In My Writing For the Screen Class

I learned about structure today in Writing for the Screen class. I liked it alot. He said that Star Wars follows the "ideal" structure like perfectly and it's made the writer ALOT ALOT of money. "So if you write it like that, that could be you!" ;D

So now I WANT TO WATCH "Star Wars!" (Mostly the first 3 ever made...you know Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Leia. Am I spelling her name right?)

This class is helping me alot with understanding how to write a good story that gets people hooked.

Why are stories good?

Because we like to watch the character struggled and win and struggle and win and up and down and up and down and be transformed or have our own perspectives as well as that of other characters' perspective change toward the main character, like we understand why he or she acts the way they act or does the things they do. It's really good.

I find that I struggle with putting my characters through challenging situations that they have fight through, but when I do I somehow feel freer and more at peace with the whole thing, versus stressing over it sounding bad or lame or not good enough. The story seems tp move along like butter much more easily when a crisis or something happens to the main character, causing them to make a hard decision or simply ignore it.

Oh, by the way, we didn't actually focus on Star Wars the entire time, maybe 1% of the time. I just realized how much I miss watching Star Wars...brings back good childhood memories of watching it with my dad (and mum and sister). Which it is also my dad's birthday today! On Holloween???

Happy Birthday dad!!!



What's happening with this story? It's not a novel!

This week and last week has been a challenge for me, especially since taking screenwriting class.
I thought it was going to be pretty basic.

Oh so cute and basic!

I just couldn't choose which baby, they both looked like good representative of being content with the basic...

Oh no!

Haha! Writing for the screen is far more complex than just dialogue!

We're learning about structure and treatment and log lines and plot and on and on and on the list goes. It's great! A little overwhelming, but oh my so helpful! Even as a novelist. It's teaching me how to be a better story planner, because for heaven's sakes I was not necessarily planning each book's "story" I was just planning the entire series' story, plot. Forget about the drive in the books individually!
Now that I am being forced to plan out my story, which I am using for my screenwriting class, it has made me make a very HARD decision. Something had to change, because going over what I had...what was the point of it all? I mean sure the scenes and dialogue and twists in the story I had written so far are exciting, but it's NOT ENOUGH.
AH!!!!

No worries! (I had to tell myself that, because I was like, "BUT I like what's happening with the ideas that are coming together, even though they don't have a MAIN plot!"
Well, I have resolved that problem, which in fact was actually a HUGE obstacle for me, because I was struggling with how to get anywhere, for the ideas for book one were being strewn together and going in a direction blindly. It's like they didn't know what their purpose was in book one, they knew their purpose for the whole series but not that first book.

I am therefore feeling much happier and more at peace about what is happening with book one, because it has more meaning and purpose to it. Though it is still up for tweeking of the meaning and purpose, but I know what the main plot of book one is and that's all that counts right?

No, not quite, but for now it is. ;)
And yes, it will be a novel, because that's what burns inside me to get out, we (meaning, me, myself, and I)just hit a rough patch and I'm sure there will be more, but this one, I didn't even know was blocking my way. That rough patch was what is the main plot is for book one, because there are A LOT of things in my "creating" for book one that have potential to be the main plot. Now you can go to my page, "Books of 'The Remmington Pirates Saga" and hopefully see more clearly what book one is about.

Well, I am glad, I got that out! ;)

Godspeed!

Cornwall Trip

The four hour bus ride there...I studied some of my German (for my beginner class), wrote about other supporting characters and more about a couple of my main characters for my "Remmington Pirates Saga," slept and listened to my i-pod the entire time. Oh and I drank 2 liters of water in the morning, so I was using the toilet on the bus...I am so thankful to have had a toilet on the bus. Or I'd be in trouble.

Some of our Minnesotan group learned how to surf, while some of us (like me) went and explored a town that sounds like "New-key" but that is NOT how it is spelled.



I wanted a Milkshake so I could dip my "Fries" in, but in England a milkshake is literally JUST milk with chocolate or strawberry or whatever flavour you can get. NO ICE CREAM!



SEE! I was sad at first!



It was a fun day!

We stayed in a really, really nice Hostel, which is like a hotel, except you have to put the sheets on your pillow, blanket, and bed. And when you leave, you have to take it off as well and put it in their laundry.

They offered a kitchen for guests to use, so we made our supper each night and they served everyone breakfast in the morning, except I made my breakfast since I'm allergic to like everything.

The view at this Hostel, well its location is just spectacular. I love it there! I could totally live there too, I mean seriously you've got the ocean view, smell and sound. What more could you want?

Right outside our hostel!

We walked past this EVERYDAY to get to the bus, because the bus could not drive through the tiny streets. So we walked about 10-20min from the bus to our hostel. It was fun!

The next day...what did we do the next day? Oh yes!
We went to another seaside town. It was just beautiful! I tried scones and creamed tea. So yummy! They even had gluten free scones! Though they were out when I ordered, so I tried the ones with gluten, after taking my GlutenFlam pills (which basically kills the gluten...???).

Anyways, my sister and I walked along the narrow streets, looking in store windows and such.  I, of course, had to stop an look inside some of them, like the charity shops and girls or ladies' clothing store, where I happened find an awesome scarf, so you know I had to get it!

I like this place! They have a boat harbour!

The tea was delicious! And so were their scones! They even offered Gluten-Free Scones, but they were out when I ordered. =( But I would definitely like to try their Gluten-Free Scones next time???

Then we went to a prison from 1739 to early 20th century I think (???) (It started a couple decades after my books, which start in 1707.)

It was pretty wicked. The punishment and reason for being in prison are so different compared to today.



You would be imprisoned for a time...??



We saw rainbows practically everyday that we were there. (And I've probably seen rainbows almost every week here in England, since September!)



We celebrated September and October birthday that night at the Hostel and we each got such wonderfully, sweet Birthday cards.





October and September Birthday recognitions! With my friends - and me with the black jacket!