters are complex and fully developed.  They have distinctive traits (actions, speech, and external appearance). Just like us.

Characters appear more complex when they  undergo a metamorphosis or a personal transformation throughout the story.

What do we look for in a character?  Human qualities like sensitivity, empathy, strong values, bravery, etc.  We seek to identify with characters on some level.  Do they laugh, cry, or experience conflict?  Do they experience crushing disappointments and celebrate long-awaited victories?

Even though I am a self-confessed bookaholic, I believe the world of filmmaking has the greatest potential for creating dynamic characters.  Since the creation of films, in the late 19th century, audiences have been quite happy to sit in a small darkened room, separated from their friends and other captured viewers, whilst being held transfixed by the moving images on a screen.

In the 21st century, we continue to repeat this much-loved cultural activity, either at the cinema or in our home theatre.  And in these social places of magic and wonder, we are suspended in time and space. 

So what keeps us spellbound?  Forget the special effects, the digital sound, and computer-generated imagery (CGI).  It’s all about the characters! 

Whether we admit it or not, we live vicariously through these imaginary people who seem to live eternally in the magical story world.

“It begins with a character, usually, and once he stands up on his feet and begins to move, all I can do is trot along behind him with a paper and pencil trying to keep up long enough to put down what he says and does.”

― William Faulkner

I love this quote about story characters.  Faulkner’s experience reminds me of what can happen when you breathe life into a character.  Once you have drafted your character's back story, their actions, and their trajectory, chances are, he or she can sometimes develop a mind or will of their own. 

There have been countless times when my characters have surprised me.  Their personalities have undergone a dramatic reversal and they seem to want to direct the plot themselves.  I thought it was just me and I had been staring at the computer screen for too long.  I had spent too much time in the fictional world. 

One day I attended a catch-up meeting with some other ‘creatives’ , and when I asked one of the writers do your characters sometimes change during the writing process? The answer was Yes!

So, why do characters change mid-story?  As writers, we have the power to create characters that can mirror real-life people.  And just like real people, your characters can develop a mind or will of their own. Maybe it is just some magic from your creative muse.

A character will possess universal human characteristics and can be drawn from people we know.  We can relate to them on some level and we hope others will too. 

Of course, characters are not only restricted to humans; they can be animals, extraterrestrials (E.T.), or toys that come to life (Toy Story).  The possibilities are endless.  Sometimes there are characters we can not relate to, but they also have an important part to play and have an important story to tell.

“Who are these characters?  What do they want?  Why do they want it?  How do they go about getting it? What stops them?  What are the consequences?  Finding the answers to these grand questions and shaping them into a story is our overwhelming creative task.”

Robert McKee, Story, Style, Structure, Substance, and the Principles of Screenwriting.

Characters are the active agents in your story world that drive the plot forward.  They get things done, and they react to situations and to other characters. The dialogue and monologues uttered by fictional heroes and villains are often the words we fear to say in real life. 

As a creator, we can make our characters do things that we are afraid to do in our everyday lives.  An example would be: having the courage to talk to someone we have admired from afar, or being bold and accepting a challenge. 

Yes, sometimes characters can achieve the things that we can only dream about. 

I also think that creating characters can be very therapeutic.  When I’m angry, stressed, or depressed – creating a character helps.

Here are a few tips or ideas to get you started:

1. 

Create a backstory for your character/s even if you are writing a short story.

.A short story can develop into a novel or screenplay.

! Create a character profile: name, age, appearance, occupation, etc. 

2.

  Just like actors do when they are preparing for a performance, ask yourself these questions about your characters?  What drives them? What are their motivation, passions, fears, and goals? 

Let your characters lead you.   The fictional world is their domain.  Let them take you on their journey, you never know where it may lead. 

So have fun creating compelling story characters your reader will love.

Images

How to Write a Dynamic Poem

Poetry is such a fascinating and multifaceted aspect of creative writing. It is an expression of life coupled with the imagination.  

Writing poetry can be as simple as a few well-placed words that rhyme. Or it can be a complex arrangement of lines, stanzas, and rhyming patterns.

Poetry opens up an unlimited world of creative possibilities. Once you have a good understanding of the wide range of techniques and styles available, you can craft your own unique expression of life.

An Overview of Poetry

The history of poetry is as complex as the art form itself. There have been many debates over the centuries over what constitutes a poem.

The origins of poetry stem back to oral tradition, where a poem was used primarily for didactic and entertainment purposes in the form of a ballad. Shakespeare made the Sonnet famous – a poetic form that fuses together a delicate balance of both narrative and lyrical qualities. With the arrival of the printing press and the book, poetry became a highly respected literary style.

What Constitutes a Poem?

