50/50

My mother successfully underwent major surgery today and now has a pin and a plate in her hip. She is amazing -- when the surgeon tried to tell her the difficulties she would be facing, my mother airily waved her hand and said, "Look, I've had 3 kids. How bad can it be?"

How's that for courage?

In addition to the normal risks, she has COPD and her risk of dying from the anesthetic was over 50%!

She has inspired me to ask myself my current main character would react in a situation like this, and also my villain. My main character interestingly enough, is so unhappy that she would hope for an easy death. This was unexpected. My villain would treat the situation like planning a war, and would do battle, being determined to cheat or bribe death, if necessary.

What about the leads in your current screenplay or novel? How would your hero or heroine handle a serious operation with a 50% chance of death? What about your villain or obstacle?

Hit The Target

The news is all about Black Friday today. According to most reports, stores were noticeably less packed this year. I would like to believe it has something to do with people reevaluating what's important to them and spending less but it probably just means more people are doing their shopping online.

I was intrigued to see that the employees at Target that were interviewed were all wearing different outfits. Sure, they all adhered to the same khaki on bottom and red on top, but they were able to decide which specific clothes they would wear. One guy wore a red hoodie with khaki pants, while a girl went with a red t-shirt and a khaki skirt.

I was reminded of Renee Zellwegger's character in Empire Records who, unhappy with the new Music Town dress code, decides to wear an orange apron and ONLY an orange apron.

As an exercise:
Imagine your character has a Christmas job at Target. What outfit would they decide on? Remember they have to stick with red on top and khaki on bottom. Now do the exercise for your other characters. How would your hero and villain's outfit differ?

The Human Family

My mother fell yesterday getting out of a cab and broke her hip in 3 places. After getting her settled in the hospital I got into a cab and gave directions to the cab driver. When we reached 79th street and Central Park West, he asked me if I'd said 72nd and Central Park West, and I said,"No," but as he missed the turn onto CPW and headed towards Columbus, I said,"I meant 71st between Columbus and Central Park West."

It was midnight and it was deserted so he stopped the cab and said angrily," I asked you if it was Central Park West!"

"I'm sorry, my mother is about to undergo major surgery, and I'm a bit upset. sorry for not being clear. Please forgive me."

He resumed driving, made a U-turn and we headed down Central Park West. "I forgive you already and It will be okay," he said, " I understand, you can't replace a mother."

I asked him about his mother and he said, "Oh, she passed away in 2003. I miss her so much."

"I'm so sorry - how did she die?"

"She had a heart attack. We were still in Africa then. My mother was 81. One day, she got up in the morning, took a shower, and then sat down in a chair, and didn't get up. My wife found her and called me. she said, Your mother won't talk to me, I can't rouse her. I came, and there she was. I had never experienced something so shocking."

Our eyes met in the rear-view mirror for a moment in shared recognition. There was a silence as we turned down 71st street, and there was a feeling that we had gone from cab driver and ditsy passenger to members of the same human family. I suddenly felt that I could cope with whatever was going to happen. That feeling of connection is something to be grateful for indeed.

GQ Men Of The Year

The annual GQ Men of the Year issue is on stands now and includes Clint Eastwood (Icon), Chris Pine (Breakout) and The Hangover Guys (Funnymen).

Rather than discuss who should or shouldn't have been on the list let's use it as a jumping off point for our writing.

As an exercise:
If your villain was included in a Men of the Year issue, which category would they be included under? Are they funny, or a song and dance man or a great leader?

By figuring out what makes your character likable, you will ensure that your antagonist is a fully-formed three-dimensional character.

Thanksgiving Dinner Reconsidered

In an earlier post, I discussed using Thanksgiving as a source of conflict for your script but this time I'd like to approach it from a more hopeful place.

Despite the craziness that often accompanies this holiday, Thanksgiving can also be a comfort to those experiencing a personal upheaval in their own life. Those of us concerned with the uncertainty about the economy, or the war, or the health of a loved one, can enjoy a moment of sanity in the collective rituals that come with this annual event.