Is a poem just a static literary form that must adhere to a particular rhyming pattern, specific use of language, and a rigid structural format?

The traditionalist would argue that a poem should adhere to a strict rhyming pattern and its appearance on the page must not divert from four-lined stanzas that run down the page.

The rebellious post- modernist would argue that rules are meant to be broken. Writing a poem is a free and unfettered craft that is subject only to the artistic whim of the poet.

I think the answer to what constitutes a poem lies in this statement. A poem is the perfect form of creative expression.

What is your view?  Does a poem allow a writer to express their feelings, thoughts, and experiences of the world better than a short story?

The 19th-century classical poet and critic Matthew Arnold defined a poem as the ‘most beautiful, impressive, and most widely effective mode of saying things, and hence its importance….’ (Knickerbocker 1925, p. 446). But as grand as this quote sounds, the art of writing a poem is so much more.

Poetry teaches us about the beauty and power of language and the richness of words. By using a combination of the available poetic techniques, a writer can find complete freedom in the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings.

John Redmond defines a poem as not so much a structure of words, which has to conform to a set of rules and a particular form, but an experiment with being, that has a personality and value of its own. “…any good poem should make us feel like explorers of a new planet, setting out on a momentous adventure… [a] good poem will try to maintain the openness, the sense of possibility, which every reader feels when they open a book for the first time”(2006, p. 2).

To maintain the openness and the sense of possibility, a poet needs to keep the reader in mind when they are writing a poem. By using language and images that the reader can engage with, they will feel that they are able to join the poet in the journey of exploration.

A poem enables the poet to reveal their thoughts or life experiences to the reader through a heightened use of language that appeals to the emotions. It is an invitation from the poet to the reader to undertake a deep exploration of ideas.

Overall, the poet designs their perfect form of creative expression not just to engage their reader, but to provoke a response.

If you would like to learn how to write a poem, here are 7 writing tips that will get you started on your writing journey. 

7 Poetry Writing Techniques

A poet has  access to a toolbox that is full of different techniques or poetic devices. These devices allow you to aptly convey your thoughts, feelings, and experiences of the world.

1.. Sound. An arrangement of sound (a clever combination of alliteration and assonance – the repetition of consonant and vowel sounds), creates an internal rhyme and evokes music in our minds when we read the poem out loud. Assonance can create an internal rhyme like this line of poetry by Theodore Roethke “I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow…” 

2. Enjambment. Enjambment is strategic line breaks that determine meter and rhythm, which can highlight a certain phrase or idea.

3. Imagery. Imagery allows us to draw upon vivid descriptions to create a word picture.  You can use concrete images, which are images that we can see or feel like the sun or rain, a cat, or a house. Abstract images denote things or concepts we understand but we cannot see or feel like love, freedom, or justice. 

4.  Metaphor and Simile. These two figures of speech are used to draw a comparison between two things that are not alike.  

5. Rhyme. Rhyme relates to words or lines that end in identical sounds. “Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village, though…” Robert Frost. 

6. Tone. Tone is a particular use of voice that evokes a certain type of feeling or emotion like melancholy, happy, pensive, sad, or angry, which is determined by specific word choice. This is an excerpt from Departure by Edna St. Vincent Millay, which shows a melancholy tone of voice.

I wish I could walk till my blood should spout,  And drop me, never to stir again,  On a shore that is wide, for the tide is out,  And the weedy rocks are bare to the rain.

But dump or dock, where the path I take  Brings up, it’s little enough I care,  And it’s little I’d mind the fuss they’ll make,  Huddled dead in a ditch somewhere.  

Source: Poetry Foundation. 

7. Poetry Styles. Explore the many poetry styles available. A poem is such a vibrant and versatile art form. There are many composition styles available – Free verse (which does not conform to traditional rhyming stanzas that contain a regular meter or rhythm). An Elegy is a short  poem or a song that portrays sadness.  

These 7 writing tips are just a few tools that the poet can access in their toolbox. Some of these techniques can also be used in writing stories, but they specifically belong to the world of poetry. 

Ultimately, the role of a poem not only serves the purpose of self-expression, but it can teach us something new, and  capture our imaginations and emotions.

I hope that these 7 writing tips help you to write a poem and that you are inspired to discover the creative possibilities of poetry.

If you would like more resources on poetry styles and authors, visit the Poetry Foundation website.

References:

Knickerbocker, William S 1925. “Matthew Arnold’s Theory of Poetry”. The Sewanee Review 33 (4). Johns Hopkins University Press: 440–50, via Jstor. 

Redmond, John 2006, How to write a poem, Blackwell Publishing, USA. p. 2.

How to Write an Effective Screenplay Beat Sheet

If you want to produce a dynamic screenplay that wins the attention of your audience, a stellar Screenplay Beat Sheet will help.

Just like an architect draws up his plans before building a house, a screenwriter must create a blueprint for a film before the screenplay is written.

This Screenplay Beat Sheet format has been taken from a Screenplay Design Plan that I used during my degree at Griffith University in 2013. 

Save the Cat! has examples of Beat Sheets for range of well-known films. 

1. The Opening Image

The Opening Image is the most important part of the film as it sets up the overall theme, genre and style of the movie. 

The first scene has to contain a strong and memorable image. You could introduce the hero or the setting of the film in the opening scene.

Some films use ambiguous images that don’t mean much when they first appear on the screen but they make sense at the end  of the film.

Remember the pile of black top hats in the first scene of the film The Prestige?

In the beginning, those top hats were strange and we wondered what they meant.  It wasn’t until the end of the film that use of the hats became clear. They were the key to understanding the whole film.

2. Statement of the Theme

In this part of the film, about-5-10 minutes in , the statement of the film's theme should start to take shape. There will be some dialogue between the characters who provide us with some details on what is to come. 

3. The Set-Up

The Set-Up of the main theme of the film,  usually occurs in the first ten pages of the screenplay. We meet the hero;  find out what his problem is and the Major Dramatic Question (MDQ) that he is seeking answers to.  The plot thickens. 

Questions are raised and we wonder how they will be answered.

Most importantly we see might even see the villain, the hero's antagonist. He may or may not show himself to be the villain just yet,  but he will be getting ready for battle.

4. The Catalyst

In this section, the hero is poised and ready to embark on a quest. But still, he is uncertain, there are too many obstacles.

To compel the hero to take action, some type of catalyst is used. A dramatic event occurs or the antagonist  strikes. We are drawn deeper into the hero's world. We see and feel his reticence. We wonder whether will start the quest or he go home.

5. The Hero’s Deliberation

The Hero’s Deliberation is when the hero knows he must embark on the quest and take some action to solve his problem. But he is still uncertain about how to move forward. He still may want to walk away and refuse to accept the quest. He teeters between the ‘fight or flight response. But we are not disappointed as he finally makes the decision to act.

Friends or helpers as they are called, rally around the hero to help him on his way.

6. The Transition Point Into Act II

This is where the film really takes off. The hero has made his decision and has accepted the call to action. His quest has begun. Something has to be done and he is the only one to do it.

7. Introduction of the Main Sub-Plot

Once the main plot of the film is underway, the sub-plot can be introduced.

The audience is familiar with Part A or the first half of the film and now it is time for Part B – the second half to commence.

Part B may highlight the subplot of a love story that works in with Part A. We are introduced to some new characters – a love interest or the hero's helpers, (if they haven’t already been introduced in the first few scenes).

8. Playing around with the Characters and the Premise

In this section, the screenwriter can start playing around with the characters, their relationships, and the complications that ensue. This section of the screenplay forms the heart of the film and acts as the major drawcard for the audience.

9. The Midpoint

The Midpoint is the halfway point or may even work like an anti-climax. This is the part of the story when the hero's world starts to disintegrate around him. He feels that he has failed. He seriously  considers going back home. But in his heart he knows the quest has to be completed. 

10. Dark Forces Closes In

This is when the protagonist and antagonist start to clash with a vengeance.

The hero may find himself deserted by friends and family and he has to face the ‘dark forces’ all alone. He is standing on the edge of the abyss looking into its dark murky depths. 

What will  the hero's next action will be? Will he turn  return to the safety of home, or will he surge forward and embrace his destiny?

11. All is lost, or Victory Is Mine

This is my favourite part of a film. The hero is faced with seemingly total devastation. He has lost everything.  Something or someone dear to him dies, a partner, an animal, his family.

It is painful to watch but the hero's personal destruction will prove to be useful for his growth.  He will undergo a metamorphosis and be better and stronger than he was before. But he has not won yet.  He may have small wins along the way but total victory not within his grasp, yet.

12. The Dark Night of the Soul

The Dark Night of The Soul only takes up a brief part of the film, but it is extremely important as this is where the audience experience s the full impact of the hero’s devastation. We believe that the hero has lost and the quest is over.

A close-up on the hero's face with no dialogue works well here.

A great example would be Mel Gibson in The Patriot when he witnesses the death of his eldest son, or Russell Crowe in Gladiator when he arrives home to find his wife and son have been murdered.

The hero has to walk through the ‘valley of the shadow of death' and the audience must be able to feel his pain. 

The Dark Night of the Soul section of the film has to be the darkest of all, even more than the Dark Forces Closing In section. 

All hope is not lost, but it needs to look like it is.