For all the stress and drama that comes with this day, there are also moments of clarity that come with just being with friends and family you don't always see (and don't always appreciate) or falling asleep in front of the game.

So, this year, instead of freaking out about whether you'll have enough turkey or stuffing or pie, give yourself permission to take a moment to consider your heart instead of your stomach.

Because what is giving thanks, really, but sharing a happy story with those you love.

Happy Thanksgiving.


A fun exercise for Thanksgiving:

Take a minute to think about which of the Macy's Day balloons your character would be. Be sure to consider their temperament, as well as their date of origin.

Would they be a classic character like Snoopy, or someone more recent like the Ask Jeeves guy? Would they be heroic like Super Grover or an underdog, like Underdog?

Sometimes we're so close to our characters that we find it difficult to boil them down to one or two characteristics. This exercise will help.

Politics (as usual)

I was reading about Lou Dobbs' political aspirations today and it dawned on me that even people who have reached the heights of their profession are looking for the new adventure I discuss in The Four Magic Questions of Screenwriting.

Dobbs has stated that he'd be interested in running for a senate seat from New Jersey, or even for the presidency.

As an exercise, consider what level of government your main character would pursue. Would they run for a senate position like Robert Redford in The Candidate or Jay Billington Bulworth in Bulworth? Or something more local like Kevin Kline's character at the end of Dave or Tracy Flick in Election?

By determining which level of government your character aspires to, you can figure out just how ambitious they really are and how much time and money they're willing to spend to get what they want.

Let me know what you come up with for your own character.

Weekend Writing Tip

It's the weekend -- How are you and your characters the same and how are you different?

A weekend is supposedly more relaxed than the week, and has its own different rituals. This slower pace can give you time to reflect more deeply on the nature and motivations of your characters.

Exercise: As you walk through your Saturday, identify your personal weekend rituals, and notice what you enjoy doing the most, and least, then ask how does my main character and obstacle feel about the same activity? I know that while I enjoy seeing my family, my character regards it as torture, and my villain become almost teary-eyed when he sees his family. My obstacle would never lower himself to do laundry, and my main character resents having to do it.

I just had an idea for a scene that will have a lot of built in conflict -- a difficult discussion about their motivations (the heroine to get free from the obligations of family, and my obstacle maintaining his superior position) that will be heightened by the subtext of the laundry being done.

Let me know what you come up with!

Let It Ride!

Chris is in Disney World this week and he has sent me a couple of emails about his trip. He was surprised to see how each ride has its own story - with a beginning, middle and end - and relies on narrative structure and not just loops and turns to entertain.

As an exercise, watch this video of Star Tours (the Star Wars ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios) and think about how the story can be broken down using The Four Magic Questions of Screenwriting.



Now think about a movie you've seen that doesn't fit the typical "theme park" mentality and think about how you would turn that into a ride at an amusement park. How would you design a ride based on Citizen Kane, American Beauty or even 12 Angry Men?

Finally, consider your own story. What elements would you include in a 4-5 minute ride based on your screenplay. Is your story a fast-paced thrill ride through the old west or a harrowing journey into your main character's psyche?

By taking the time to think about what other people would find interesting about your story, you'll be able to think about why the other areas might not work.

Good luck and happy writing.

How To Make Your Characters Real

Today, I worked with three of my private students -- one novelist and 2 screenplay writers -- all three were wrestling with getting the characters to seem alive and like people we actually know.

I suggested that they revisit movies and books that they love and try to see why the characters feel so real.

What are your favorite movies and books, and what have the creators done to make the characters seem like "real" people? After watching these films or reading those books, try to write a scene with your current characters and see if there is a kind of magical improvement.

Hints: Look for small behaviors and how the characters speak for clues.

Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving dinner means something different to everyone. To some, it's a great way to reconnect with the people you love and appreciate how much you have. For others, it's a stressful balance of egos and emotions.

Below I have posted three examples of Thanksgiving dinners on the big screen. Each of them includes elements of the feelings and emotions I have described above.

As an exercise:
Imagine the characters in your screenplay are going to spend Thanksgiving together. Who will host the event? What will they eat? Will anyone be a no-show? Who sits at the head of the table?