13. The Transition Point Into Act III

The transition point shows the hero slowly rising like a phoenix out of the ashes of his fiery destruction.  He has not been abandoned. His friends arrive to help him solve the problem and battle the villain.

14. The Finale

Part A and Part B of the screenplay have finally come together. The story has come full circle. The hero has gone through hell. He has experienced great personal loss.  Despite his challenges, he is powerful. His character arc shows his full transformation. This transformation will help him in his final battle with his nemesis. This time he will defeat the villain once and for all.

The Final is the major climax of the film. Everything depends on on it.  If it’s an Action or Science fiction film, the finale will go off with a bang. If it’s a Romance film, then the finale will be sweet and satisfying.

15. The Closing Image

The Closing Image is a mirror image of the Opening image. But there is a important difference.  

The evil that was present at the beginning has been vanquished. The problem that the hero was struggling with has been solved. The protagonist's major dramatic question has been answered.

The hero has learned an important lesson. He may appear outwardly battle-scarred, bloodied, and bruised, but he has emerged from the battle victorious.

He has experienced great loss but has also gained something valuable.

In some films, all the loose ends will be tied up. Questions that have been raised throughout the film will be answered.  But there may be some ambiguity as well. The audience may be left with some unanswered questions. Leaving a partially unresolved ending allows you to decide what you think may have happened to the characters once the story ends.

Overall, there should be a sense of resolution that comes with the Closing Image.  

Now that you have learned how develop the structural outline of a Screenplay Beat Sheet, you are ready to start writing your screenplay. 

References

 Formatting the Screenplay. Screenplay Design Plan, Griffith University, Drama Screenwriting Study Guide 2012.

How to Write a Dynamic Screenplay

A screenplay is a complex dramatic form that requires a particular structure and format.

There are many multimedia entertainment formats that utilise a screenplay or a script such as films, television,  and theatre, but I am going to use film as my frame of reference.

The magical world of film-making has captivated our collective imagination since its inception in the late 19th century, and now in the 21st century, it continues to be one of the most popular mediums for global storytelling. So it is important to create a dynamic screenplay. 

An overview of a screenplay?

A film, as opposed to a work of fiction, is primarily a visual medium, therefore a screenwriter needs to think in visual terms. Although the dialogue is important, a dynamic and memorable image can deliver information much more effectively.

A screenplay may draw upon many similarities that are attributed to a work of fiction such as a complex story-world, a strategic plot, and characterisation, but it predominately relies upon the art of visual storytelling.

In the world of film-making, a screenplay acts like “a plan” or a “blueprint” (Glenn 2008, p. 104) for everything that is seen and heard on the screen. So when it comes to crafting a screenplay, remember the all-important literary mantra, Show Don’t Tell.  As a film contains moving pictures, the screenwriter needs to be able to craft words that come “alive with all the motion and emotion” (2008, p. 104) that is synonymous with the silver screen.

Before you set out to start writing each scene of your screenplay, ask yourself these four questions

1.  Does my opening scene create a dynamic image in the mind of the reader and will it work on screen?  Visualising your scene on screen is a good technique.

2.  Have I been economical with my word choices, have I used dynamic nouns and strong verbs to communicate the setting, action, and characters.

3.  Have I utilised a good balance of dialogue and action?

4.  Does my screenplay create interest and suspense? This is where re-writing and multiple drafts help.   

Remember: perfection takes time.

A screenwriting tip.

Download the screenplay for your favourite film and analyse its scene structure, tone, etc. 

The Stage 32 website provides copies of the latest screenplays, but registration is required.

More tips for writing a dynamic screenplay.

Avoid using anything in your screenplay that cannot be communicated visually or aurally on screen.

Film-making is all about dramatisation, not exposition. Show don’t tell!

Although the dialogue is necessary to reveal story and character information, a single engaging image can convey a thousand words. A close–up on a character’s face, or the camera focusing on a single memorable image.

Choose action over dialogue. The saying “Actions speak louder than words” is just as true in the film world. And like real life – what a person does as opposed to what they say reveals their true nature.

Of course, the dialogue is important, but when using dialogue use carefully crafted and strategically placed dialogue as opposed to a whole load of empty waffle.

Dialogue is important for finding out about characters and the plot, but a screenwriter has to be ruthless and cut out any unnecessary verbiage. 

Lastly, when you write your screenplay and use strong images (especially in the opening scene). A strong image will create a strong emotional response from the audience and ultimately a memorable film.

References:

Glenn, John 2008,

The page: Words that move’, Writing Movies: The practical guide to creating stellar screenplays, (written by Gotham Writers’ Workshop Faculty; edited by Alexander Steele), A & C Black, London, Ch. 4, pp. 103-135.